POTSDAM, NY Nate Berke’s game-winning goal in the third period propelled the Cortland men’s hockey team to a 4-2 victory over Potsdam on Saturday evening, capping off a perfect 2-0 weekend in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) play. The Red Dragons improved to 5-2 overall (3-1 SUNYAC), while the Bears fell to 4-4 (2-2 SUNYAC).
Berke (Williamsville/Buffalo Jr. Sabres) had a standout performance with two goals and an assist, bringing his season tally to six goals. Colby Seitz (Eden/Corpus Christi Ice Rays) scored his first goal of the season, and Justin Legault (Oakville, ON/Burlington Cougars) netted his third.
Domenic Settimo (East Meadow/P.A.L. Jr. Islanders) contributed two assists and excelled in the faceoff circle, winning 16-of-21. Additional assists came from Nate Boak (Canton/El Paso Rhinos), Sam Christiano (Buffalo/Buffalo Jr. Sabres), Evan Beaudry (Mississauga, ON/Kemptville 73’s), and Dino Mannetta (Wading River/P.A.L. Jr. Islanders). Ronan Mobley (Playa Del Rey, CA/Ancaster Avalanche) made 17 saves to secure his fourth win of the season.
Potsdam’s goals came from Jakub Hall and Max Klanow, with assists from Owen Watson and Mathieu Parent. Goalie Lenny Perno made an impressive 40 saves for the Bears but couldn’t prevent the loss.
Cortland opened strong, taking advantage of an early power play. Though they didn’t score during the man advantage, the Red Dragons maintained offensive pressure. At 7:39, Justin Legault found the net off a feed from Christiano, giving Cortland a 1-0 lead.
Just two minutes later, Berke and Settimo connected on a give-and-go, with Berke’s backhand shot doubling Cortland’s advantage. Potsdam responded late in the period when Hall capitalized on a loose puck, cutting the deficit to 2-1. Despite Cortland’s 21-5 shot advantage, Perno’s 19 first-period saves kept the Bears within striking distance.
The second period saw no goals but featured stellar goaltending from both sides. Mobley made key saves early, while Perno denied Berke on a breakaway to keep the score tight.
Potsdam tied the game with 8:22 left in the third, as an unfortunate bounce set up Klanow’s equalizer. However, Berke struck again just nine seconds into a Cortland power play, firing a wrist shot into the top corner for the decisive 3-2 lead.
Potsdam’s late power plays and an empty-net push were shut down by Cortland’s resilient defense. Seitz sealed the win with an empty-net goal in the final minute, assisted by Mannetta.
In the words of Anthony Bernardo “It was a hard-fought win, and we’re determined to carry this energy through the rest of the season. By keeping this energy up I dont think these teams can keep up with us and we should have a great opportunity to win the conference”
With this win, the Red Dragons look to build on their momentum as they continue their SUNYAC campaign, aiming for a strong season in pursuit of conference glory and go further than ever before in the NCAA playoffs.