POTSDAM, N.Y.-Senior forward Jake Rivera (Pacific Palisades, Calif./Hartford Wolfpack) and junior Vinny Caligiuri (Shoreham, N.Y./Hartford Wolfpack) each scored third period period goals to lift the the SUNY Potsdam men’s hockey team (11-7-4, 7-4-2 SUNYAC) to a 2-1 victory over Oswego State (10-9-2, 7-6-1) on Saturday night. The victory clinches a playoff berth for the Bears and moves them past the Lakers into third place.
Both teams came out of the gates playing very physical and at a furious pace. The rink quickly tipped in Oswego’s favor as the Lakers outshot the Bears 12-4 in opening period. However, Potsdam sophomore goalie Brendan McMenimen (Merrimack, Mass./Islanders Hockey Club) was on his game, keeping the Bears in the contest early. It took a 5-on-3 power play to finally crack McMenimen. Junior forward Kenny Neil (Clarenville, Newfoundland/Nepean Raiders) picked up a pass at the left side of the net and lifted it over McMenimen to put the Lakers up 1-0. They wouldn’t beat him again.
The physicality picked up in the second period as both teams took multiple penalties. The Bears outshot Oswego 17-6 in the second period, but Lakers junior goalie Adrian Ignagni (Mississauga, Ontario/St. Michael’s Buzzers) put on a show of his own, preserving the 1-0 lead after 40 minutes of play.
Potsdam kicked it into a higher gear in the third period. The Bears increased their pressure and it resulted in increasingly strong scoring opportunities. With about 10:30 to play, junior forward Tommy Telesca (Selden, N.Y./Bobcats) rang the crossbar. The near miss further energized the Maxcy Ice Arena crowd of over 1,000 fans and they helped push Potsdam over the top. Finally, at the 13:40 mark, Rivera scored his third goal of the weekend, beating Ignagni five-hole to tie the game. Sophomore forward Dylan Vander Esch (San Jose, Calif./Hartford Wolfpack) and senior forward Billy Pascalli (Deer Park, N.Y./New York Bobcats) each assisted on the play. With the crowd pushing them, the Bears kept charging. The momentum fully shifted at the 16:51 mark as the Lakers were called for a trip. Potsdam won the ensuing face off and worked the puck around the zone. Vander Esch started the game-winning play with a shot from the left point. Ignagni made the save, kicking the rebound out to the left side of the goal where Pascalli was waiting. Pascalli quickly put the puck back on Ignagni, who made a second save, but Caligiuri was there to stuff the second rebound home. The Lakers controlled the puck for much of the last two minutes, but Bears kept blocking shots and keeping the puck out of harm’s way as the final seconds ticked away.
McMenimen finished with 31 saves and Ignagni stopped 27. Oswego finished 1-for-3 on the power play and Potsdam was 1-for-4.
The victory was the Bears’ third straight over the Lakers and improves their record to 7-0-1 this season at home.
Potsdam is back in action next Saturday night when they host No. 3/5 SUNY Plattsburgh at 7 p.m.
