POTSDAM, N.Y.-The SUNY Potsdam men’s hockey team (1-0-1) traded early goals with Castleton University (1-0-1) before settling for a 1-1 tie. Freshman forward Bryce Ferrell (Buffalo, N.Y./Buffalo Jr. Sabres) scored for the Bears and sophomore goalie Nate Skidmore (Syracuse, N.Y./Buffalo Jr. Sabres) made a career-high 37 saves.
The first action of the game took just four seconds as the Spartans were called for interference. Potsdam grabbed the lead just 70 seconds later. Junior defenseman Sean Kacerosky (Kendall Park, N.J./New York Bobcats) fired a shot wide of the net, but the rebound came to Ferrell at the left post and he buried it. Junior forward Dylan Vander Esch (San Jose, Calif./Hartford Wolfpack) also assisted on the play. The lead lasted just over five minutes. Castleton senior forward Bart Moran (Calgary, Alberta/Olds) started a breakout with a long pass to freshman forward Henning Dahlberg (Mariestad, Sweden/Valley Jr. Warriors). Dahlberg carried the puck behind Potsdam’s net before centering it to senior forward Kevin Rosset (Crans-Montana, Switzerland/Cheyenne). Rosset fired over Skidmore’s glove to tie the game.
The teams combined for nine penalties in the second period, but the score remained unchanged. As a result, the Spartans fired 18 shots on Skidmore. However, he handled each one, many under heavy pressure. The Bears entered the second intermission with over a minute left on their seventh power play.
The Bears outshot the Spartans 12-8 in the third period, but Skidmore and Castleton junior goalie Ryan Mulder (Ottawa, Ontario/Nepean) kept the game tied. The final 20 minutes of regulation saw three more power plays each.
The pace picked up in overtime, but neither team could find the game-winner as Skidmore and Mulder each added three stops to their totals.
Mulder finished with 29 stops. Castleton was 0-for-6 on the man advantage and Potsdam went 1-for-9.
The Bears open up SUNYAC play next Friday night at 7 p.m. when they travel Morrisville State to begin a home-and-home series.
