Bobcats Pop Chargers Early to Sweep Season Series

Schenectady, NY ~ The Paul Smith's College men's hockey team finds itself with its best record to start a season in program history as they defeated Union 6-1 on Friday night at the brand new M&T Bank Center in Schenectady.

The Bobcats had their best-ever start to a game as they put five past the Garnet Charger keeper in the first 9:08 as Collin Trapiss (Macedon, NY) scored just six seconds into the game off the opening puck drop.  He was followed by Tony Pinski (Perrysburg, OH), AJ Dennett (Franklin, VT), Attila Quesnel (Montreal, QC), and Dennett again as the Bobcats jumped out to a 5-0 lead early and never looked back.

For Pinski, it was his first goal for Paul Smith's College.  "It felt great to get my first collegiate goal," remarked Pinski, "But honestly, everyone was rolling that night, including special teams."  The Bobcats killed both power play opportunities for Union, a unit which had scored 3/5 the last time these two teams had faced each other.

"Our line has been working hard," continued Pinski, in reference to senior winger Ryen Janus (Frederick, MD) and fellow first-year player Dennett. "We're just trying to bring energy whenever we're out there and gain momentum any way we can."

Ziggy Mlodzinski (Lawrence, NJ) also netted his first collegiate goal to round out the scoring for the Bobcats.  Pinski and Janus finished with a pair of assists each while Quesnel, Dennet, Owen Kime (Waterloo, NY), Sean Wright (Wappingers Falls, NY), and Omar Uqdah (North Adams, NY) picked up solo assists.

Sophomore goalkeeper James Kircaldie (Londonderry, NH) was almost unbeatable in net, stopping 33/34 shots to earn his second win of the season.

"Great game and team win from the fellas on Friday," said Kircaldie.  "Every single one of us came out buzzing right off the bat and we really never looked back.  Obviously some big shoes to fill with Kevin (Zamazal) being out, but I felt really good about my game and was able to pick up the win in his absence," added Kircaldie.

Starting goaltender Kevin Zamazal found himself on the injured list over the weekend, having pulled a muscle in last weekend's game.  But Kircaldie and fellow sophomore Ethan Stefaniak (Franklin, VT) have stepped up in a big way, showcasing not only the talent, but the depth of this season's squad.  It is the first time Paul Smith's College has swept Union in a season series since the program's re-introduction in 2017.

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