The Lake Forest College men's hockey team defeated visiting Concordia University Wisconsin 5-3 Friday night. Sophomore Phil Bushbacher scored each of the Foresters' final three goals for his first career hat trick.
Bushbacher also had an assist and recorded his second four-point game of the season. He leads the 2010-11 Foresters with 13 goals and 22 points.
It was Senior Day and each of Lake Forest's three healthy seniors recorded at least one point, including Zach Kozak on the game's first goal five minutes and one second into the contest. Senior Tyler Gross and sophomore Zak Borowski each picked up an assist on Kozak's fifth goal of the season. Bushbacher and senior Anthony Ventura then set up sophomore Tom Bark's fifth goal of the year at 12:32, giving the home team a 2-0 lead.
Concordia Wisconsin got on the scoreboard on a power play goal at 15:37 and tied the game at 17:42.
Bushbacher put the Foresters back on top on a power play goal at 6:56 in the second period. He was assisted by Bark and sophomore David Sharpe. After the Falcons tied the game again on another power play goal at 8:37, Bushbacher netted what turned out to be his second game-winning goal of the year at 17:33. Sophomore Ethan Goldberg assisted on the play.
The only goal of the third period was scored at 14:40 and completed Bushbacher's first career hat trick. Goldberg and Ventura assisted on the score.
Forester junior goaltender Marc Stuart played the first two periods and earned the victory. Sophomore Brendan Sullivan stopped all 10 shots on goal he faced in the game's final 20 minutes.
Lake Forest is now 5-18-1 overall this season and 5-13-1 in Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association play. Concordia Wisconsin fell to 1-22-1 overall and 1-17-1 in the league. The same two teams will face off in Mequon, Wisconsin, tomorrow night at 7:00.
