POTSDAM, N.Y.-The SUNY Potsdam men’s hockey team (4-3, 1-2 SUNYAC) never trailed as it defeated No. 13/14 Plattsburgh State (3-1-1, 3-1-1 SUNYAC) 4-3 on Saturday night. Junior assistant captain Vincent Guimond (Sorel-Tracy, Quebec/Gloucester Rangers) scored two goals and senior assistant captain Nate Skidmore (Syracuse, N.Y./Buffalo Jr. Sabres) made 38 saves. Freshman forward Jack Bloem (Saratoga Springs, N.Y./Connecticut Jr. Rangers) and sophomore forward Joey Sollazzo (Ottawa, Ontario/Navan Grads) also scored for the Bears.
Potsdam hit the ice with good energy and had the Cardinals on their heels early. The Bears jumped out in front at 5:29. Freshman forward Devin Panzeca (Lake Zurich, Ill./East Coast Wizards) fed Guimond in the neutral zone. He fired a shot that was blocked by a Plattsburgh defenseman before picking up his rebound and beating Cardinals sophomore goalie Jimmy Poreda (Tonawanda, N.Y./Connecticut Jr. Rangers) five-hole for a 1-0 lead. Plattsburgh even the play and eventually the score over the next five minutes. At 10:49, sophomore forward Liam Lawson (Victoria, British Columbia/Powell River Paper Kings) picked up a pass in the slot and wrapped it around Skidmore to knot the score at one apiece. The Bears killed off a penalty in the final minute of the period and the score was unchanged at the break.
After killing a penalty in the opening minutes of the second period, Plattsburgh looked ready to breakout. Solid Bears defense kept the Cardinals off balance, but they continued to press. Plattsburgh earned a 1:15 5-on-3 at the 14:53 mark. During the stretch, Skidmore stopped two breakaways and a one-timer rocket from the left faceoff circle. However, the save of the game came next. He sprawled across the crease and robbed a Cardinal with his glove and Potsdam killed the penalties. The Bears then rewarded their goaltender with two goals in 1:49. At 17:32, junior forward Bryce Ferrell (Buffalo, N.Y./Buffalo Jr. Sabres) hit Bloem in stride and he beat Poreda on a breakaway. At 19:21, Plattsburgh turned the puck over at its blue line and Sollazzo picked it up and fired. Poreda made the save, but Sollazzo poked home his own rebound to make it 3-1. Potsdam led by the same score after 40 minutes.
The Cardinals finally rallied in the third period. About eight minutes into the final stanza, junior defenseman Charles Barber (Queensbury, N.Y./New York Bobcats) rang the right post, but the puck bounced harmlessly into the corner. At the 11:47 mark, senior forward Pat Egan (Rochester, N.Y./Lone Star Brahmas) tapped home a puck loose in the crease to make it 3-2. Just 3:02 later, sophomore forward Rich McCartney (Hershey, Pa./Philadelphia Revolution) deflected a shot from the point into the top of the net to even the score. As it looked like Plattsburgh would finally overtake Potsdam, the Bears answered. At 17:39, Guimond finished a perfect pass from Panzeca to complete a 2-on-1 for the eventual game-winner. Plattsburgh was unable to pull Poreda for an extra attacker as the Cardinals took a final penalty with just 2:06 remaining. With the man advantage, Potsdam kept the play in the offensive zone and seized the 4-3 victory.
Poreda finished with 36 saves. Plattsburgh edged the Bears in shots 41-40, but was 0-for-5 on the power play. Potsdam was 0-for-2.
After going nine years without a victory against the Cardinals, the Bears have won two of the last three meetings. The last, a 3-1 victory in Maxcy exactly one year ago.
Next, Potsdam heads to Brunswick, Maine for the for the Bowdoin-Colby Face-Off Classic. The Bears battle Colby at 1 p.m. on Saturday and Bowdoin at the same time on Sunday.
