MORRISVILLE, N.Y. — In Fredonia’s trip to North Country last weekend, Fredonia junior Marcus Ortiz (Richardson, Texas) took 23 shots — and didn’t score.
His solution heading into this weekend? “Keep shooting,” he said, “and they’ll start going in.”
That was the case Friday in Fredonia’s 6-3 SUNYAC road win over the Morrisville State Mustangs. Ortiz scored twice — his second and third goals of the season — and four teammates scored once each as the Blue Devils earned their first conference win of the season.
The Blue Devils improved to 1-2-1 in the conference and 2-2-1 overall. Morrisville State is 1-4-0.
Jeff Flagler (Owen Sound, Ont.) made 35 saves in the Fredonia net.
Hunter Long (Lebanon, Tenn.) put the Blue Devils on top, 1-0, at 5:31 of the first period. It was his first goal of the season.
Luke Rivera (Pacific Palisades, Calif.), a freshman who has at least one point in all but one game this season, made it 2-0 later in the first period with his fourth goal.
Morrisville State pulled even on goals by Brett Johnson and Joseph Santino before Taylor Bourne (Calgary, Alberta) gave Fredonia the lead for good. Bourne’s goal, his fourth of the year, came at 18:56 of the first period.
The Blue Devils regained their two-goal lead on Ortiz’s first of his two goals 42 seconds into the second period. The Mustangs took momentum into the second intermission with a goal by David Landau with sevein seconds left in the middle period.
Goals by Samuel Wilbur (Saginaw, Mich.) and Ortiz in the third period put the game on ice for Fredonia.
The teams meet again Saturday at the Steele Hall Ice Arena. Doors open at 6 p.m. for the 7 o’clock opening faceoff.
