Sunday, February 12, 2012

ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT'S RECAP OF POTSDAM GAME

Sophomore Mike Baxter (Bracebridge, Ontario) and junior Nick Panepinto (Tonawanda, NY) scored two goals each to lead The College at Brockport Hockey team to a 5-3 victory over Potsdam Saturday night in a key State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) game that juggled the conference standings with one week left in the regular season.

Brockport (9-12-3 Overall, 5-8-2) moved into a tie with Potsdam (8-13-2, 6-8) with 12 points each in the conference standings. Brockport has one game remaining with a road game at Morrisville next Saturday. Potsdam travels to Oswego and Cortland to finish the regular season. If the two teams remain tied, Brockport would have the tie-breaker advantage over the Bears.

After a scoreless first period Saturday, Panepinto put the Golden Eagles on the board with assists from Mike Hollander (Thornhill, ONT) and Mike Hayward (Toronto, ONT) 7:29 into the second period. Potsdam answered just 41 seconds later to knot the score at 1-1.

With less than six minutes remaining in the second period, Potsdam took a 2-1 lead but exactly two minutes later, Baxter scored his first of the season with assists going to Troy Polino (Limerick, PA) and Chris Cangro (Holbrook, NY) and the two teams went into the second intermission with a 2-2 tie.

In the third period, Baxter doubled his season scoring total with his second goal of the night at the 6:58 mark with Marcus Farmer (Caledon, ONT) and Colby Spooner (Hilton, NY) picking up assists. Less than two minutes later, Polino scored what would turn out to be the game-winner. Steve Sachman (Medford, NY) and Gregg Amato (Ocean Gate, NJ) assisted on the play.

Just 13 seconds after a Potsdam timeout, the Bears cut the lead to a goal with 11 minutes remaining in the period.

Panepinto added his second goal of the night to seal the victory. Brendon Rothfuss (Webster, NY) fed the puck to Hollander before being knocked to the ice near the blue line. Hollander found Panepinto in front of the net for the fifth Brockport goal of the game and a two-goal advantage.

Senior Oliver Wren (Oakville, ONT) made 31 saves including three during a two-man advantage early in the second period.

___