MORRISVILLE, N.Y.-Senior forward Vinny Caligiuri (Shoreham, N.Y./Hartford Wolfpack) scored with 3:28 left to help the SUNY Potsdam men’s hockey team (1-0-2, 0-0-1) forge a 1-1 tie with Morrisville State (0-2-1, 0-0-1) in their SUNYAC opener on Friday night. Bears junior goaltender Brendan McMenimen (Merrimac, Mass./Islanders Hockey Club) finished with 46 saves.
The Mustangs and Potsdam were unable to capitalize on two power plays each in the opening period. Morrisville outshot the Bears 13-8, but McMenimen and Morrisville goalie Jared Young frustrated the offenses. The contest entered the first intermission scoreless.
Each team had a power play in the middle stanza, but play was anything but even. The Mustangs fired 19 shots on McMenimen in the second period, but he was at his sharpest, keeping Morrisville off the board. The Bears managed just five shots on Young and he handled them all to keep the contest scoreless through 40 minutes.
Potsdam was much better in the third period, but had to dig itself out of a hole. Just 3:25 into the final 20 minutes, Storm Adams finally solved McMenimen with an assist from Rick Eberhart. The Bears killed off their final penalty midway through the period and turned up the pressure. Caligiuri broke the scoring drought at the 16:32 mark with assists from freshmen forwards Vinny Guimond (Sorel-Tracy, Quebec/Gloucester Rangers) and Bryce Ferrell (Buffalo, N.Y./Buffalo Jr. Sabres.
The teams each fired four shots on goal in the five-minute overtime, but couldn’t net the game-winner.
Young made 29 saves. Potsdam was 0-for-3 on the man-advantage and the Mustangs were 0-for-4.
The teams complete the season series tomorrow night at Maxcy Ice Arena at 7 p.m.
