Colby downs Geneseo 2-1 with last second tally

Colby (17-10-2)    2 
Geneseo (20-6-3)   1

Box Score   Colby Recap    Geneseo Recap D3Hockey.com  CentralMaine 

Justin Grillo scored in the final two seconds of regulation and Sean Lawrence had his ninth straight game with 30+ saves as the Colby College Mules punched their first ticket to the DIII Frozen Four in program history. They'll meet St. Norbert, who Trinity defeated in last year's Frozen Four, in Lake Placid, NY next Friday.

The winning goal came at the end of a third period that Geneseo absolutely dominated, 18-4 in shots. The Ice Knights, who had outscored opponents at the IRA 63-13 this season headed into the contest, found themselves down 1-0 entering the final frame. Midway through the period, Joe Schuler was called for a knee and Mike Rudolf was called for a subsequent trip, and the Knights found themselves on a five-on-three power play. They took advantage at the 8:18 mark when Andrew Romano fed Arthur Gordon (who Colby coach Blaise Macdonald says has an NHL shot) at the right dot for an absolute riffle of an upper-90 one-timer for the equalizer. NESCAC fans may remember Gordon from the 2016 Quarterfinals, also at Geneseo, when he scored two goals to end Williams' bid for a trip to the Frozen Four.

The Knights nearly took the lead with five minutes left when Dan Bosio took a shot from the left circle. Sean Lawrence went down to stop the shot but it was actually coraled by Romano who found himself moving across Lawrence's poke check with a chance to put away the go-ahead goal. He wasn't able to lift it (something that he said after the game is going to kill him all summer) and Lawrence was able to make the sprawled out save seen below. (You can watch the highlight at the Geneseo BoxCast site here).

What's only visible in the video is Mike Rudolf diving to stop a follow up effort by Romano on an open net. This playoff run has been about Lawrence's great play, certainly, but as he would be the first to tell you, it has been a team effort. 

After the game, coach MacDonald admitted he was thinking about what to say to the boys in the locker room before the start of what seemed to be an inevitable overtime period. And with eight seconds left and the puck in the Colby end, no one would have bet on the Mules winning this in regulation (well, maybe UMBC fans). But Dan Dupont got a quick outlet pass to Cam Macdonald, who back handed it immediately to Thomas Stahlhuth. The junior entered the zone and had his shot blocked, but Grillo followed it up and fired it past Devin McDonald's blocker. McDonald, understandably, just looked down in disbelief without moving for several seconds after he realized it went in. Grillo said after the game that he didn't even see it go in but he saw the goalie's head turned toward the net. He also admitted he had no idea that there were only 1.6 seconds left on the clock as in the heat of the moment the exact time is one of the last things on a player's mind.

A transition play with Stahlhuth and Grillo finishing it off led to the first goal of the game as well. In the opening minute of the second period, Dupont from behind the net began the breakout and shuffled it over to MacDonald, who immediately gave it to Rudolf leaving the zone. Rudolf took a hit into the boards just outside the Colby zone and found a streaking Grillo at mid-ice, who maneuvered his way to the left dot on a two-on-one with Stahlhuth out in front. Stahluth later said that he thought Grilo, with his "unbelievable release" would take the shot, but Grillo fired it over to Stahlhuth for the Mules opening salvo.

The scoreless first was key to the Mules success, MacDonald would say after the game. The Knights have a tendency to jump out in front and had beaten every single opponent they played at the IRA save one this season, and that was a tie against perennial powerhouse Oswego. Geneseo coach Chris Schulz said the first half of the game was probably the worst period-and-a-half of hockey his team has played this season.

Survive and advance has been the credo of the Mules this postseason, and they pulled out their fifth straight win in an elimination game dating back to the Quarterfinals of the NESCAC tournament. While the games have been on the road, the Mules faithful have done a bang-up job of bringing a small but mighty contingent to the games. "Col-by" chants were audible at the NESCAC championship and opening round game at UNE, and they were again audible in the final second of the game at Geneseo, some 584 miles from Waterville, ME. Colby College's twitter was all over the game, including the nice info that Louanne Tobias, Colby women's hockey '77, came to the game from her home 20 minutes away.

So great to see Louanne Tobias '77 tonight at the @ColbyHockey NCAA tournament game. The former @ColbyWIH player lives about 20 miles from Geneseo and wanted to witness history. #gomules pic.twitter.com/mIWy0rWSJk

— Colby College (@ColbyCollege) March 18, 2018

It's been a magical run for this squad, who becomes the third NESCAC team to make the DIII Frozen Four in the last four years (Trinity 2015 and 2017, Amherst 2015) and the first NESCAC team since Amherst in 2012 to go to Lake Placid, NY for the final games of the NCAA Tournament.


We are going back to the Dropkick Murphy's well for Colby's St. Patrick's Day last second upset at the IRA. The Mules have survived the gauntlet of the NESCAC Tournament and NCAA Tournament thus far.