MORRISVILLE, N.Y.-Sophomore forward Dylan Vander Esch (San Jose, Calif./Hartford Wolfpack) recorded his third career hat trick as the SUNY Potsdam men’s hockey team (2-0, 2-0 SUNYAC) defeated Morrisville State (0-2, 0-2) 6-3 on Saturday night. Senior forward Jake Rivera (Pacific Palisades, Calif./Hartford Wolfpack), freshman defenseman Dom Horvath (Toledo, Ohio/Brantford 99ers) and sophomore defenseman Kyle Thacker (Mississauga, Ontario/North York Ranger) also scored for the Bears. Sophomore goaltender Brendan McMenimen (Merrimack, Mass./Islanders Hockey Club) made 17 saves for the victory.
The Mustangs got off to a fast start as CJ Stubbs made it a 1-0 contest just 5:23 into the game. The Bears picked up momentum in the middle of the period with two power plays, but were unable to capitalize. Potsdam finally broke through with less than two minutes to go in the period. At 18:37, senior captain Todd Thomas (Davidsville, Pa./Hartford Wolfpack) fed Rivera to knot the score at 1-1. The shots were 13-6 in the Bears’ favor in the opening 20 minutes.
After killing off two more penalties early in the second period, Morrisville regained the lead at 7:16. Jimmy Philbin made it 2-1 with his second goal of the weekend. The lead lasted just 1:22 before Vander Esch got his first of the night. Freshman forward Mike Sweeney (Pittsburgh, Pa./PAL Islanders) and Thacker assisted on the play. Six minutes later Horvath scored his first career goal with an assist from Pascalli to make it 3-2. McMenimen stopped all eight shots that came his way in the middle stanza.
The third period saw four goals scored. Thacker notched the eventual game winner at 10:11 with helpers from senior assistant captain Brad Campagna (Monroe, N.Y./New York Bobcats) and Vander Esch. Danny Liscio got the Mustangs back within one with a power-play goal less than two minutes later, but that would be all they’d get. Vander Esch tacked on his second and third goals in a 24-second span to cap the scoring at 6-3 with 5:08 remaining. Horvath and Pascalli assisted on the first and Thacker and Campagna set up the second.
Steven Dombrosky stopped 22 shots in the losing effort. Potsdam outshot Morrisville 28-20 and was 0-for-4 on the man advantage. The Mustangs were 1-for-3 on the power play.
The Bears are off to a 2-0 start in conference play for the first time since the 1999-00 season.
Potsdam hosts Western New York SUNYAC rivals SUNY Fredonia and Buffalo State next Friday and Saturday. Both games start at 7 p.m.
