POTSDAM, NY—Fifth-seeded Buffalo State (12-11-3) netted three first-period goals and added three more in the third to cruise past No. 4 Potsdam (12-11-3), 6-2, in a SUNYAC quarterfinals matchup tonight at Maxcy Ice Arena, to earn its fourth-straight trip to the conference semifinals.
Jason Zaleski (Scranton, PA/Scranton) had a goal and two assists, and Ryan Salkeld (Virginia Beach, VA/Churchland) also scored and added a helper. Garrett Chardon (Old Field, NY/Ward Melville), Jake Rosen (E. Amherst, NY/Williamsville North), Anthony Beaumont (Lester, PA/Interboro) and Brett Hope (Blenheim, ON/Blenheim) also scored a goal apiece Buffalo State, while Nick Berst (Depew, NY/Lancaster) and recorded a pair of assists.
Buffalo State jumped out to an early lead when Chardon netted his second goal of the season just 3:48 into the contest. Rosen’s sixth extended the lead to 2-0 less than four minutes later, and Salkeld netted his team-leading 14th of the year before to widen the margin before the first intermission.
Potsdam’s Todd Thomas finally beat goalie Mike DeLaVergne (Pawling, NY/Pawling) to get the Bears on the scoreboard nearly 12 minutes into the second period. DeLaVergne turned aside the other 33 shots he faced over the first 40 minutes, however, and Buffalo State carried a 3-1 edge into the final frame.
Kyle Thacker struck on the power play just 1:19 into the third to cut the deficit to 3-2, but Beaumont answered for the Bengals just four minutes later to reclaim the two-goal advantage for the Bengals. Hope chipped in his 10th of the season on the power play, and Zaleski completed the scoring with his 13th.
Potsdam finished with a 45-40 edge in shots, but DeLaVergne continued his strong play between the pipes for Buffalo State, making 43 stops. Buffalo State finished 1 for 3 on the power play, while Potsdam was 1 for 7.
Buffalo State will travel to No. 2 Oswego on Saturday for a 7 p.m. faceoff in search of its first-ever trip to the SUNYAC championship game.
