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Bobcats tame Mustangs to start second semester

The Paul Smith’s College men’s hockey team celebrates during a game against the Stevenson University Mustangs at the Saranac Lake Civic Center. (Provided photo — Mercedes Rideout/Paul Smith’s College)

SARANAC LAKE — The Paul Smith’s College men’s hockey team has been on a roll over the last two months as the team has been undefeated since mid-November.

The Bobcats recorded a pair of wins over the Stevenson University Mustangs this past weekend. Paul Smith’s College won 14-0 on Friday, before securing a 9-0 victory on Saturday.

On Friday, Julien Shafer of Queensbury and Attila Quesnel of Montreal, Quebec each finished with hat tricks, while Sean Wright of Wappingers Falls, and Hazen Stoufer of East Montpelier, Vermont finished with three assists each.

Zach Thoren of Raleigh, North Carolina, Colin Palmer of Clifton Park, Tristan Cote of Shannon, Quebec and Omar Uqdah of North Adams, Massachusetts, each had a pair of assists while Mike Hansen of New Hartford, Dylan Jannarone of Brick, New Jersey, Tyson Smith of Cato, Collin Trapiss of Macedon, Marshall Kiteley of Selkirk, Manitoba, Ryen Janus of Frederick, Maryland, Quesnel and Shafer tallied assists. Kevin Zamazal backstopped the win with a 19-save shutout.

The matchup was close after the first period as Quesnel and Kiteley put the hosts up 2-0. The floodgates opened in the second as Quesnel and Shafer scoreed two each while Dylan Sauve of Wappingers Falls recorded his first collegiate goal, giving the Bobcats a 7-0 going into the final period.

Paul Smith’s Nick Ogden takes a shot on net during a game against the Stevenson University at the Saranac Lake Civic Center. (Provided photos — Mercedes Rideout/Paul Smith’s College)

Michael Lachance of Attleboro, Massachusetts added two goals in the third while Caden Engle of Clinton, Uqdah, Janus, Cote and Shafer all added solo goals.

Janus earned Player of the Game on Friday going up against his step father, Dave Hammer, who is the head coach of the Mustangs.

“It felt good getting PoG on Friday and the bragging rights, but all in all in hockey a win is a win and getting nine consecutive wins now with the boys is awesome!” Janus said.

Saturday’s rematch was more of the same as the Bobcats put five past the Mustang goaltender in the opening frame. Joe Beaudoin of Falmouth, Massachusetts got things started just two minutes into the game with a hard shot from the point that found its way into the back of the net for the game winner after a nice D-to-D pass from defensive partner Kyle Davis of Canandaigua. Owen Kime of Waterloo, Larry Parece of Woburn, Massachusetts, Wright and Palmer scored goals to make it 5-0 after one.

Quesnel and Stoufer traded goals in the second while two other Bobcats rounded out the scoring in the third. JP Meyer of Mamaroneck tallied his first goal of the season just a minute into the final frame on a tip play setup out of the corner by Wright. Tyson Smith buried his first collegiate goal with 10:59 left on a move to open up a lane as he shot the puck past the Mustang keeper on the glove side.

“Scoring my first collegiate goal was an unreal feeling,” said Smith, who was awarded Player of the Game. “When I scored that goal the whole team got excited, and on my way to the bench the opposing team’s coach even said good job to me. The overall support from this team has been amazing.”

Ethan Stefaniak of Franklin, Vermont stopped 27 shots to earn the shutout and record his fourth win of the season as the Bobcats move to 16-5 overall.

A big reason for their success has been their special teams work. During the nine-game winning streak the squad has scored 11 power play goals on 25 attempts, while killing 27 of 28 penalties for a 96% conversion rate with a man down. They’ve also added six shorthanded goals.

“This nine game streak has been exactly what we’ve needed and exactly what we’ve been building toward,” PSC head coach Casey Gerrish said. “The energy and camaraderie on the bench has resulted in not only terrific hockey, but a deep appreciation for the game and the joy it brings us as a team.”

Up next, the team will take on Union College and SUNY Albany this weekend at the Saranac Lake Civic Center at 7 p.m. Friday and 2:30 p.m. Saturday, respectively, in two crucial Upstate New York Collegiate Hockey League East Division matchups. If the Bobcats win both games, they lock up the No. 1 seed going into the UNYCHL playoffs.

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