Here, right in front of it, was the opportunity for the Solvay ice hockey team to ascend to the top of the Division II West standings.
The Bearcats could not quite pull it off, though, finding its explosive attack shut down through all the late stages of a 3-2 loss to Corcoran Monday night at State Fair Coliseum.
Corcoran entered the game atop Division II West with a perfect 6-0 league mark, with Solvay (5-0-1 league) right behind and defending champion Skanetaeles in third place.
The Bearcats had a great deal of confidence, too, after the dramatic win in its own “King of the Coliseum” Tournament, plus a league win over Fulton on Jan. 2.
All that took a hit, though, when Corcoran star James Cathers waltzed in and scored off a feed from Derek Eccles just 1:51 into the game.
That 1-0 deficit held up into the second period, thanks to goalie Ryan Bonk, who turned away 17 Cougar shots in the first period alone, as the Bearcats constantly found itself in a defensive mode.
And it didn’t change until Cathers scored again 5:12 into the second period. Less than 90 seconds later, Tim Burgess forced a turnover, then fed it to Ryan Chapman, whose shot beat Jason Frier to make it 2-1.
Not fazed, Corcoran moved the lead to 3-1 on Steve Jackson’s goal, setting up a drama late in the period that would prove decisive.
A controversial penalty shot call gave Burgess a one-on-one-shot at Frier, and he converted to make it 3-2. Furious at the call, two Corcoran coaches got whistled for bench penalties, leaving the Bearcats with a 5-on-3 chance.
Somehow, Corcoran killed that off, as it did three other Solvay power plays in the third period. And as time wound down, the Cougars’ puck possession kept the Bearcats from any attempt to pull Bonk in the final minute.
Before it was done, Bonk had 52 saves, while Frier earned 28 saves, most of them in long flurries during the second period where, try as it could, Solvay could not get closer.
