PLATTSBURGH, N.Y.-The SUNY Potsdam men’s hockey team (2-6-2, 1-5-1 SUNYAC) built a 2-0 first period lead, but couldn’t hold off 14th-ranked SUNY Plattsburgh (5-3, 3-2) as the Cardinals rallied for a 6-2 victory. Sophomore forward Ben Mariano (Harrisburg, Pa./Hartford Wolfpack) and junior forward Dylan Vander Esch (San Jose, Calif./Hartford Wolfpack) each scored for the Bears.
The Cardinals nearly took the lead early in the contest, but the puck harmlessly rang the post. Instead of leading, Plattsburgh made two critical turnovers and both ended up in the back of the net. At the 9:41 mark, a Cardinal defender tried to clear the zone, but Mariano picked it off. He then wristed the shot past the defenseman and Plattsburgh goalie Joshua Davies and into the upper right corner of the net. With just 38 seconds left in the period, the Cardinals turned the puck over behind their own net. Senior forward Tommy Telesca (Selden, N.Y./New York Bobcats) was waiting and centered the puck into the slot for Vander Esch to make it 2-0. Potsdam junior goalie Brendan McMenimen (Merrimac, Mass./Islanders Hockey Club) stopped all 16 shots he faced in the opening period to preserve the two-goal advantage.
Plattsburgh finally answered in the second period. The Cardinals built momentum during their first power play of the period and scored just five seconds after it expired. Joe Drabin blasted a shot through a crowd from between the circles to get Plattsburgh on the Board. Just over seven minutes later, Ross Sloan evened the contest with another even strength marker. The Cardinals edged the Bears in shots 10-9 and headed into the second intermission with a brand-new contest.
Plattsburgh scored four times in the third period. The Cardinals grabbed the lead for the first time just 30 seconds into the third period, after the Bears killed another brief power play. Matt Quilty made it a 3-2 contest. Cam Owens doubled the lead at 7:30 after hammering home a rebound. Kyle Hall upped the advantage to 5-2 just 2:07 later. Quilty notched his second of the period with 4:24 to play to close the scoring.
McMenimen finished with 31 saves and Davies finished with 26 for the win. Plattsburgh outshot Potsdam 37-28. The Cardinals were 0-for-3 on the power play and the Bears were 0-for-5.
Potsdam is off until next Friday when the Bears host the College at Brockport at 7 p.m.
