MASSENA, N.Y.–Senior captain Matt Viola (Toronto, Ontario/Vaughan Vipers)
scored the game-tying goal with four seconds remaining and freshman
forward Billy Pascalli (Deer Park, N.Y./New York Bobcats) won the game in
overtime to lift the SUNY Potsdam men’s hockey team (7-14-1, 4-9 SUNYAC)
to a 4-3 victory over Brockport (5-15-2, 4-9-1) on Saturday night. After
an injury to freshman goaltender Jon Hall (Dexter, N.Y./Stouffville
Spirit), junior Shane Talarico (Greenburg, Pa./Elmira College) came up big
in relief with 22 saves for the win. Jaxon Bernard, seven year-old son of
Potsdam head coach Chris, served as the Bears lucky charm as he led the
team onto the ice at the start of the contest.
Potsdam came out with good energy, outshooting the Golden Eagles 5-0 in
the first five minutes. Brockport slowly evened the play and the shot
totals. With just over four minutes left in the period and the Golden
Eagles on the power play, Hall reinjured his knee and was forced to leave
the game. Talarico entered the contest in relief and helped Potsdam kill
off the penalty. Hall finished with six saves, Talarico with four and
Brockport freshman goalie Jared Lockhurst (Caledon, Ontario/Wellington
Dukes) stopped all 11 he faced as the contest was scoreless after 20
minutes.
The Bears came out physical in the second period, but it was the Golden
Eagles getting on the board first. At the 7:28 mark, freshman forward
Chase Nieuwendyk (Georgetown, Ontario/Trenton Golden Hawks) buried a
rebound on the power play for a 1-0 Brockport lead. Junior forward Chris
Cangro (Holbrook, N.Y./New York Bobcats) and sophomore forward Troy Polino
(Limerick, Pa./New York Bobcats) each assisted on the play. Six minutes
later, sophomore defenseman Erick Ware (Huntsville, Ala./Kenai River Brown
Bears) evened the score, beating a screened Lockhurst from the right
point. Freshman forward Jake Rivera (Pacific Palisades, Calif./Hartford
Wolfpack) and sophomore forward Ken Simon (Norwell, Mass./Philadelphia
Revolution) recorded the assists. The Bears outshot the Golden Eagles 16-9
in the second period.
Just 22 seconds into the third period, freshman forward Shane Cavalieri
(Richmond Hill, Ontario/Toronto Lakeshore Patriots) put Brockport back in
front 2-1 on assists from freshman forward James Ryan (Richmond Hill,
Ontario/Toronto Lakeshore Patriots) and senior defenseman Ryan Hayward
(Toronto Ontario/Vaughan Vipers). At 13:11, junior assistant captain Mike
Arnold (Didsbury, Alberta/Kingston Voyageurs) finished a pretty passing
play from Viola to knot the score again. The Golden Eagles answered
immediately with a tally from freshman forward Jeremy DeFazio (Oakville,
Ontario/Georgetown Raiders) 41 seconds later. Freshman forward Jesse
Facchini (Mississauga, Ontario/Mississauga Chargers) assisted on the play.
Brockport held the lead for almost the rest of the game. With 46 seconds
left, Bernard called timeout and pulled Talarico for an extra attacker.
Viola tied the score as time had nearly expired with an assist from
sophomore forward Trevor Cope (Swartz Creek, Mich./Atlanta Jr. Knights) to
send the game to overtime.
In the extra period, Potsdam outshot the Golden Eagles 4-0. The decisive
volley came with 2:17 remaining. Pascalli tipped a shot from the point
past Lockhurst to end the contest.
Lockhurst finished with 37 saves for Brockport. The Bears outshot the
Golden Eagles 41-31 on the night. Brockport was 1-4 on the man advantage
and Potsdam was 0-3.
