Men's Hockey Drop Two in OT in First Annual Burning Leaves Tournament

Lake Placid, NY ~ The Paul Smith's College hockey team started its season in style over the weekend, hosting seven teams throughout the AAU in the First Annual PSC Burning Leaves Tournament.  The eight-team, two-division tournament took place at the Lake Placid Olympic Center where the famed "Miracle on Ice" occurred.

On Friday, the Bobcats took on Hofstra in the introductory game.  Hofstra got things started just over halfway through the first on a set play off a faceoff in the offensive zone, but the Bobcats would answer just a few minutes later.  After retrieving a long dump in, goaltender Kevin Zamazal (Opava, Czech Republic) launched a beautiful ¾ ice pass to the far blueline where he found freshman newcomer Attila Quesnel (Montral, Quebec, Canada).  Quesnel had no problem snapping a wrister past the goalie's blocker side to even the score at 1-1.

The second period was a stalemate until a late flurry of goals created excitement within the 1980 Herb Brooks Arena.  Hofstra scored two goals within quick succession to go up 3-1, but as anyone who has played the game can tell you, the two-goal lead is the most dangerous lead in hockey.  The Bobcats stormed back, as Quesnel buried his second of the game on a textbook 3-on-2 from assistant captain Colin Palmer (Clifton Park, NY) and River Yearwood (Bethesda, MD).  Nick Porreca (Queensbury, NY) would then tie it up with a backhander that beat the Hofstra goalie between the legs after sustained pressure from linemates Larry Parece (Woburn, MA) and Hazen Stoufer (East Montpelier, VT), who both picked up assists on the play.

The third period found in the Bobcats trailing yet again, as Hofstra took the 4-3 lead just a minute in on the power play.  With time running out, Parece snapped one past the Hofstra goalie at the 3:02 mark and the game headed to overtime.  Unfortunately, the Bobcats would concede a goal in the early stages of OT to drop their first game 5-4.

The next day, Paul Smith's College controlled play against an overmatched Widener team.  The Bobcats got the jump early as Omar Uqdah (North Adams, MA) netted his first of the season on the power play with assists going to Sean Wright (Wappingers Falls, NY) and Julien Shafer (Queensbury, NY).  Wright would put the Bobcats up 2-0 in the second period before Widener leveled the score at 2-2 heading into the third.  Shafer would go bar down early in the final frame to make it 3-2 before penalties got the Bobcats into trouble.  Widener tied it at 3 with five minutes left and the game headed to overtime for the second straight day.  After two scoring chances by the Bobcats, the Pride rushed down the ice and tucked the game winner inside the post, resulting in a 4-3 OT defeat for Paul Smith's College.

Head Coach Casey Gerrish kept things in perspective after the two tough losses.  "If there is any time to lose two OT games back-to-back, these are the games," said Gerrish.  "Our guys outplayed the competition all weekend, and even though we didn't get the results we wanted on the score sheet, we have a lot to look forward to.  This is the best hockey team we've ever had at PSC, and I can't wait to see what we do this season," added Gerrish.

The First Annual PSC Burning Leaves Tournament was a huge success in its own right, even if the hosts didn't bring home any hardware.  Teams from both divisions were ecstatic to have the chance to play in the rink where the "Miracle on Ice" happened, and everyone in attendance could feel the energy of the building.  "Everyone in our group had a great time (players, coaches, support crew, parents) and made some lasting memories – which is the real reason we do this," said Bob Joyce, head coach of the Embry Riddle team who won the championship in the Gold Division. 

"It was an honor to host the First Annual Burning Leaves Tournament this past weekend with our partners, Paul Smith's College," noted Olympic Center General Manager Chadd Cassidy.  "The tournament was a great opportunity to showcase our venue and bring a high level of hockey to the area.  We look forward to growing this level of hockey and continuing to host this event for a long time to come," he added.

The Bobcats are back at it next weekend in the capital district where they take on Union College at 8:30pm on Friday, September 29^th in Schenectady, NY at the Frank L. Messa Rink.  They follow that up with a game against UAlbany on Saturday, September 30^th at 4:15pm at the Albany County Hockey Facility.

You can follow the men's hockey team on Instagram at @pschockey or follow the general athletics account at @smitty_nation for scores, schedules, updates, and more!

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At Paul Smith's College, it's about the experience. As the only four-year institution of higher education located in the Adirondack Park in upstate New York, Paul Smith's provides real-world, hands-on learning in fields such as business and hospitality, culinary management, forestry, environmental sciences, and natural resources. We can draw on industries and resources available in our backyard while preparing students for successful careers anywhere. Our community of resourceful, enterprising, supportive, and adventurous individuals collectively provides experiential education, student support in the classroom and beyond, and meaningful opportunities for our alumni. We pride ourselves on research and advocacy on issues that improve our planet and the lives of the people who inhabit it. Learn more at www.paulsmiths.edu.