POTSDAM, N.Y.-Senior captain Izzy Fayerman (Calgary, Alberta/The Edge) scored two goals as the SUNY Potsdam women’s hockey team (7-9-1, 5-7-1 ECAC West) ended a seven-game winless streak (0-5-2) against Utica College (6-6-3, 4-3-2) with a 3-1 victory on Saturday afternoon. Sophomore forward Amanda Peterson (West Chazy, N.Y./Chazy Flyers) netted the game-winner and junior goaltender Alexane Rodrigue (Monkland, Ontario/Bemidji State) stopped 39 shots for the win.
Fayerman got Potsdam off to a strong start at 5:48 when she buried a rebound off a shot from sophomore forward Jordan Ott (Hilton, N.Y./Rochester Edge). The teams battled evenly for the next 10 minutes until the Bears struck again. At 15:42, junior assistant captain Sally Mooney (New Albany, Ohio/Wyoming Seminary) wrapped the puck around the left side of the net and Peterson deflected it past Pioneer senior goalie Marissa McNamara (Camillus, N.Y./Lysander Lightning) to make it 2-0. Junior assistant captain Katie Marsman (Wantagh, N.Y./Wyoming Seminary) recorded the second assist on the play. Utica finally answered at 18:02. After two long passes from senior defenseman Samantha Pucci (Pearl River, N.Y./Connecticut Polar Bears) and sophomore forward Victoria Pelton (Sterling Heights, Mich./Belle Tire), senior forward Kelsey Dowdall (Smith Falls, Ontario/Nepean) scored on a shot from right faceoff circle. The score remained 2-1 at the first intermission.
The teams pressured each other throughout the middle stanza, creating several scoring chances. However, Bears junior goalie Alexane Rodrigue (Monkland, Ontario/Bemidji State) and McNamara kept the puck out of the net. Potsdam finished the second period with a slight 12-10 edge in shots.
The Pioneers turned up the pressure in the third period, outshooting Potsdam 17-9, but Rodrigue responded with some of her best play all season. Utica generated multiple strong scoring opportunities, but the Bears defense and goaltender diffused each one. McNamara was pulled with 1:55 left and 26 seconds later, Fayerman lofted a long shot from neutral ice into the Pioneer net to make it 3-1. Ten seconds later, the Bears were whistled for hooking and McNamara scrambled to the bench again, but the score remained unchanged.
McNamara finished with 29 saves. Utica outshot Potsdam 40-32, but was 0-for-3 on the power play. Potsdam was 0-for-1 on the man advantage.
The win puts the Bears back in fifth place and just one point out of fourth in the ECAC West.
Next, Potsdam travels to Middlebury College on Tuesday for a 6 p.m. showdown with the fourth-ranked Panthers.
