POTSDAM, N.Y.—Freshman goalie Nicole Whitesell (Winnipeg, Manitoba/Balmoral Hall) stopped all 31 shots she faced to lead the SUNY Potsdam women's hockey team (5-1, 3-1 ECAC West) to a 3-0 shutout of Buffalo State (4-1-1, 3-1) on Saturday afternoon.
 
Freshman forward Karina Villalobos (Woodhaven, Mich./Little Caesar's) scored her first collegiate goal and senior captain Amanda Peterson (West Chazy, N.Y./Chazy Flyers) added two more. Senior forward Jordan Ott (Hilton, N.Y./Rochester Edge) assisted on Villalobos' marker, giving her sole possession of the program's NCAA-era scoring record with 94 points (54g, 40a). Junior forward Jaci Morr (Monroe, Mich./Team Detroit) also recorded two assists on the day.
 
Potsdam played the Bengals evenly through the first period, picking up where they left off at the end of yesterday's contest. Each team recorded seven shots, but Whitesell and Buffalo State junior goalie Justine Silva (Baldwin Park, Calif./Anaheim Lady Ducks) kept the game scoreless through the first 20 minutes.
 
Potsdam got into penalty trouble in the second period, resulting in four Bengals' power plays. The man advantages led to a 15-6 lead in shots for Buffalo State. However, Whitesell stood her ground, including thwarting a 2-on-0 break midway through the period. The Bears got on the board 1:45 into the middle stanza. Ott sent a pass along the boards to Villalobos, who then cut in toward the net through the left faceoff circle. She fired a low shot that Silva may not have seen to give Potsdam the lead. The Bears took the one-goal advantage into the second intermission.
 
The Bengals came out shooting in the third period, putting seven shots on Whitesell before Potsdam got its first chance. The Bears' defense stayed just one step ahead of their opponents and managed to keep Buffalo State off the board. Potsdam finally added some insurance at the 16:32 mark. Senior captain Kaylen Van Wagner (Red Hook, N.Y./Hotchkiss) sent a long pass into the right corner of the Bengals' zone where Morr picked it up. Morr poked the puck around defender and fed Peterson at the right post where she knocked it past Silva. With 2:07 left, Silva was pulled for an extra attacker, but it didn't pay off. Morr set up Peterson for an empty-netter.
 
Silva stopped just 14 shots. The Bears were 0-for-3 on the power play and they blanked the Bengals on six chances.
 
Next, Potsdam heads to Utica for a 2:30 p.m. contest with the Pioneers on Saturday, before heading home for a 4 p.m. Sunday matchup.