POTSDAM, N.Y.—Fifth-seeded Buffalo State (12-11-3) scored three goals in the first period and three more in the third to defeat the fourth-seeded SUNY Potsdam men’s hockey team (12-11-3) 6-2 in the SUNYAC Quarterfinals on Wednesday night. Junior captain Todd Thomas (Davidsville, Pa./Hartford Wolfpack) and freshman defenseman Kyle Thacker (Mississauga, Ontario/North York Rangers) each scored for the Bears. Junior forward Ryan Salkeld (Virginia Beach, Va./Hampton Roads Whalers) and freshman forward Jason Zaleski (Scranton, Pa./Trenton Golden Hawks) each had a goal and an assist to lead the Bengals.
The crowd was energized as the puck dropped and both teams played at a furious pace. The Bengals used a bit of luck to grab the lead at 3:48. Off a faceoff in the Bears zone, Bengals sophomore forward Nick Berst (Depew, N.Y./Port Colborne Pirates) fed the puck back to freshman defenseman Garrett Chardon (Old Field, N.Y./Boston Jr. Rangers). Chardon carried the puck behind the Potsdam goal and banked a shot off the back of the left pad of Bears junior goalie Jon Hall (Dexter, N.Y./Stouffville Spirit) and into the net. Nearly four minutes later, sophomore forward Taylor Pryce (Newmarket, Ontario/North York Rangers) picked up the puck off a Potsdam turnover at the left side of the net and fired it on goal. Hall made the save, but freshman forward Zach Nieminen (Ajax, Ontario/Ancaster Avalanche) picked up the rebound and fed sophomore forward Jake Rosen (East Amherst, N.Y./Connecticut Oilers) in the slot. Rosen wristed at shot into the top of the net for a 2-0 lead. Junior forward Ryan Salkeld (Virginia Beach, Va./Hampton Roads Whalers) added a third goal at 14:20 when he knocked home a rebound on a shot from the point.
Potsdam ramped up its pressure in second period aided by three power plays. Early on Bengals sophomore goalie Mike DeLaVergne (Pawling, N.Y./Wilkes Barre-Scranton Knights) frustrated the Bears. With the Potsdam on the man advantage with just over 11 minutes on the clock, Hall robbed the Bengals on a shorthanded breakaway opportunity. Two minutes later, Potsdam junior forward Billy Pascalli (Deer Park, N.Y./New York Bobcats) rang the crossbar. The Bears built momentum after the close call and finally scored at the 12:07 mark. Thomas tucked a shot just over the right shoulder of DeLaVergne to make it 3-1. Potsdam didn’t slow down, but still trailed by two after 40 minutes.
The start of the third period was delayed by an Olympia malfunction. After the ice was finally clean, things seemed looked as if they’d go the Bears way. Just 1:19 into the final stanza, Thacker fired a shot wide from the right point while on the power play. The puck hit a referee and slowly slid toward the net. DeLaVergne never saw it and Potsdam was down just one with over 18 minutes left. Both goaltenders put on a display in the third, but it was Buffalo State that finally pulled away. Just over five minutes into the period, Berst picked up the puck in the Bengals zone and fed sophomore forward Anthony Beaumont (Lester, Pa./Hartford Wolfpack) to complete a two-on-one break. The goal took the wind out of the Bears’ sails and forced them to take more chances on offense. At the 12:07 mark, junior forward Brett Hope (Blenheim, Ontario/St. Thomas Stars) scored a power-play goal to make it a 5-2 game. Buffalo State capped the scoring at 17:29 as Zaleski finished another two-on-one to make it 6-2.
Hall finished a great season with 34 saves. DeLaVergne stood on his head with 43 stops to earn the victory.
Potsdam outshot Buffalo State 45-40 and was 1-for-6 on the power play. The Bengals were 1-for-3 on the man advantage.
The loss brings to a close the careers of seniors Kevin O’Connor (Ann Arbor, Mich./New Mexico Mustangs), Trevor Cope (Swartz Creek, Mich./Atlanta Jr. Knights), Zach Blake (Campbellford, Ontario/Plattsburgh State), Ken Simon (Norwell, Mass./Philadelphia Revolution), Dan McCamey (Dayton, Ohio/Minnesota Flying Aces), Erick Ware (Huntsville, Ala./Kenai River Brown Bears) and Shane Talarico (Greensburg, Pa./Elmira College).
