SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. – The SUNY Potsdam women’s hockey team (1-0) blanked Saint Michael’s (0-1) 3-0 Friday night on the road in the Bears’ season opener. Three different players scored for Potsdam, while freshman goalie Samantha White (Oceanside, Calif./Anaheim Lady Ducks) finished with 16 saves to earn a shutout in her collegiate debut.
The contest was scoreless following the first period of play. The teams played even throughout, with both teams getting eight shots on their respective goalies.
Potsdam wasted no time opening the second with two goals within 10 seconds of each other. After a faceoff, the puck was sent down the boards and picked up by the Bears. Junior forward Jenna Patterson (Boissevain, Manitoba/Westman Wildcats) took the shot at the top right circle and beat the Purple Knight goalie Nicole Talcott on her glove side at the 1:15 minute mark. Senior forward Brenna Wilson (Kanata, Ontario/Ottawa Senators) and fellow senior forward Anna-Rose Bertin (Marathon, Ontario/CIH Academy) each assisted on the goal. Off the ensuing faceoff, Potsdam passed into the zone after a breakout and Wilson wristed it passed the goalie’s blocker side for the 2-0 lead with Patterson and freshman forward Allie Banas (Buffalo, N.Y./Buffalo Bisons) recording the assists. The Bears finished with 15 shots in the period with Saint Michael’s getting eight.
In the final 20 minutes, White went untested and Potsdam tacked on another goal at 8:55. Bertin picked up a loose puck and passed in up to sophomore forward Taylor Marcellus (Waddington, N.Y./Ontario Hockey Academy). Marcellus got off a shot that was stopped by Talcott, but the puck fell into the slot and freshman forward Natalie Wasielewski (Carnegie, PA/Pittsburgh Penguins Elite) beat Talcott for her first career goal and the Bears took the 3-0 victory.
Talcott finished with 27 saves.
Potsdam outshot Saint Michael’s 30-16. The Bears went 0-for-1 on the power play, while the Purple Knights finished 0-for-3.
Potsdam will return to Maxcy Ice Arena tomorrow to open against Saint Michael’s at 4 p.m.
