POTSDAM, N.Y.-The SUNY Potsdam women’s hockey team (3-2-1, 2-1-1 NEWHL) erased an early deficit to battle to a 1-1 draw with SUNY Cortland (2-3-1, 0-3-1) on Saturday afternoon. Junior forward Lucy Condon (Waterloo, Ontario/Waterloo Ravens) scored for the Bears and sophomore goalie Samantha White (Oceanside, Calif./Anaheim Lady Ducks) finished with 17 saves.
As has become routine for a Potsdam-Cortland contest, the two teams had strong defense early on and great offensive chances were few and far between. The Red Dragons built some momentum on their first power playoff the game midway through the first period, but didn’t score. However, they jumped on the board first at 13:53. Cortland won the faceoff and after two quick passes, sophomore forward Katie DeVoe (Mississauga, Ontario/Vaughan Flames) took the puck the length of the ice and slipped the puck under Bears sophomore goalie Samantha White (Oceanside, Calif./Anaheim Lady Ducks) for the 1-0 lead. At 15:08, the Red Dragons were whistled for a body check and Potsdam took advantage. Sophomore defenseman Keira Thacker (Oakville, Ontario/Hamilton Hawks) fed the puck to sophomore forward Natalie Wasielewski (Carnegie, Pa./Pittsburgh Penguins Elite) at the right point and she fired on net. The puck was deflected to the left side of the crease and Condon was there to poke it home at 16:04. Cortland finished the period with a 9-7 advantage in shots and the score was unchanged at the break.
The second period saw the teams combine for just 10 shots as the defense continued to reign. Cortland was unable to score on its only power play of the middle period and the Bears were unable to capitalized on two man advantages.
After killing off a penalty early in the third, Potsdam was unable to score on their fourth power-play attempt. However, the offense finally started to click. The Bears dominated the last half of period, but Cortland senior goalie Victoria Gibson (Essex Junction, Vt./Vermont) stopped 11 shots down the stretch to force overtime.
Potsdam outshot the Red Dragons 3-2 in the extra five minutes, but neither team could find the game-winner.
Gibson finished with 29 saves, 17 coming in the third period and overtime. The Bears had 30 shots to the Red Dragons 18 and were 1-for-4 on the power play. Cortland was 0-for-3 on the man advantage.
The Bears are back in action Friday at 7 p.m. against Plattsburgh State.
