St. Lawrence University goaltender Alex Petizian (30) makes a save on a point-blank shot from Brown’s Harry Zolnierczyk (7). The Saints' season comes to an end losing to Brown in the E.C.A.C. consolation game 3-0 to finish the season in fourth place with a record of 19-15-7. (Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery

St. Lawrence University’s Brandon Bollig (81) attempts to get his stick on a rebound, while Brown goalie Dan Rosen (30) dives to get his glove on the puck to cover it up.

March 20: Senior goaltender Alex Petizian came through with a brilliant performance, setting the St. Lawrence University career goals against average in the process, but the Saints fell short in their bid for a 20-win season as Brown University won the 2010 ECAC Hockey third place game 3-0 at the Times Union Center in Albany Saturday afternoon. The Saint offense was held to just one goal for the two tournament games in Albany and Brown outshot the Saints 37-21 in Saturday's game, which could have been even more lopsided had not Petizian come through with his stellar play in his final game in a Saint uniform. The Saints finish the season 19-16-7 while Brown, which had a great playoff run, is 13-20-4 with five of those 13 wins coming in the tournament. Petizian played in his 86th career game and completes his career with a 2.53 goals against average and a .914 save percentage. The goal against average eclipses the career record of 2.55 established by Bill Sloan from 1952-56. Both goaltenders came up with key saves in a scoreless first period and the Saints had a shot clang off the post on a power play midway through the period. Kyle Flanagan had the best scoring chance for the Saints, but Brown goalie Dan Rosen was able to get back across the crease to get part of the Saint rookie's shot at the open net and kept it out. Petizian made a series of spectacular saves in the second period, but could do nothing on a breakaway by Brown's Aaron Volpatti, who scored his 17th of the season as the Bears turned a lucky bounce into the game's first goal. The Saints were pressuring and Chris Zaires picked up a rebound off a save by Rosen and flipped the puck up in the air and toward the blue line. The puck glanced off the top of the glove of Saint defender Derek Keller, who was trying to knock it down and keep it in play, and Volpatti picked it up at center ice and soloed on Petizian at 14:34. Brown came out hard to start the third period and did not allow the Saints a shot on goal for the first nine minutes of the period. The Bears made it a 2-0 game at 4:05 of the third as Harry Zolnierczyk took the puck behind the Saint net and then backhanded a centering pass to Jesse Fratkin, who was alone in front of Petizian and put away his seventh of the season. The Saints were unable to sustain any offense in the third and a spate of penalties did not help the Saints get back into the game. Brown clinched the win when Zolnierczyk scored his 13th of the season into the empty net as the Saints pulled Petizian with 3:33 to play in an effort to jump start the offense.

St. Lawrence University’s Mark Armstrong (95) looks to fire a shot past Union defenseman Nolan Julseth-White (2).
(Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery

St. Lawrence University’s Jacob Drewiske (13) battles for the puck with Union’s Jeremy Welsh (27).

March 19: St. Lawrence University's 2009-10 men's hockey season will come to an end in the ECAC Hockey third place game on Saturday afternoon after Union took advantage of some bounces to pull out a 3-1 win over the Saints in the semifinals on Friday, ending a run of three straight playoff wins for the Saints. St. Lawrence, 19-15-7, will play Brown in the third place game while Union, 21-11-6 and in its first ECAC championship round appearance, will go on to play Cornell in the championship game. It was the third straight semifinal loss for the Saints, but the effort was outstanding. SLU outshot Union 30-19 for the game and 22-9 over the final 40 minutes of the game, but could not buy a goal. The Saints spent most of the third period in the Union end and pulled goalie Kain Tisi for an extra attacker with 1:42 to play, but could not come up with the equalizer and Union added an empty net goal with just under five seconds to play. "Union did an outstanding job of tying our guys up in front of their goaltender and not giving us second chances," said Saint coach Joe Marsh. "Both teams worked very hard and I think both teams are very similar in the way they approach the game. We are obviously disappointed in the outcome, but I am proud of the effort our guys have put forth throughout the playoffs." Union scored the only goal of the first period at 10:25, just 11 seconds after a successful Saint penalty kill. The Saints turned the puck over in the corner of their defensive zone and Stephane Boileau passed the puck to sophomore Luke Cain, who took it at the top of the faceoff circle and went one-on-one with Saint goalie Kain Tisi, beating Tisi just under the crossbar for his seventh of the year. The Saints had a slight edge in play in the second period, but struggled to get their offense untracked until senior defensemen Jeff Caister and Derek Keller collaborated on the first SLU goal of the game with time running down in the period. Caister found Keller with a pass near the blue line and Keller walked in with the Union defense backed in around goalie Keith Kinkaid. Keller snapped a shot which caught the upper corner with Brandon Bollig screening for Keller's 10th of the year and a 1-1 tie at 19:35 of the second. The Saints nearly took the lead midway through the third period, but while Pete Child's shot got behind Kinkaid, it hit the inside of the post and stayed out of the net. Union came right back down and took the lead as a shot by junior forward Adam Presizniuk from a sharp angle hit a Saint stick and trickled past the outstretched glove of Tisi at 9:26 to make it a 2-1 game. The Saints outshot Union 13-4 in the third period, but could not get anything past Kinkaid, who handled a lot of long range shots and did not give up any rebounds. Senior Mario Valery-Trabucco iced the win with his 23rd of the season into an empty net with 4.9 seconds left on the clock.

Colgate’s Drew McIntyre (26) pokes the puck away from the glove of St. Lawrence University goaltender Kain Tisi (29). 
(Eric Foote photo)   Game Gallery
St. Lawrence University’s Jake Klancher (28) and Travis Vermeulen (26) battle for the puck with Colgate’s Francois Brisebois (13).   (Eric Foote photo)   Game Gallery
St. Lawrence University celebrates around their goalie after a couple of late 3rd period goals for a come-from-behind 3-2 victory. (Eric Foote photo)   Game Gallery

St. Lawrence University goaltender Alex Petizian (30) makes a kick save on a point-blank shot from Clarkson’s Corey Tamblyn (7).  (Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery

St. Lawrence University’s Brandon Bollig (81) roofs the puck into the top corner and jars the water bottle loose for a goal in the second period beating Harvard netminder Kyler Richter (33).
(Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery
 

St. Lawrence University's Brandon Bollig is stick checked from behind by Clarkson's Corey Tamblin (7) and a poke from another defender in front.  Jake Morley (Ogdensburg, NY) scored on a breakaway 6:48 into overtime to lift Clarkson. Audio of Goal

March 7: A valiant effort in postseason came to an end for the Clarkson University Hockey team as the Golden Knights were edged by St. Lawrence University 2-1 in a hard fought ECAC Hockey first-round series at Appleton Arena in Canton. The Saints rallied with two late goals to gain a 3-2 victory in Sunday’s deciding third game. Clarkson forced the series to the limit with a come-from-behind 4-3 overtime victory on Saturday. St. Lawrence (17-14-7) won Game 1 of the series 3-2 in overtime on Friday. Sophomore goaltender Paul Karpowich (Thunder Bay, ONT) was stellar in the Clarkson crease all series and finished with 108 saves over the weekend, including 30 stops in Sunday’s contest. With Clarkson holding a 2-1 advantage after two periods, St. Lawrence tallied twice in a span of 3:50 late in the third to pull put the win. Rick Carden one-timed a pass at the left side to tie the game at 14:47. With less than two minutes remaining in regulation, Mike McKenzie scored in front for the game-winner at 18:37. St. Lawrence took a 1-0 lead in the first when Jeff Caister scored on a shot from the left circle that found its way through a screen at 6:04. Throughout the majority of the regular season, Clarkson struggled in the second period, but on Sunday, the Knights tallied twice late in the middle frame to gain a one-goal advantage through 40 minutes. Senior Tim Marks (Brownville, NY) started the Green and Gold’s scoring at 11:57, connecting on a slapshot just inside the Saints’ zone after taking a pass at center ice from junior defenseman Bryan Rufenach (Cameron, ONT). After killing off three St. Lawrence power plays, the Knights went on the man-advantage late in the stanza, and made the most of their opportunity. With the period winding down, junior assistant captain Brandon DeFazio (Oakville, ONT) lifted a backhand from the top of the crease just under the crossbar for his 12th goal of the season, a power-play marker at 19:47. Junior captain Scott Freeman (Whitby, ONT) and freshman defenseman Andrew Himelson (Monroe, NY) assisted. St. Lawrence’s Jeremiah Cunningham almost tied the game with a blast from between the circle just before the buzzer, but Karpowich got a stick on it to turn the attempt wide. The Saints out shot Clarkson 33-25 and held an 18-2 margin over the final 20 minutes. Clarkson was 1-of-5 on the power play, while St. Lawrence was with 1-of-6 the man-advantage. Clarkson, which closed the season with seven straight games decided by one-goal-or-less, including a school record five overtime contests, finishes the 2009-10 campaign with a 9-24-4 record.

March 6: Sophomore Jake Morley scored on a breakaway 6:48 into overtime to lift the Clarkson University Hockey team to a 4-3 triumph over archrival St. Lawrence University in Game 2 of the ECAC Hockey first-round series at Appleton Arena in Canton. Playing in a do-or-die situation, the Golden Knights kept their season alive with a gutsy, hard-working effort, twice overcoming deficits to defeat their North Country foe. Clarkson, which stands at 9-23-4 overall, will battle the Saints (16-14-7) one more time in Sunday’s deciding third game, faceoff at 7:00 p.m. St. Lawrence (16-14-7) won Game 1 of the series on Friday 3-2 in overtime. Coach George Roll's Postgame. Morley, a native of nearby Ogdensburg, NY, connected for his first career game-winning goal on a beautiful play. Junior assistant captain Brandon DeFazio (Oakville, ONT) fired a hard pass out of the Clarkson zone, hitting Morley at the St. Lawrence blueline. Morley made a great play to catch the puck, skated in alone and lifted a backhand shot over the shoulder of Saints’ goaltender Alex Petizian, sending the Knights’ bench over the boards and on to the ice for a celebration. Freshman defenseman Andrew Himelson (Monroe, NY) also assisted on Morley’s fifth goal of the season.   Audio of Morley's Game-Winning Goal.  Trailing 2-1 after 40 minutes, Clarkson out scored the Saints 2-to-1 in the third period to force their school-record fifth straight overtime contest. Showing great patience with the puck, senior Matt Beca (Mississauga, ONT) tied the game 2-2 at 8:21 of the third. Beca took a pass from sophomore Nick Tremblay (Candiac, QUE) at the left side of the St. Lawrence net during a scramble in front, held his shot and skated to the bottom of the right circle where he wristed in his team-high 20th goal of the season and 51st career marker.  Audio of Beca's Goal.  At 12:47, the Saints regained the lead when Mike McKenzie scored off a faceoff, giving the home team a 3-2 advantage. With 3:32 remaining in regulation, the Knights tied the game once again. Positioned at the top of the crease, Tremblay knocked in a rebound off of sophomore defenseman Mark Borowiecki’s (Kanata, ONT) shot for his third goal of the year. Junior Corey Tamblyn (Bobcaygeon, ONT) also assisted. Audio of Tremblay's Goal.  Clarkson started Game 2 of the first-round series with one of its best periods of the season and jumped out to a 1-0 lead. The Golden Knights, whose strong play frustrated the Saints into committing five penalties in the opening 20 minutes, outshot St. Lawrence 9-6 in the frame while skating on three power-plays. Just four seconds into the first man-advantage of the game, Clarkson took the lead as Borowiecki finished off a pass from Beca in front at 5:19 for his second goal of the weekend and eighth of the season. Tamblyn started the play by winning the faceoff back to Beca. Audio of Borowiecki's Goal.  St. Lawrence took the lead in the second period with a pair of goals 1:25 early in the stanza. With five seconds left in a Saint power play, Aaron Bogosian knocked in his own rebound at 3:35 to tie the game. Jacob Drewiske followed at 4:50 with a quick shot from the bottom of the right circle. Sophomore Paul Karpowich (Thunder Bay, ONT) was strong once again in the Clarkson crease with a 31-save effort as St. Lawrence out shot the Green and Gold 34-28. The Knights went 1-of-6 on the power play while the Saints were 1-of-4 on the man advantage.

St. Lawrence University’s Mike McKenzie (11) reaches to get a stick on the puck along with Clarkson’s Jake Morley (14) of Ogdensburg, NY in front of the Golden Knights net.
(Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery

Clarkson’s Lauri Tuohimaa (27) pinches St. Lawrence’s Kyle Flanagan (16) of Canton, NY along the boards at the Saint bench.
The Golden Knights celebrate Corey Tamblyn's (7) goal with 11 seconds to play in the first period, tying the game at 1-1 with Princeton. Princeton would score an extra attacker goal late in the game, but it was not enough as Clarkson won their second league game of the year 4-3. Dan Reed’s first collegiate goal highlighted the effort by the Knights. (Chris Engel photo)
Clarkson’s Luke Oakley (19) puts a hit on Brown’s Harry Zolnierczyk (7) to jar the puck loose. Clarkson would fall 3-2 with goals coming from Matt Beca and Brandon DeFazio.
(Chris Engel photo)  Game Gallery

Clarkson's Brandon DeFazio (77) and Bryan Rufenach (89) go flying into a Colgate player behind the Golden Knights' net and all gat dumped.  A three-goal outburst late in the third period, started by a play called a goal after a video review, helped to propel Colgate University to a 6-2 victory over the Clarkson Golden Knights.  (Chris Engel photo)  Game Gallery

Clarkson University's Corey Tamblyn (7) pokes at the puck trying to tip it past the Alabama-Huntsville goalkeeper Cameron Talbot. (Chris Engel photo)  Game Gallery
 

SUNY Potsdam's Todd Hosmer (10) sends a centering feed from the high slot toward the goal as the Mustangs' Andrew Allair (25) tries to tie him up. (Chris Engel photo)   Game Gallery

SUNY Potsdam Captain Connor Treacy (22) and Morrisville's Alex Tillaart (27) grind their way to the corner to chase a loose puck.

February 23: Host Brockport scored once in each period as they defeated the SUNY Potsdam men’s hockey team 3-0 on Tuesday night in the SUNYAC quarterfinals. James Cody had two goals to lead Brockport. In the second period, Potsdam killed of its first penalty of the game near the midpoint of the period but 13 seconds later, Cody fired a high shot over the shoulder of Bear goaltender Andy Groulx (Rockville, ONT/Orangeville Crushers) for the 2-0 Brockport lead with 9:58 to play in the period. The game remained close with both teams having scoring chances but Golden Eagle goaltender Todd Sheridan held his ground in the Brockport goal with 10 saves in the third period. Late in the period, Cody stole the puck near the blue line and raced the length of the ice and tapped in an empty-net goal for the final margin. Groulx made 30 saves for the Bears. Sheridan had 27 saves. Brockport led in shots 33-27. The Bears conclude their season with a final record of 9-14-2.

February 19: The men’s hockey team got off to a 2-0 lead but visiting Plattsburgh scored five straight goals as they defeated the Bears 7-3 on Friday night at Maxcy Hall Arena. Bill Tsekos (Montreal, QUE/Vaudrevil Mustangs) scored his first goal of the season in the first period to give the Bears the 1-0 lead. Midway through the second period, Todd Hosmer (Scarborough, ONT/Newmarket Hurricanes) scored his team leading 16th goal of the season as the Bears took a 2-0 lead. Plattsburgh scored five straight goals spanning the second and third periods to take a 5-2 lead. Connor Treacy’s (Markham, ONT/Markham Waxers) goal 4:26 into the third period made the score 5-3, but the Cardinals scored twice more in the period to pull away for the victory. Trevor O’Neill (Keswick, ONT/Stouffville Spirit) had the start for the Bears in goal and made 27 saves. Ryan Williams had 18 saves for Plattsburgh.

SUNY Potsdam forward Jordan Delong (24) changes direction with the puck to glide inside the Neumann College defender.  (Chris Engel photo)  Game Gallery

Bears' goalie Andy Groulx peers from behind a large Newmann forward screening on the shot from the point.
SUNY Cortland’s Ryan Durocher (10) of Canton, NY gets robbed on the doorstep by SUNY Potsdam goaltender Trevor O’Neill.  The Potsdam men’s hockey team saw a 2-0 lead disappear only to come back and win 4-3 in overtime against visiting Cortland on Saturday. (Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery
 

SUNY Canton’s Cory Bercume (7) of Potsdam, NY controls the puck looking to get a shot past Norwich’s Corey Cicio (17).  Bercume had a goal and an assist. SUNY Canton bounced back from a tough loss on Saturday to trounce Norwich University 8-1 in the consolation game of the Terry Martin-SUNY Canton Pride's Corner Tournament. The Roos, lost in overtime to John Carroll University in the first round. (Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery

SUNY Canton’s John Payne (27) uses his speed to skate past Norwich’s Aaron Canarelli (20).  Payne had a goal and an assist.

February 19: The top-seeded SUNY Canton men's ice hockey team kicked off the Eastern Collegiate Hockey League tournament with a convincing 10-1 win over No. 8 University of Rochester at the Genesee Valley Ice Rink in Rochester. The Roos won their eighth straight game improving to 18-10 overall and will play in the semifinals Saturday night. There are three other first-round games on Friday. SUNY Canton beat the Yellowjackets for the third time season and in three games out scored them 41-1. Chris Lee (Gansevoort, N.Y.) won his third game of the season as the sophomore stopped 14 of 15 shots. Lee had plenty of help in front of him as seven different players scored for the Roos led by scoring leader Adam Fedor (Orleans, Ontario) who had three goals and two assists. Dan Cibelli (Liverpool, N.Y.) and John Payne (Port Moody, B.C.) had three points apiece. Cibelli had two goals and an assist and Payne one goal and two assists. Corey Frizell (Orleans, Ontario) and Rob Liggio (Canton, N.Y.) each had a goal and an assist. Mark Talamo (Oswego, N.Y.) and Dan Don both scored once and Brad Wilson (Ottawa, Ontario) contributed two assists. The game was tied 1-1 after the first period but then the Roos poured in on with six goals in the second period and three more in the third. The Roos also generated 60 shots on goal as Ryan Sigurdson made 50 saves.

February 12: The SUNY Canton men's ice hockey wrapped up their regular season Friday night winning their seventh straight game beating Syracuse University 4-3 at the Canton Pavilion. The Roos, who already clinched the ECHL regular season title, improved to 13-1 in the league and 17-10 overall. They'll move on to the ECHL playoffs next weekend in Rochester. The game was also the final home game for seniors Mark Talamo (Oswego, N.Y.), Scott Zaryski (Oswego, N.Y.), Dan Don (Gouverneur, N.Y.), Adam Levy (Penfield, N.Y.) and Kevin O'Connell (Cadyville, N.Y.). Senior forward Mike Pearman (Columbus, Ind.) left the team in December to do an internship as part of his degree program. All six seniors were the first to play four years of hockey at SUNY Canton and they combined for 159 goals and 255 assists and have led the Roos to several postseason berths. The first period Friday night ended in a 1-0 Syracuse lead despite the Roos out shooting the Orange 10-5. The second period was a different story as both teams combined to score four times in the first eight minutes. Adam Fedor (Orleans, Ontario) tied the the game with an unassisted goal, his team-leading 20th of the season, at the 2:50 mark. Talamo then netted his fourth goal of the year at the 5:54 mark giving the Roos their first lead of the game. Syracuse came back a minute later when Justin Snell snuck one past goalie Jimmy Merrow (Plainsboro, N.Y.) and the game was tied again. Eric Cook (Cary, N.C.) then put the Roos ahead for good with two straight goals, his 11th and 12th tallies of the season, at the 8:00 and 11:37 marks. Syracuse trimmed the lead back to one when Jordan Peters scored seven minutes into the final period. The Orange pulled goalie Andrew Collingham with just over a minute remaining but couldn't get the tying goal as the Roos were able to hold off the extra attacker. There were just six total penalites called in the game as each team went 0-3 on the power play. Merrow finished with 13 saves on 16 shots and Collingham had 27 saves on 31 shots.

SUNY Canton’s goaltender Jimmy Merrow (33) makes a sprawling save on a point blank shot against Niagara.
(Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery

SUNY Canton’s Rob Liggio (17) of Canton, NY attempts
to back check to the Niagara puck carrier.
SUNY Canton goaltender Jimmy Merrow (33) makes a diving save with his glove just keeping the puck out of the net.
 

FRIDAY, MARCH 19, 2010
Men's Hockey - E.C.A.C. Semifinals
(#1) Union College 3, (#5) St. Lawrence University 1
Men's Hockey - N.C.A.A. Division III Semifinal
Norwich University 3, SUNY Plattsburgh 2

SATURDAY, MARCH 13, 2010
Men's Hockey - E.C.A.C. Quarterfinal - Game 2 of 3
(#5) St. Lawrence University 4, (#4) Colgate University 3
Men's Hockey - N.C.A.A. Division III Quarterfinal
SUNY Plattsburgh 3, Middlebury College 2 (OT)
Women's Hockey - N.C.A.A. Division I Quarterfinal
University of Minnesota 3, Clarkson University 2 (OT)
Women's Hockey - N.C.A.A. Division III Quarterfinal
Norwich University 3, SUNY Plattsburgh 2

FRIDAY, MARCH 12, 2010
Men's Hockey - E.C.A.C. Quarterfinal - Game 1 of 3
(#5) St. Lawrence University 2, (#4) Colgate University 1

SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2010
Men's Hockey - E.C.A.C. First Round - Game 3 of 3
(#5) St. Lawrence University 3, (#12) Clarkson University 2
Women's Hockey - E.C.A.C. Championship
(#1) Cornell University 4, (#2) Clarkson University 3

SATURDAY, MARCH 7, 2010
Men's Hockey - E.C.A.C. First Round - Game 2 of 3
(#12) Clarkson Univ. 4, (#5) St. Lawrence University 3 (OT)

FRIDAY, MARCH 5, 2010
Men's Hockey - E.C.A.C. First Round - Game 1 of 3
(#5) St. Lawrence University 3, (#12) Clarkson Univ. 2 (OT)
Women's Hockey - E.C.A.C. Semifinals
(#2) Clarkson University 3, (#3) Harvard University 2

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2010
Women’s Hockey
Women’s E.C.A.C. Division I Quarterfinal - Best of 3
Clarkson Univ. 4, St. Lawrence Univ. 1  (Clarkson wins 2-1)

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2010
Men’s Hockey
St. Lawrence University 4, Harvard University 3
Clarkson University 3, Dartmouth University 3 (OT/Tie)
SUNYAC Men’s Hockey Semifinal
SUNY Plattsburgh 5, SUNY Brockport 2
Women’s Hockey
Women’s E.C.A.C. Division I Quarterfinal - Best of 3
St. Lawrence Univ. 2, Clarkson University 1 (Series tied 1-1)
Women’s E.C.A.C. West Quarterfinals
Rochester Institute of Technology 5, SUNY Potsdam 0

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2010
Men's Hockey
Clarkson University 2, Harvard University 1 (OT)
Dartmouth University 3, St. Lawrence University 2
Women's Hockey
ECACHL Quarterfinals - Game One
Clarkson University 5, St. Lawrence University 0

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2010
Men's Hockey - SUNYAC Quarterfinal Play-In
(#4) SUNY Brockport 3, (#5) SUNY Potsdam 0
Women's Hockey
SUNY Potsdam 6, Neumann College 5
 

 NCSN COLLEGE WOMEN'S HOCKEY

Clarkson goaltender Lauren Dahm turns aside a close-range shot in Friday's E.C.A.C. semifinal contest against Harvard.  (Jordan Bond photo)   Game Gallery

Clarkson's Daris Tendler gathered in the puck near the top of the slot. Her hard shot handcuffed Harvard goalie Laura Bellamy. The puck bounded over her shoulder and fluttered in the air into the back of the net at 6:07 of the first period.

March 13: An amazing rally late in regulation put the Clarkson University Women’s Hockey team in position for an improbable victory in its first ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The University of Minnesota, however, pulled out the quarterfinal round triumph with the deciding goal in overtime to gain a 3-2 win on Saturday evening before a crowd of 785 fans at Ridder Arena. Trailing 2-0 with a half a period to play in regulation, the Golden Knights fought back to force overtime. With just over 10 minutes remaining in the third period, senior Britney Selina (Thornhill, ONT) and Melissa Waldie (Newmarket, ONT) broke in on a 2-on-1. Selina picked up a pass along the right boards from senior defenseman Carlee Eusepi (Oakville, ONT) and skated to the top of the circle where Clarkson’s captain fed a beautiful cross-ice pass on to the stick of Waldie. The junior left wing tapped in the puck at the doorstep for her 18th goal of the season and the Green and Gold’s first score again the Gophers this season, snapping a stretch of 170:09 of scoreless hockey over three games against Minnesota. With time winding down in regulation and the Knights getting ready to pull junior goaltender Lauren Dahm (Baldwinsville, NY) for the extra attacker, sophomore Juana Baribeau (Amos, QUE) forced the extra session. Baribeau took a pass from sophomore defenseman Danielle Boudreau (Whitby, ONT) in the Clarkson end, skated just over the redline and fired a blast from center ice that cleanly beat Minnesota’s all-star freshman goaltender Noora Raty, a Patty Kazmaier Top-3 Finalist and the starting goaltender for Bronze-winning Team Finland in the recently completed Winter Olympics, high on the glove side at 18:16 to tie the game at 2-2. Minnesota (26-8-5) gained the win on its home ice when captain Emily West picked up a loose puck in the Clarkson end, eluded a defender and slid in her team-high 22nd goal of the year, the game-winner at 3:09 of overtime. The Knights, on the wrong end of a two bad breaks, fell behind 2-0 after 40 minutes. In an evenly played first period, Minnesota, which held a slim 14-12 edge in shots in the stanza, took advantage of a fortunate bounce to grab a 1-0 lead after the opening 20 minutes. Midway through its second power play of the period, the Gophers’ Brittany Francis attempted to slide a the puck across the crease, but her pass from along the goal line deflected off a sliding Clarkson defender and just past Dahm for the game’s first score at 14:19. In an eventful closing minutes of the second period, the Knights finally looked to have put their first goal on the scoreboard. Late in a power-play, during a scramble in front of the Gophers’ net, Clarkson knocked in a loose puck at 15:29 for what appeared to be its first goal against Minnesota this year. However, after video review, the puck was deemed to have been kicked in, negating the score. Just over two minutes later the Gophers took a 2-0 lead when West finished off a flurry around the Knights’ net by knocking in a rebound from the right circle at 17:36. Clarkson out shot Minnesota 39-35, including a 14-9 advantage in the third period. Dahm finished with 32 saves. The Knights went 0-of-5 on the power play, while the Gophers were 1-of-4 with the man-advantage. Clarkson, which closed the season with two overtime losses, can reflect back on its best season ever. The Knights posted a 23-12-5 overall record, skated to their best finish ever in ECAC Hockey with a 13-5-3 league mark, advanced to their first league tournament championship game, and made the seven-year program’s first appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Second-year Co-Head Coach Matt Desrosiers commented on the Knights' successfull season after the game. "Making this appearance in the NCAA Tournament is definitely a hugh step for our program. We have come a long way in a pretty short time. Obviously, whenever you get the chance to play for championships and come so close, it's going to help build for future years - especially with our younger players that now have that expereince."

March 7: Despite a furious comeback that saw three scores in less than 19 minutes of action, the Clarkson University Women’s Hockey team finally succumbed to Cornell University, 4-3, in overtime in the ECAC Hockey Championship game at Lynah Rink. The Golden Knights fell to 23-11-5 with the defeat, and will await an at-large selection by the NCAA committee on Sunday night. Cornell, 19-8-6, gained the ECAC Hockey automatic bid and is simply waiting for seeding and placement in the eight-team NCAA Tournament. For the first few minutes of the contest, neither team did much offensively other than control the puck, with few chances getting past the opposing defense, proven by a combined 14 blocked shots between the two teams. However, Clarkson had several chances to score the first goal when the team was awarded a power-play chance following a cross checking penalty on Cornell’s Melanie Jue. Clarkson controlled the puck close to the Cornell goal for nearly the entire two minutes, with several close calls. Juana Baribeau (Amos, QUE) had a shot blocked just wide 45 seconds in, Dominique Thibault (L’Orignal, ONT) saw her attempt on goal sail just wide, and Danielle Boudreau’s (Whitby, ONT) shot was blocked just high with 20 seconds remaining in the power play. The Knights had another chance late in the period when Kali Gillanders (Kyle, SASK) blocked a shot at the top of the left circle and then skated in on a 2-on-1 where her shot was kicked away by a Cornell defender. Cornell struggled to make moves just inside the blue line against the Golden Knights, as Clarkson’s defenders were savvy to the Big Red’s dekes, taking possession away from Cornell with smart stick play. It wasn’t until late in the period that one of the fakes did work, as sophomore Catherine White, who had been serving more as a playmaker in the first period, appeared to take the puck to her left but quickly changed course and found herself in open ice against Clarkson goaltender Lauren Dahm (Baldwinsville, NY). White skated in with plenty of space and flipped the puck backhand over the glove side of Dahm with just 34 seconds remaining in the period to give Cornell a 1-0 lead. The Knights finished with a 6-5 edge in shots on goal in the first period, and a 18-17 lead in total shots attempted. In the second period, Clarkson’s best chances early in the frame came on deflected shots, as Cornell continued to stay in front of the puck, but numerous times those ricochets nearly ended up on the stick of Clarkson players. Those missed chances cost the Knights, and Cornell took advantage with a pair of goals midway through the period. The Big Red skated in for a shot on the Clarkson goal and Dahm made the initial stop, but the momentum of the Cornell shooter knocked a Clarkson defender into Dahm, essentially taking both out of the play as the two careened into the goal. From there it was simply a matter of Cornell gathering the puck behind the net. Freshman Laura Fortino picked up the loose puck, skated around, and knocked it in just as Dahm was trying to return herself into position. It was her 11th goal of the season, coming at 8:11. Two minutes later, Clarkson almost got on to the scoreboard when Thibault forced a turnover behind the Cornell net. The senior found linemate Juana Baribeau out in front, but the attempted one-timer was mishit and sailed wide of the open net. That, too, was come back to haunt Clarkson as the Big Red picked up a third goal at 12:38. Counterattacking off a failed 2-on-1 by the Knights, Cornell winger Chelsea Karpenko wristed a shot from the middle of the right circle over Dahm’s stick side, giving the home team a 3-0 lead. The Golden Knights’ bench called a timeout following the third goal by Cornell, and the final seven minutes provided a glimpse of a different Clarkson team. Skating furiously and putting continual pressure on Cornell’s defense, the Knights came away with a goal late in the period. Danielle Boudreau out maneuvered a pair of Cornell defenders from the slot to the right circle and put a shot on goal that was initially stopped by the Big Red goaltender, Amanda Mazzotta, but the rebound finally ended up on a Clarkson stick, as Melissa Waldie (Newmarket, ONT) tipped in the puck at 17:20. A look at the second period shot chart would have spectators scratching their heads in wonderment, as Clarkson produced 32 shot attempts to Cornell’s 15 (including a 18-7 edge in shots on goal), but Mazzotta kicked aside 17 of the 18 attempts on goal. The final period didn’t see a ton of action until midway through the frame. A penalty on the Big Red provided Clarkson with a chance as a tripping call gave the Knights an extra skater. It didn’t take long for Clarkson to deliver, as both Thibault and Britney Selina (Thornhill, ONT) each hit the post early in the power play before Waldie converted at 8:48 for her second goal of the game and 18th of the season. Thibault assisted for her 40th point of the year. Clarkson scored the game-tying goal eight minutes later as Cornell made a few mistakes on its penalty kill. The Knights fired away at the Cornell net, and when a Big Red defender made an outstanding play to finally get the puck out of the zone, they failed to make a line change while Clarkson was able to do so. Selina stayed on the puck just outside the blue line, keeping Cornell’s defenders at bay, while the Knights got a fresh line on to the ice. Shortly thereafter, Selina took a shot on goal that was saved, but the puck came right back out to the slot where Boudreau converted glove-side at 16:04. Clarkson completed regulation with a 35-17 edge in shots on goal (with 40 more attempts going wide or blocked) and a 34-25 lead on draws. In overtime, both teams had their chances, but it was a slight misplay behind the net that gave Cornell its chance. The Knights were unable to clear the puck behind the net, and Liz Zorn was able to corral the loose puck, and the left wing sent it out to center Kendice Oglive in front, who flicked the puck into the net for the game-winner. Going into Sunday’s contest, Cornell had killed off all but five of the 110 power play chances by its opposition, but the Knights scored twice on the power play to get back into the contest.

St. Lawrence University's Kayla Sullivan (13) reaches back to corral the puck and get a shot on Clarkson goalie Lauren Dahm.  (Steve Besaw photo)   Game Gallery
Clarkson’s Dominique Thibault celebrates after stuffing the puck into the gaping net to give Clarkson a 2-0 lead late in the 2nd period. The Clarkson women’s hockey team earned its first playoff victory in five tries against St. Lawrence, shutting out the Saints 5-0 in ECAC quarterfinals.   Game Gallery

Clarkson’s Carlee Eusepi (15) clears the rebound out of the crease before a St. Lawrence player could get there stick on it.
Clarkson goaltender Lauren Dahm dives to cover up the puck while Union’s Lauren Hoffman (16) crashes the net for a rebound.  Sophomore Gabrielle Kosziwka scored twice off rebounds as the third-ranked Clarkson University Women’s Hockey team halted a two-game losing slide with a 3-0 shutout victory over Union College in ECAC Hockey action Saturday
(Eric Foote photo)   Game Gallery


Clarkson’s Danielle Skirrow (28) leaps into the arms of her teammate after scoring the Knights' first goal for a 1-0 lead.
(Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery
 

SUNY Plattsburgh’s Kristin Maton looks to make a pass by SUNY Potsdam’s Kristine Faffley (3).  (Eric Foote photo)  
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SUNY Plattsburgh’s Kayla McDougall (17) protects the puck from SUNY Potsdam’s Courtney Laughlin (22).

March 13: Sophie Leclerc scored a pair of unassisted goals in the last 1 minute and 37 seconds of the game to lift No. 10-ranked Norwich to a 3-2 victory Saturday over No. 3 Plattsburgh State in the NCAA Division III Women's Ice Hockey Championship Quarterfinals before a crowd of 601 at the Stafford Ice Arena. The Cadets (19-5-5) advance to their first Frozen Four in the program's brief three-year history, which will be hosted next weekend on the campus of Gustavus Adolphus College. The Cardinals (23-3-2) exit in the National Quarterfinals for the second straight season. Leclerc pounced on a Plattsburgh turnover deep in her offensive zone and wristed a shot over Mandy Mackrell's blocker from the left face-off circle hash marks to tie the game 2-2. Then 55 seconds later she collected a loose puck along the boards and lifted a wrist shot from the other circle for the game winner. Teal Gove gave Plattsburgh a 2-1 advantage in the third period on an assist by Jordan Caldwell. Caldwell kicked the puck loose out of a scrum behind the Norwich net and Gove snuck the puck past Cindy Fortin for her 10th goal of the season. The Cardinals struck first midway through the first period on an unassisted goal by Shannon Flattery, but Norwich tied it 1-1 3:21 later on Brittane Michaud's ninth goal on assists by Jacqueline Perez and Leclerc. Fortin finished with 33 saves for the Cadets while Mackrell had 28 for the Cardinals. Plattsburgh pulled Mackrell for the final 40 seconds in favor of an extra attacker, but couldn't get the equalizing goal to force overtime.

March 6: Stephanie Moberg scored three goals and had an assist to power top-ranked Plattsburgh State to a 5-2 victory Saturday against Utica at the Stafford Ice Arena, sending the Cardinals to their ninth-straight Eastern College Athletic Conference West Division championship game appearance. Plattsburgh improves to 23-1-2 while the fourth-seed Pioneers end their season at 13-12-2. Freshman Teal Gove snapped a 2-2 deadlock with an unassisted goal late in the second period for a 3-2 Plattsburgh lead it would not relinquish. Gove pounced on an opportunity at her offensive blue line where a Utica player lost control of the puck and then she skated alone on goaltender Jill Doherty beating her with a wrist shot for her ninth goal of the season. Tiffany Bichrest and Jodie Galluzzi scored goals in the second period to help Utica come back from a 2-0 deficit. Plattsburgh added two insurance goals in the third period, including Moberg's empty-netter with 32 seconds left to complete the hat-trick. Doherty finished with 46 saves while Plattsburgh netminder Mandy Mackrell made 28 stops to improve to 17-1-2 on the year. Both teams scored once while on the power play and also one apiece while short-handed. In today's second semifinal game, Madison Johnston blasted a slap shot from the blue line for the game-winning goal 5 minutes and 10 seconds into overtime for a 2-1 Elmira win against Rochester Tech. Sarah Dagg's power-play goal in the third period forced the extra session for RIT, tying the game at 1. Kim Schlattman and Kylie Mazzetta assisted on Dagg's 17th of the season, a shot that came from the point and through traffic in front of the net. After the teams skated to a scoreless first period, Elmira broke through at the 1:15 mark of the second when Jillayne DeBus netted her 14th goal. Jenna McCall and Tiffany Hart each had two assists for the second-seeded Soaring Eagles, who improve to 21-4-1 overall. The Tigers--at 19-5-3--must await word Monday to learn if they received an at-large bid for the national tournament by the NCAA Division III Women's Ice Hockey Committee. The teams tied in shots on goal, 29-29, and RIT's Carley King had 27 saves while Elmira's Lauren Sullivan had 28. Elmira and Plattsburgh have met in all nine conference championship games.
 

St. Lawrence University's Brooke Fernandez (10) digs the puck out of the corner against Clarkson. 
(Steve Besaw photo)   Game Gallery

February 28: The St. Lawrence University women's hockey team's 2009-10 season came to an end on Sunday afternoon, as No. 6 Clarkson used a pair of power play goals en route to a 4-1 victory in game three of the ECAC Hockey Quarterfinal series. The Knights got a 21-save performance in net from Lauren Dahm, and were the more opportunistic team to improve to 22-10-5 on the season. Meanwhile, St. Lawrence finishes the year with a 16-14-7 mark and will miss both the ECAC Hockey Semifinals and NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2003. "I thought it was an evenly-played game in what proved to be a great series," said St. Lawrence head coach Chris Wells. "(Clarkson) was able to execute on their opportunities and that proved to be the difference." Though the shots were even at 8-8 in the first period, the Saints had the better scoring chances. Dahm was up to the task and showed why she is a nominee for the 2010 Patty Kazmaier Memorial award, robbing sophomores Kelly Sabatine and Michelle Ng on great bids. With the game still scoreless late in the period, the Golden Knights would begin to turn up the offensive pressure and pin the Saints in their own zone. After St. Lawrence was unable to clear the zone, the puck cycled to Danielle Skirrow along the right boards. Skirrow fired a puck on St. Lawrence senior goalie Maxie Weisz, who made the initial save with her blocker. However, the rebound dribbled into the slot to Gabrielle Kosziwka, who pushed the puck across the goal line for her sixth goal of the season to put the home team on top 1-0 at 17:01. Special teams played a critical role in the second period, as Clarkson kept the Saints scoreless on three power play tries and used a power play goal to build a 2-0 lead after 40 minutes of hockey. St. Lawrence had great opportunities but couldn't cash in on Dahm, who gave up a few long rebounds. Instead, it was Melissa Waldie who re-directed a slap shot from the blue line behind a screened Weisz at 4:47 to cushion the Knights' lead. Carlee Eusepi and Juana Baribeau assisted on the goal. Though St. Lawrence would come out of the gate well in the third period, a high-sticking penalty called on sophomore Vanessa Emond in the offensive zone would put Clarkson back on the power play only 2:45 into the third. The Knights would extend their lead to 3-0 only 16 seconds later when Eusepi drove a slap shot past Weisz from the blue line at 3:01. Needing an offensive spark, Coach Wells opted to pull Weisz for an extra attacker when Clarkson's Kali Gillanders took a two minute penalty with 9:31 to play in regulation. Despite skating 6-on-4, the Saints were unable to solve Dahm and continued to trail, 3-0. The Saints finally broke through at 17:21 of the final frame with an extra attacker goal to cut the Clarkson lead to 3-1. Sabatine got the play started, as she snapped a shot towards the goal that Dahm was able to stop. However, the rebound bounced right off of junior Kirsten Roach and into the net for her third goal of the season. However, with Weisz still on the bench, a turnover by a St. Lawrence forward in the Clarkson zone allowed Baribeau to steal the puck, walk the length of the ice and put the series away with an empty-net goal at 18:03. The goal, which put Clarkson on top 4-1, was Baribeau's 16th tally of the year. Clarkson, which will play Harvard in the ECAC Hockey semifinals, finished 2-of-4 on the power play and managed to hold St. Lawrence without a power play goal despite having seven chances. The Knights also finished with a 24-22 edge in shots on goal. Weisz continued to play well but suffered the loss despite making 20 saves. The six St. Lawrence seniors that were playing in their last collegiate hockey game were able to share the final shifts of the game together as time ran out on the Saints' 2009-10 season. Those players included goalie Brittony Chartier, forwards Karlee Shields and Tara Akstull and defensemen Courtney Sawchuk, Becky Street and Britni Smith.

February 27: St. Lawrence University sophomore Vanessa Emond snapped a 1-1 tie with 2:56 remaining in regulation on Saturday to lead the Saints' women's hockey team to a dramatic victory over No. 6 Clarkson at Cheel Arena. The victory by St. Lawrence evens the ECAC Hockey Quarterfinal best-of-three series and forces a deciding game three tomorrow afternoon. The victory was the first for St. Lawrence in the 2009-10 season when scoring two or fewer goals, and improved the squad's record to 16-13-7. Meanwhile, Clarkson falls to 21-10-5 and lost for the first time this season when leading after two periods (15-1-0). "That was really an excellent playoff game," said St. Lawrence head coach Chris Wells, whose team will look to advance to the conference semifinals for the seventh straight year on Sunday. "Both goalies played great and made the atmosphere as exciting as it gets." Senior goalie Maxie Weisz was fantastic for St. Lawrence, as she stopped 17 shots including three breakaway tries in the second period. Clarkson netminder Lauren Dahm was up to the task, though as she turned in a solid 20-save performance. Despite outshooting the Golden Knights 8-7 in the first period, St. Lawrence found itself trailing 1-0 after 20 minutes. Emond had perhaps the best scoring chance when Dahm fell out of position, but her wrist shot crept just high of the cross bar. Clarkson's offense generated several scoring tries on Weisz in the first as well, and the home team capitalized at 13:11 to take a 1-0 lead. After Weisz was able to stop a slap shot from Clarkson's Britney Selina, the puck remained loose in the crease. When no St. Lawrence player was there to clear the rebound, Dominique Thibault pounced on the chance and scored her 21st of the season. St. Lawrence refused to go away and played one of its best periods of the season in the second. The Saints controlled the puck the majority of the frame, and outshot the Knights 9-6. Senior captain Tara Akstull would set up the tying goal with a pretty centering pass from behind the Clarkson net right on the tape of sophomore Alley Bero, who snuck a wrist shot past Dahm for her eighth of the year at 7:46. The assist was Akstull's 10th of the year. Though the Saints controlled the pace, Weisz was clutch between the pipes as she refused Juana Baribeau, Selina and Genevie Lavoie on one-on-one tries. Bero's tying goal set up an evenly-matched, drama-filled third period that saw the two rivals each manage five shots on goal. With the Saints pressuring in the Clarkson zone, Dahm's stick was knocked away and she was forced to play with a defenseman's stick. St. Lawrence would take advantage, as Bero tossed the puck into the crease and Emond was able to nudge it towards the goal. With Dahm on her back, the puck hit a Clarkson player's skate and trickled across the goal line inside the far post to put the Scarlet and Brown ahead, 2-1, at 17:04. Clarkson used a timeout with just over two minutes remaining and opted to pull Dahm with 2:12 to go. However, Emond and senior assistant captain Britni Smith did well to clear the puck out of the Saints' zone and prevent the Knights from getting the tying goal. The visitor's bench emptied in celebration as the clock hit zeros, setting up game three on Sunday. St. Lawrence finished with a 22-18 advantage in shots on goal, and each team finished with an 0-for-5 mark on the power play. The North Country rivals will square off in game three tomorrow, Sunday, February 28 at 2:00pm in Potsdam, NY.

St. Lawrence University’s Kayla Sullivan (13) looks for a raparound opportunity on Clarkson goaltender Laurn Dahm.

St. Lawrence University goaltender Brittony Chartier (33) covers the puck up with Clarkson’s Gabrielle Kosziwka (7) crashing the net looking for a rebound.   Game Gallery

February 26: The St. Lawrence University women's hockey team suffered a 5-0 loss to No. 6 Clarkson University on Friday afternoon in the opening game of a best-of-three ECAC Hockey Quarterfinal series. Clarkson goalie Lauren Dahm made 19 saves to earn the shutout, and five different players had goals as the Knights defeated the Saints in the postseason for the first time. St. Lawrence falls to 15-13-7 on the season with the loss, which saw the trio seniors Maxie Weisz and Brittony Chartier and junior Nikki Bongaerts combine for 26 saves in net. An 0-for-4 effort on the power play for the Saints, ranked 10th in the country in that category, hurt the squad's chances of pulling off the upset in the opening contest. Meanwhile, Clarkson improves to 21-9-5 overall and finished with a sound 30-19 advantage in shots on goal. The two North Country rivals skated to a scoreless first period, with the majority of the play coming between the blue lines. The Knights appeared to have taken a 1-0 lead at 10:33, but the official blew the whistle after losing sight of the puck, which wiped the goal off of the scoreboard. Weisz made nine saves in the first period, including several from point-blank range. Dahm, meanwhile, had her busiest stanza of the evening, stopping nine shots as well including a key stop on St. Lawrence rookie Kelly Sabatine during the visitor's first power play of the game. Clarkson would waste little time in the second period in taking the lead, 1-0. With the puck settled in front of the St. Lawrence goal, Clarkson's Kali Gillanders poked it towards Weisz. Her bid appeared to hit a St. Lawrence defender's skate, as it changed direction and scooted past the goalie for Gillanders' third of the season at 3:49 of the second period. St. Lawrence tried to answer, arguably had its best chance of the game midway through the frame when sophomores Alley Bero and Vanessa Emond skated in on a two-on-one on Dahm. The Clarkson netminder, one of the premier goalies in the nation, stood her ground and made a key glove save on Emond's wrist shot headed for the corner of the net to keep the home team on top. Dahm's play in goal allowed the Knights to pick up their offensive attack, which paid off at 16:01 when Dominique Thibault made it a 2-0 game on another fluke goal on Chartier, who replaced Weisz midway through the period. After a turnover by St. Lawrence in the defensive zone, Danielle Skirrow snapped a shot towards goal. However, the puck again ricocheted off of a Saints' defensemen directly to the goal mouth, where Thibault was waiting for the easy finish. Early in the third period, the Saints appeared to have started to curb the momentum as they efficiently killed a Clarkson power play. However, only 11 seconds after that power play came to an end, Gillanders centered a no-look-pass from behind the Saints' net right on the tape of Britney Selina, who snapped a wrist shot past Chartier's glove for a 3-0 cushion for the Golden Knights. Selina's 10th goal of the season came at 6:25. Though Coach Wells opted to pull the goalie at the 10 minute mark of the third, the Saints simply could not earn many quality bids as the Clarkson defense protected Dahm by blocking shot after shot. Daris Tendler would put the game out of reach with an empty net goal at 18:05 to put the Knights up 4-0. Gabrielle Kosziwka would add to the Saints' frustration only 36 seconds later when she scored her fifth of the year on Bongaerts to cap the scoring and give the home team a thorough 5-0 victory. The Saints were shut out for the fourth time this season, and the third time in 11 games. Weisz made 14 saves while Chartier added 11 for St. Lawrence, while Dahm picked up her ninth shutout of 2009-10. The Knights, who have been eliminated by St. Lawrence in the ECAC Hockey Quarterfinals in two of the last three seasons, will look to sweep the series and end the Saints' season tomorrow, Saturday, February 27th at Cheel Arena. The puck will drop on game two at 2:00pm.

RPI’s Andie Le donne fires a shot that whistles just wide of the net while the St. Lawrence goalie Brittony Chartier slides across the crease.  (Eric Foote photo)   Game Gallery

St. Lawrence University’s Kelly Sabatine (16) crashes the net looking for a rebound from Colgate’s goalie Lisa Plenderleith (30).  (Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery
 

Utica College senior forward Andrea Maxon (black), former Canton girls hockey player, returned to the North Country as the Pioneers faced the Potsdam Bears.  The SUNY Potsdam women’s hockey team had a tie game going into the third period, but visiting Utica scored three times in the final frame beating Potsdam 6-4 on Saturday afternoon at Maxcy Hall Arena.  (Photo by Chris Engel)

February 27: The SUNY Potsdam women’s hockey team played their first playoff game since returning to varsity status two years ago and was denied 5-0 by host RIT on Saturday afternoon in the ECAC West Quarterfinals. Katie Stack led the Tigers with two goals. Hilary Hitchman (Potsdam/Oswego State) started her final game in goal for the Bears and made 41 saves. The Tigers scored three times in first period with the first goal coming just 56 seconds into the game. RIT led in shots 46-8. The Bears end their season with a final record of 9-15-1.

February 23: The SUNY Potsdam women’s hockey team fell behind 4-0 in the first period but rallied to score four times in the second and twice in the third period as they defeated Neumann 6-5 on Tuesday night. The win lifts the Bears record to 9-14-1. The Knights scored four times in the first period in a span of 6:12 of game time. Potsdam, however, would not back down as they scored four times in the second period to tie the game at 4-4. Neumann would take back the lead 5:29 into the third period. Potsdam would score twice more and hold on in the end for the victory. The Bears got goals from six different players. Breanna Roy (Orleans, ONT/Nepean Wildcats) led the Bears in points with 1 goal and three assists. Stephanie Simons (Stratford, ONT/Bluewater Hawks)had one goal and two assists. Hilary Hitchman (Potsdam/Oswego State) started in goal for the Bears and had 14 saves. Jen Conophy (Glenmont/Albany Ice Cats) replaced her in the second period and she came up huge for Potsdam with 47 saves including 27 in the final period. Shannon Donnelly had 30 saves for the Knights.

SUNY Potsdam’s Annmarie Lewis (19) battles for a faceoff in the neutral zone as the Lady Bears fall 4-0 to SUNY Cortland in the second of two weekend games. Potsdam led in shots on goal 32-23, but could not get the puck past Katie Double who had all 32 saves for Cortland. (C. Engel photo)  Game Gallery

With the Buffalo goalie out of position, SUNY Potsdam’s Katie Komsa battles for the loose puck with Buffalo State’s Amanda Johnson.  Komsa got the Bears on the board to make it 2-1 Bengals .  (Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery

SUNY Potsdam’s Hilary Hitchman (29) from Potsdam, NY, makes a blocker save at the top of the crease.  Hitchman started for the Bears and had 25 saves.  (Eric Foote photo) 
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