BROCKPORT, N.Y.-The SUNY Potsdam men’s hockey team (6-3-2, 6-2-1 SUNYAC) led 3-0 and trailed 6-4 before forging a 6-6 tie at Brockport (4-5-2, 3-4-2) on Saturday night. Six different Bears scored in the contest, which keeps Potsdam in first place through the first half of the SUNYAC schedule. Freshman goaltender Trever Ralph (Middletown, N.J./New Jersey Titans) finished with 38 saves in his first collegiate start.
The Golden Eagles held the edge in shots and territory in the opening period, but it was Potsdam that drew first blood. At the 7:03 mark, senior forward Matt Thompson (Anchorage, Alaska/Kenai River Brown Bears) put the Bears up 1-0 with assists from senior forward Jake Rivera (Pacific Palisades, Calif./Hartford Wolfpack) and senior captain Todd Thomas (Davidsville, Pa./Hartford Wolfpack). Just 1:51 later, senior assistant captain Brad Campagna (Monroe, N.Y./New York Bobcats) doubled the lead with a helper from junior forward Logan Brown (North Woodstock, N.H./Boston Rangers). Brockport outshot the Bears 13-6 in the opening 20 minutes, but Ralph kept them off the board.
The teams combined for five goals in the middle stanza. Rivera struck just 38 seconds into the second with an assist from Thomas. Nearly two minutes later, Chase Niewendyk finally solved Ralph with a shorthanded tally to get the Golden Eagles within 3-1. The goal woke up Brockport and Tim Kielich closed the gap to one with a power-play marker at 6:24. With the Golden Eagles on the brink of tying the game, sophomore forward Dylan Vander Esch (San Jose, Calif./Hartford Wolfpack) scored to make it 4-2. Junior forward Tommy Telesca (Selden, N.Y./New York Bobcats) and senior forward Billy Pascalli (Deer Park, N.Y./New York Bobcats) recorded the assists. However, Nieuwendyk notched his second of the period with 23 seconds left and Brockport trailed just 4-3 after 40 minutes of play.
The third period was even wilder than the second with five more goals scored. The score was unchanged until the 12:01 mark, when the Golden Eagles exploded for three goals in a 2:57 span. Dylan Shapiro evened the score at 4-4 to start the run. Just 46 seconds later, Ryan Kangas made it 5-4 Brockport. Nick Palumbo lit the lamp at 14:58 to extend the lead to 6-4. Potsdam won the ensuing face off and sophomore defenseman Sean Kacerosky (Kendall Park, N.J./New York Bobcats) registered his first career goal six seconds later. Thomas added his third assist of the night on the goal. Brockport was then whistled for a high-sticking penalty and at 15:39, and Pascalli tied the game at six all with assists from Vander Esch and a fourth from Thomas.
The teams managed just two shots apiece in overtime, settling for the 6-6 final.
It was a rough night for both goaltenders, but especially so for Brockport’s Cole Burack. The freshman allowed six goals on just 21 shots over the entire 65 minutes.
The Bears head to Elmira on Tuesday evening for a 7 p.m. battle with the Soaring Eagles. They then return to Maxcy Ice Arena on Friday night to close out the semester with another nonconference contest against Johnson & Wales. The puck drops at 7 p.m.
