POTSDAM, N.Y.-The sixth-seeded SUNY Potsdam men’s hockey team (11-10-4, 7-7-2 SUNYAC) will head to third-seeded SUNY Geneseo (15-4-6, 9-2-5) for this Wednesday’s SUNYAC Quarterfinal matchup at 7 p.m.
Tickets will be available at the doors of Geneseo’s Wilson Ice Arena on the day of the game. The Arena is scheduled to open at 5:30 p.m. No pre-sale tickets will be sold. Tickets are $6.00 for adults and $3.00 for children (ages 5-12) and senior citizens. Students with valid SUNY identification will be admitted free, along with children under five years old.
The No. 11/12 Ice Knights took the two meetings from the Bears during the regular season. Geneseo downed Potsdam 6-2 in Geneseo on Dec. 4 and the Ice Knights scored two late goals to blank the Bears 2-0 this past Friday night.
Offensively, Potsdam has been led by sophomore forward Dylan Vander Esch (San Jose, Calif./Hartford Wolfpack) with 17 goals and 10 assists for 27 points. His average of 0.68 goals-per-game is 11th-best in the nation and third in the SUNYAC. Senior forward Billy Pascalli (Deer Park, N.Y./New York Bobcats) has been the consistent playmaker he was expected to be with five goals and 18 assists for 23 points. Pascalli’s 18 assists is sixth best in the conference. Senior forward Jake Rivera (Pacific Palisades, Calif./Hartford Wolfpack) is having a career year with 12 goals and eight assists for 20 points. Senior captain Todd Thomas (Davidsville, Pa./Hartford Wolfpack) has been clutch as well, as five of his nine goals have come on the power play.
The Bears defense, anchored by senior assistant captain Brad Campagna (Monroe, N.Y./New York Bobcats), juniors Jake Butler (Atlanta, Ga./Smith Falls Bears) and Nick Casacci (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla./Connecticut Oilers) and sophomore Kyle Thacker (Mississauga, Ontario/North York Rangers), has allowed program best 75 goals this season.
An obvious reason for Potsdam’s defensive success is the play of two-time SUNYAC Goalie of the Week, sophomore Brendan McMenimen (Merrimack, Mass./Islanders Hockey Club). McMenimen has compiled a 9-8-2 record this season. His .912 save percentage and a 2.83 goals-against-average are the both the third best single-season marks in program history.
In Geneseo, the Bears will face the second best offense in the SUNYAC and 10th best in the nation at 3.80 goals-per-game. The Ice Knights’ two biggest offensive threats are Stephen Collins (20g-20a-40pts), who led the SUNYAC in scoring, and Trevor Hills (18-10-28), who finished sixth in the conference. In goal, Devin McDonald has emerged as Geneseo’s starter in just his freshman season. McDonald is 12-2-5 this year with a .911 save percentage and 2.71 goals-against-average to go with two shutouts.
The Ice Knights and Bears have met eight times in the SUNYAC Playoffs with Geneseo owning a 4-3-1 edge. The Ice Knights downed Potsdam 7-5 in the 1989 conference semifinals. Geneseo tied the Bears 2-2 and captured a 3-2 victory in the 1999 quarterfinal series. In the 2002 quarters, the Ice Knights took game one 2-1 before Potsdam rebounded for a 3-1 win in the finale. The Bears swept Geneseo 6-2 and 7-3 in the 2003 quarters. Most recently, the Ice Knights shut out Potsdam 9-0 in the 2013 quarterfinal matchup.
A victory by the Bears on Wednesday night would set up a Saturday night matchup at SUNYAC Regular Season Champ Plattsburgh and give them a berth in the semifinals for the first time since 2008.
