During its final Eastern States Collegiate Hockey League (ESCHL) playoff run, the No. 22 Stony Brook hockey team’s 2024-25 campaign abruptly culminated with a semifinal loss.

After wrapping up the regular season with a win against Drexel, the second-seeded Seawolves (13-12-6, 6-3-1 ESCHL) made the trip to Revolution Ice Centre in Pittston, Pa. for the final 2025 ESCHL Conference Tournament ever. Following its first-round bye, Stony Brook faced off against the fifth-seeded Syracuse Orange (16-14-4, 3-5-2 ESCHL) in the tournament’s semifinal round on Saturday night and was sent packing following a 9-5, upset defeat.

It did not take long for Syracuse to strike first after the action got underway. Just 4:23 into the opening period, Syracuse winger Sam Hutchinson pickpocketed defenseman Kiernan Gately and unleashed a wrist shot from the slot that was deflected by center Anthony Larkin out in front, beating goaltender Steven Reganato to give the Orange a 1-0 lead on the first shot of the game.

Following a five-minute major against winger Kyle Smyth for illegal head contact, Syracuse’s power play went to work and capitalized just under five minutes later. From the top of the right faceoff circle, defenseman Carter Rugg rang a shot off the crossbar and the rebound caromed right to Hutchinson, who had a wide-open net to bury it in with Reganato down and out.

After a period of play, the Seawolves found themselves down 2-0 and failed to get anything going, as Stony Brook mustered up just a single shot on goal.

Early in the second period, the Orange kept their foot on the gas pedal and struck early once again. Just 20 seconds in, Reganato stuffed a wraparound attempt by Syracuse winger Brendan Duffy, but the puck bounced toward the front of the net and was knocked off Reganato’s left shoulder and home by winger Evan Vassilovski, bringing the Orange ahead 3-0.

Just over a minute later, the Seawolves finally showed signs of life. From the point, defenseman Jackson Haskins fired a shot that was tipped by winger Nate LeGrette in the slot and past Syracuse goaltender A.J. Finta to get Stony Brook on the board.

However, the game quickly unraveled for the Seawolves from that point on.

Just 34 seconds later, the Orange capitalized off an odd-man rush. On a two-on-one, Syracuse defenseman Ryan Thomas ripped a shot that Reganato got a piece of, but the rebound squirted behind him and settled in the crease, allowing center Jack Wren to tap it home and restore Syracuse’s three-goal lead.

The goal prompted head coach Chris Garofalo to turn to goaltender Scott Barnikow in net, but the change failed to snap Stony Brook out of its daze. At the 5:30 mark of the middle frame, another Seawolves defensive-zone turnover led to Syracuse winger Max Gargurevich finding Larkin unchecked right in front of Barnikow. The netminder got a piece of Larkin’s shot but not enough, as it rolled behind him and in to extend the Orange’s lead to 5-1.

Just past the halfway point of the second period, Stony Brook watched things go from bad to worse. Off a blocked shot, Syracuse winger Tanner Cole found the stray puck, walked right down the slot and fired a shot that was redirected past Barnikow by winger Kade Cook to make it 6-1 and begin the rout.

With just over five minutes to go, the Seawolves finally got a bounce to go their way on the power play. A broken pass by center Nick Newman from behind the net ricocheted right to winger Alex Scimeca, who quickly let a shot go from the side of the net that surprised Finta and popped his water bottle to cut the deficit to four goals going into the third period.

With its season on the line, Stony Brook displayed some offensive firepower in the third period but not enough to get back in the game.

Similar to the start of the middle stanza, Hutchinson netted a power-play goal just 15 seconds into the third. Despite a response from winger Cooper Smith, the Orange quickly nullified the marker, as Cole buried a rebound to make it 8-3.

In short order, Smith potted the Seawolves’ first shorthanded goal of the season and his second score of the night and with just under seven minutes to play, center William Kormanik tallied his team-leading 16th goal of the year. Unfortunately for Stony Brook, the push was too little, too late, as Duffy ended the game and the Seawolves’ season with an empty-netter.

Contrasting the lopsided, 9-5 final score, the Seawolves were narrowly outshot 30-26. In terms of special teams, Stony Brook went 1-for-4 on the man advantage and killed off three of its five penalties while also scoring a shorthanded goal.

In the crease, Reganato allowed four goals on the 16 shots he saw. Barnikow did not fare any better, surrendering four goals on 13 shots.

Offensively, Smith led the way with two goals and an assist. LeGrette netted a goal and picked up an assist, while Kormanik and Scimeca both lit the lamp once.

Newman recorded two helpers. Haskins and winger Justin Nakagawa, along with defensemen Joe Trazzera, Ted Valenti and Dylan Kowalsky, all notched an assist apiece.

With the loss, the Seawolves’ time in the ESCHL has officially come to a close. Despite a disappointing end, Stony Brook will finish its time in the league forever enshrined in its record book, as its five championships, nine championship appearances and four regular-season championships all represent conference records that will retire with the league.

Next season, the Seawolves will begin a new chapter in their new home: the Atlantic Coast Conference Hockey League. With a young core in place going forward, Stony Brook’s future appears to be bright in spite of its up-and-down season in 2024-25.