MANCHESTER, N.H. – A four-goal second-period outburst from visiting SUNY Potsdam proved the difference as the Saint Anselm men's hockey team fell, 6-2, at Sullivan Arena Friday evening to open the 2015 calendar year.
The non-conference loss drops the Hawks to 4-6-1 overall, while the Bears climbed to 5-5-1 overall. Potsdam also evened the all-time series at 3-3, winning the last three matchups by outscoring the Hawks 13-5.
The Hawks got off to a great start as sophomore Peter Sikalis (Acton, Mass.) opened the scoring with an early power play goal just over a minute into the game. Sophomore CJ Blaszka (Brookfield, Conn.) took a pass near the right circle from freshman defenseman Easton Miller (Mission Viejo, Calif.), slapping one wide right of the net. Sikalis played the carom perfectly, blasting a one-timer past the Bears' goaltender Jon Hall stick side for his second goal of the season.
Potsdam would eventually swing momentum in its favor with bolstered play throughout the first period as the Bears' Trevor Cope evened the score at 1-1 at the 15:26 mark. The teams took that score into the first intermission.
The second period was characterized by heightened physical play and a quickened pace as Potsdam took control early. The Bears' Billy Pascalli tallied the tiebreaking goal just 1:15 into the second stanza, and Cope added his second tally just 26 seconds later as the Hawks blinked and found themselves down 3-1.
Potsdam would add two more goals in the period to take a commanding 5-1 lead into the second period, despite a dead even 19 shots apiece by both teams through 40 minutes.
Saint Anselm found an answer in the third, as junior Tyler Estee (Bow, N.H.) carried a turnover near the blue line up the right wing and found freshman Kevin Dazkevich (West Hartford, Conn.), who battled the puck into the zone. Hall would make the save, but deflect the rebound right to the stick of senior Kody Grondin (Hampton, N.H.), who back-handed his first season goal at the two-minute mark of the period.
Play got a bit headed down the stretch as a relatively penalty-free game saw plenty of visitors to the pen in the third. At the 12:06 mark of the final period, Saint Anselm found itself on a 5-on-3 power play—yet it was the Bears' Todd Thomas who created a takeaway and streaked up the ice for an impressive short-handed score—also his second goal of the day.
Freshman Brenden Cain (Coppell, Texas) showed some impressive moves between the pipes in his 30 minutes of action, making 11 saves but giving up a tough four goals. Sophomore Brad Rocheville (Saugus, Mass.) relieved Cain midway through the second period, picking up 12 saves and giving up two goals in his second time on the ice this season.
The Hawks will return to ECAC action next Friday, traveling to the University of New England for a 7 p.m. matchup. The Hawks will then take on the Huskies of Southern Maine Saturday afternoon in a 4 p.m. start.
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