Paul Smith’s Julien Shafer, middle, celebrates after scoring the game-winner against UAlbany as Kyle Davis, left, and Attila Quesnel, right, join in after earning assists on the play. (Provided photo — PSC/Mercedes Rideout)

SARANAC LAKE — The Albany Killer. That’s what Paul Smith’s men’s hockey winger Julien Shafer is starting to be known as. The Queensbury native scored the overtime winner on Saturday at home against the SUNY Albany Great Danes to win 3-2. It was an almost exact replica of the Bobcats’ home win last season.

“Going into overtime, me my linemates knew exactly what to do to clinch the win — we prepare for 3v3 situations like this every week in practice,” said Shafer.

Last season, he scored the overtime winner at home for the 4-3 victory and had scored a shootout goal against the Great Danes in their game prior.

“My line was in this exact same situation against UAlbany at home last year,” he said. “Today, we were able to possess the puck, which gave Attila (Quesnel) a perfect opportunity to hit me with a direct pass, which allowed me to score a wraparound goal to win the game.”

The Bobcats jumped out to a 1-0 lead after Quesnel of Montreal, Quebec, scored on a pass from Nick Ogden of Queensbury, and team captain Colin Palmer of Clifton Park. After a scoreless second, Quesnel hit Collin Trapiss of Macedon on a breakaway as the hosts made it 2-0.

The Great Danes got a lucky bounce in front to halve the Bobcat lead with just over eight minutes remaining. Then, with a minute left, UAlbany pulled their goalie for the extra attacker. That strategy worked as they equalized with 49 seconds left to send the game to OT.

In the extra period, assistant captain Kyle Davis of Canandaigua held the puck until Attila Quesnel got on the ice. He found the Montreal native at the Great Dane blueline, who then found Shafer streaking down the right side on a quick-hitter two-on-one. Shafer kept his composure and held the puck after making both the goaltender and defenseman bite, then wrapped it around the net.

“With two unanswered goals late in the third, it got the team rattled, but in overtime we became confident and relied on what we do best — controlling the puck and opening up the ice,” said Davis.

James Kircaldie of Londonderry, New Hampshire, was terrific in net, recording 27 saves to earn Player of the Game. The New Hampshire native, with fellow sophomore Ethan Stefaniak of Franklin, Vermont, has been superb filling in for Kevin Zamazal of Opava, Czech Republic, the Bobcats’ normal starter.

The goaltending, along with the Bobcat defensive corps, has been spectacular through the first 12 games of the season.

“The defensemen have been a crucial part to our game and our 11-1 record,” Davis said. “And it has been a great experience to be able to work with the forwards, knowing that they’ll be able to score.”

The Bobcats now hold a 40-goal differential and lead the nation in that stat category.

Friday’s game against SUNY Potsdam saw almost everyone on the ice record a point as the Bobcats defeated the Tundra 12-0. Logun Meyer of DeForest, Wisconsin, Michael Gazerro of Hopkinton, Rhode Island, Oak Haslett of Grimsby, Ontario and Cooper Hubbs of Vancouver, British Columbia all scored their first collegiate goals. Larry Parece of Woburn, Massachusetts and Gabe Clark of Ogdensburg also recorded their first goals of the season.

First-year goalkeepers Carter Irving of Guilderland and Jake Ducklow of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, split the game and earned the combined shutout, with Irving starting and earning the win on the stat sheet and Ducklow closing it out.

“It was a great start and fun to watch both of us succeed in our first game,” Irving said. “I feel like it was a big confidence booster that we can both build off of for the future.”

“It felt great to get in for my first college game and be part of the team’s first shutout,” Ducklow said.

The duo combined for eight saves to earn the clean sheet while being named co-players of the game.

“It was a solid team effort and a great way to ramp the energy up!” Ducklow said.

The Bobcats are on an 11-game winning streak and sit at 11-1 overall as the No. 7 team in the nation in AAU College Hockey. They are 5-0 in the Upstate New York Collegiate Hockey League East Division and sit atop the standings.

Up next is a road trip to Buffalo, where they’ll play Buffalo State Friday at 7 p.m., SUNY Geneseo Saturday at 4 p,m. and Niagara University Sunday at noon. All games will be livestreamed on Hudl.