POTSDAM, N.Y.-The fourth-ranked Oswego State Lakers (6-0, 4-0 SUNYAC) downed the SUNY Potsdam men’s hockey team (2-3-2, 1-3-1) 6-0 on Friday night at Maxcy Ice Arena. Senior goalie Matt Zawadzki (Fort Mill, S.C./Nepean Raiders) and his Laker teammates were on a mission after three straight losses to the Bears. Zawadzki stopped all 27 shots that came his way and six different Lakers found the back of the net.
The Lakers went on the power play just 1:06 into the contest and made the most of the chance. At the 2:18 mark, senior forward Matt Galati (Toronto, Ontario/St. Michael’s Buzzers) wristed a pass from senior forward Kenny Neil (Clarenville, Newfoundland/Nepean Raiders) past Potsdam sophomore goalie Nate Skidmore (Syracuse, N.Y./Buffalo Jr. Sabres) for a 1-0 lead. After back-and-forth action through the middle period the Bears went on their own man advantage. They didn’t score, but sustained good pressure on Oswego’s defense for much of rest of the period. Potsdam outshot the Lakers 8-6 in the opening 20 minutes.
The Bears held the edge in play over the first half of the middle period and had a chance to tie the game with a five-on-three power play at the midway point. The Lakers kept Potsdam off the board and doubled their advantage nearly three minutes later on a goal from freshman forward Mitch Emerson (Pickering, Ontario/Trenton Golden Hawks). Just 1:34 after that, senior forward Alex Botten (Newmarket, Ontario/Georgetown Raiders) made it a 3-0 contest. At 17:25, senior forward Joey Davies (Demorestville, Ontario/Alaska-Fairbanks) lit the lamp for Oswego’s third goal in four minutes. The Lakers took the 4-0 lead into the second intermission.
Senior defenseman Stephen Johnson (Mississauga, Ontario/Cornwall Colts) added another Lakers’ tally on a shot from between the faceoff circles on the power play 7:40 into the third period. Bears sophomore goalie Trever Ralph (Middletown, N.J./New Jersey Titans) replaced Skidmore after the goal. Sophomore forward David Ferreira (Riverside, N.J./Jersey Hitmen) closed the scoring with Oswego’s sixth marker after tucking in past Ralph with 3:07 to play.
Skidmore stopped 16 shots and allowed five goals in the first 47:40. Ralph turned aside seven shots and allowed one goal in the final 12:20.
The Lakers edged the Bears 29-27 in shots and finished 2-for-4 on the man advantage.
Potsdam looks to bounce back tomorrow night when SUNY Cortland comes to town for a 7 p.m. matchup.
