PLATTSBURGH, N.Y.—The SUNY Potsdam men's hockey team (4-10-1) tied No. 8 Oswego State (10-5-1) 3-3 in the first round of the Comfort Inn Complex Winter Classic at Plattsburg State on Friday afternoon. However, the Lakers won the shootout 1-0 to advance to tomorrow's championship. Senior goalie Stephen Friedland (West Bloomfield, Mich./East Coast Wizards) was sharp for the Bears, finishing with 52 saves. Graduate student forward Jack Bloem (Saratoga Springs, N.Y./Connecticut Rangers), senior forward Justin Vernace (Mississauga, Ontario/Brampton Admirals) and junior forward Josh Bifolchi (Ottawa, Ontario/Mississauga Chargers) each scored for the Bears. Junior forward Jack Loran (Massena, N.Y./New England Wolves) and freshman defenseman Michael Campbell (Toronto, Ontario/Jersey Whalers) each recorded two assists.
 
After Friedland stopped a few Laker chances to open the contest, Potsdam jumped on Oswego at 5:24. Loran set up Bloem to give the Bears a 1-0 lead. Oswego had two power-play opportunities as the period progressed, but Friedland turned aside each chance. He had 15 saves through 20 minutes and Potsdam held its lead.
 
The middle stanza saw each team score twice. Oswego survived an early penalty, but Vernace struck with an even-strength marker at 5:31 to make it 2-0. Junior forward Michael Olszewski (Niagara Falls, N.Y./Cobourg Cougars) and Campbell each assisted on the play. The Lakers finally solved Friedland at 8:30, as Connor Sleeth closed the gap to one. The Bears answered almost immediately to regain the two-goal lead. Loran and Campbell picked up the assists on Bifolchi's tally at 10:08 to make it 3-1. At 11:49, Potsdam was called for interference and the Lakers went to work. Jackson Arcan made it 3-2 at 12:57 with a Lakers power-play goal. Friedland finished the second period with another 15 stops and the Bears were up 3-2 after 40 minutes.
 
Oswego started the third period on a mission and a power play gave them more momentum. Potsdam killed the penalty, but struggled to generate offense. Friedland stopped the first 12 shots that came his way, but Ben Addison finally got the Lakers even at 11:30. The Bears hung on and killed a final penalty with less than four minutes to go and the contest was headed to overtime.
 
Overtime was full of great chances for both teams. Friedland stopped a two-on-one break after a Potsdam turnover just seconds into the extra session. Less than a minute later, a Laker fanned on a two-on-zero break. After another Friedland stop on a shot from the slot, sophomore defenseman Carter Lennon (Kitchener, Ontario/Mississauga) fired just wide, nearly missing game-winner for the Bears.
 
Rocco Andreacchi scored the only goal in the three rounds of the shootout to propel the Lakers into the championship game.
 
Lakers goalie Eric Green made 15 saves and allowed all three goals in the contest's first 30:08. Cal Schell stopped all 11 shots he faced in the last 34:48. Oswego was 1-for-7 on the power play and the Bears finished 0-for-2.
 
Potsdam will now face the loser of tonight's Plattsburgh-Wentworth contest in tomorrow's consolation matchup at 3:30 p.m.