CORTLAND, N.Y.-The SUNY Potsdam men’s hockey team (11-10-3, 7-6-2 SUNYAC) scored a season-high eight goals to defeat SUNY Cortland (9-12-3, 3-10-2) on Friday night. Senior forward Zach Blake (Campbellford, Ontario/SUNY Plattsburgh) scored twice and classmate Trevor Cope (Swartz Creek, Mich./Atlanta Jr. Knights) had a goal and two assists. Darren McCormick scored twice for the Red Dragons.
McCormick got Cortland off to a quick start with his first goal 3:05 into the contest. It was the Red Dragons only lead of the game and it lasted just 4:19. Cope evened the score with an unassisted tally at 7:24. Less than two minutes later, junior forward Jake Rivera (Pacific Palisades, Calif./Hartford Wolfpack) put Potsdam up for good with an assist from junior forward Matt Thompson (Anchorage, Alaska/Kenai River Brown Bears). At 15:40, junior captain Todd Thomas (Davidsville, Pa./Hartford Wolfpack) made it 3-1 with helpers from freshman forward Dylan Vander Esch (San Jose, Calif./Hartford Wolfpack) and sophomore defenseman Jake Butler (Atlanta, Ga./Smith Falls Bears).
Blake got his first 3:36 into the second period with assists from sophomore defenseman Nick Cassaci (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla./Connecticut Oilers) and Cope. Dan Broderick got the Red Dragons back to within 4-2 at 8:06, but Blake scored his second with under two minutes to go in the period and Potsdam took a 5-2 lead into the second intermission.
Cortland fired 18 shots on the Bears’ goal in the third and the effort got them back in the game. McCormick scored a power-play goal at the 1:45 mark and Michael Mascaro cut Potsdam’a advantage to just 5-4 5:30 later. That would be as close as the Red Dragons got. Bears freshman defenseman Kyle Thacker (Mississauga, Ontario/North York Rangers) buried his first collegiate goal on the power play at 11:00 and it proved to be the game-winner. Vander Esch and junior forward Billy Pascalli (Deer Park, N.Y./New York Bobcats) recorded the assists. Nearly four minutes later, sophomore forward Tommy Telesca (Selden, N.Y./New York Bobcats) made it 7-4 Potsdam. Nick Zappia gave Cortland its last hope with a goal at 16:06. The Red Dragons pulled goalie Drew Weigman with 2:42 remaining and Pascalli slammed the door on the victory with an empty-netter at 19:18.
In goal, junior goalie Jon Hall (Dexter, N.Y./Stouffville Spirit) improved to 11-7-2 with 41 saves. Weigman stopped 34 shots.
Potsdam was 1-for-1 on the power play and Cortland went 1-for-2. The Bears are now 5-1-1 in their last seven games.
Potsdam currently sits in fourth place with 12 points, two points behind Geneseo and tied with Buffalo State. However, the Bears own the tiebreakers with both opponents. They can finish no worse than fifth and as high as third.
Potsdam wraps up the regular season at No. 1 Oswego State tomorrow night at 7 p.m.
