CORTLAND, NY– Brett Hope (Blenheim, ON/Blenheim) scored three times and Buffalo State (7-10-2/3-5-2) ripped host Cortland (7-8-3/3-6-2), 7-3, tonight in a SUNYAC contest.
Jason Zaleski (Scranton, PA/Scranton) added a pair of goals, and Scott Roy (Rockland, ON/ESC L’Escale) and Zach Nieminen (Ajax, ON/Notre Dame CSS) netted a goal apiece. Ryan Salkeld (Virginia Beach, VA/Churchland), Ben Kramer (Great Neck, NY/Great Neck South) and Nick Schiro (Sanborn, NY/Niagara-Wheatfield) chipped in two assists each.
Cortland scored the lone goal of the opening period before the floodgates opened in the middle frame. The two teams combined to light the lamp seven times in the middle frame. Roy and Zaleski scored just 13 seconds apart in the early going, but Cortland evened the score at 2-2 moments later. The Bengals quick-strike offense produced a 4-2 lead midway through the period when Hope and Zaleski scored just 29 seconds apart. The Red Dragons cut the deficit to 4-3, but Nieminen regained the two-goal lead for Buffalo State just seven seconds later.
Buffalo State put the game away in the third with Hope scoring just 33 seconds into the period, and then completing the hat trick with 6:45 remaining.
Cortland held a narrow 32-31 advantage in shots, but Ian Sylves (Sloan, NY/JFK) made 29 saves between the pipes for the win. The Bengals finished 1 for 6 on the power play, and Cortland was 1 for 3.
Buffalo State will take a week off before hosting Plattsburgh on Feb. 6 at 7 p.m.
