POTSDAM, N.Y.—Sophomore forward Mike Arnold scored two goals and freshman goaltender Dylan Ellis made 35 saves to lead the SUNY Potsdam men's hockey team (5-3, 4-3 SUNYAC) to a 5-1 victory over SUNY Cortland (3-7-1, 2-4-1) on Friday night. The victory was the Bears' third in a row.

Potsdam came out aggressive in the first period, but Cortland and Red Dragon senior goaltender Brittan Kuhlman withstood the initial barrage of shots. The Bears were then bogged down with back-to-back penalties. On the second Cortland man-advantage at 9:43, sophomore defender Matt McNamee wristed a shot high into the top right corner of the net. Senior forward Ryan Markell and sophomore defenseman Ryan Nardi assisted on the play.
After Potsdam killed a third Cortland power play Ellis robbed Red Dragon sophomore forward Brian Roller with a glove save on shot from the slot. With 25 seconds remaining in the period, Bears senior captain Sy Nutkevitch and freshman forward Trevor Cope set up freshman forward Paul Manderfield for the game-tying goal.

Both teams continued to work hard, but the Bears raised their game in the second period. After trading penalties, the momentum shifted further in Potsdam's favor. At the 15:15 mark, Arnold scored his first to give the Bears a 2-1 advantage. Senior forward Mike Foy and sophomore forward Adam Place recorded the assists on the eventual game-winner.

Just 2:28 into the final stanza, freshman forward Dan McCamey scored his first collegiate goal to extend Potsdam's lead to 3-1. The Bears were in the box for much of the period, but that didn't slow down their offense. At the 8:52 mark, Cope and Nutkevitch set up Arnold, who shoveled home a short-handed marker to make it a 4-1 contest. With less than five minutes remaining, Potsdam's penalty kill fought off a five-on-three Cortland advantage that could have gotten the Red Dragons back in the game. With 26 seconds left, freshman defenseman Erick Ware added the exclamation point, lofting the puck the length of the ice into Cortland's empty net.

Kuhlman finished with 38 saves for the Red Dragons. Potsdam finished 0-6 on the power play and Cortland was 1-8. The Bears outshot Cortland 43-36.

“It was a complete team effort,” Potsdam Head Coach Chris Bernard said of the victory. “We worked hard the entire game against a gritty team. Our defense limited their second chance opportunities. Our young guys continued to stick to the game plan. It's a quality win. Dylan was great in the Cage. He gives us confidence to stick to the program.”

The Bears are back in action tomorrow night when they host second-ranked Oswego State at 7 p.m.