On This Day In History | 2007

O’Keefe

On this day 12 years ago, Conor O’Keefe ’03 scored 2 goals to help lead Nazareth College to the Empire 8 Championship over Ithaca.

The championship match-up brought the conference’s together. The top-seeded and #5 nationally ranked Bombers hosted second-seeded and #7 nationally ranked Nazareth for Empire 8 supremacy. Nine days earlier, Ithaca dispatched the Golden Flyers, 15-9, in their only regular season meeting of the season.

The Bombers came roaring out of the gates with 4 straight goals, but the Golden Flyers responded with a 9-goal run of their own, ignited by an O’Keefe score with 5:27 left in the first quarter. O’Keefe scored a second goal during the spurt that paved the way for a 9-5 halftime lead for Nazareth.

Nazareth continued to lead 13-8 with 11:15 left in the game, but 5 straight Ithaca goals knotted the game with 6:21 remaining. Staring down a wave of momentum, the Golden Flyers showed their championship mettle with 3 straight goals to seal the upset victory.

O’Keefe finished his senior season 6th on the team in points (27) to earn an Honorable Mention All-Conference nod.

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