Bobcats Top Catamounts with Shootout Win

Saranac Lake, NY ~ In the first shootout of the season for the Paul Smith's College men's hockey team, a familiar name who has made a habit of scoring big goals in big situations came through once again to lift the hosts over the visiting University of Vermont Catamounts.

Julien Shafer (Queensbury, NY) buried the game-winning shootout goal while senior netminder Kevin Zamazal (Opava, Czech Republic) slammed the door shut to stop all three attempts by U M to give Paul Smith's College a 4-3 win on Saturday.

"Going into the shootout I was pretty confident in my ability to bury the puck," said Shafer.  "Scoring in a shootout is one of the most exciting ways to finish a game."

The game started off poorly for the Bobcats as they trailed 2-1 after the first, even as they outshot the Catamounts 25-7 in the opening frame.  The lone goal from the hosts came from a nice net-front capitalization from AJ Dennett (Franklin, VT) who got lots of help on the play from linemates Ziggy Mlodzinski (Lawrence, NJ) and Oak Haslett (Grimsby, ON).

Zamazal entered the game at the start of the second period and provided the spark needed for the hosts to take over the lead.  Collin Trapiss (Macedon, NY) tied it at 2-2 on a rebound with senior assistant captain Kyle Davis (Canandaigua, NY) directing a thoughtful heads-up shot low to the net at the 14:38 mark.  Trapiss would make it 3-2 Bobcats just 1:27 later as he blew by the UVM defense on the way to scoring his second of the game.

Assistant captain Omar Uqdah (North Adams, MA) was a force throughout, delivering check after punishing check to help give his teammates momentum.  "I think the physical presence that Owen (Kime) and myself bring to the game and team helps push a lot of the guys to be more physical all around to help us win," said Uqdah.  The junior defenseman made the transition after the Bobcats lost multiple players from last semester, making his jump to defense even more important as the team looks to qualify for their second straight national tournament.

The one-goal lead evaporated just 1:20 into the third as a lucky deflection in front split Zamazal's legs to level it for the visitors.  Despite outshooting the Catamounts 22-9 in the third and 66-25 in the game, the puck just wasn't able to make it passed the visiting goalie, who played stellar in net.

After a scoreless 5-minute 3v3 overtime, Sean Wright (Wappingers Falls, NY) stepped up to the center ice circle to try and beat the steadfast keeper.  A quick move aimed at getting the goalie to open his "five-hole" worked in theory, but the keeper's stick stymied Wright's effort and denied the speedy center in round 1.

A second stop from Zamazal meant it was Shafer's turn.  The junior winger hasn't missed a shootout opportunity in any game for the Bobcats, going 4/4 in his tenure.  After a quick discussion with head coach Casey Gerrish and remembering Wright's attempt, Shafer instead faked the shot and pulled the puck to his backhand, lifting it over the UVM goalie's outstretched pad to put the hosts up as the Saranac Lake Civic Center roared in approval.

"Throughout the game I noticed that the UVM goalie preferred his glove side," recalled Shafer.  "Once I skated through the circle I crossed the ice and faked to my forehand and buried on my backhand."

"Shafe has been so clutch for us in these situations his entire career and it's a testament to his ability to function in high pressure, high intensity situations where we need him most," said head coach Casey Gerrish.

It was a foregone conclusion that Zamazal would stop the third attempt for the visitors.  He did just that, and earned the victory and Player of the Game while also getting Paul Smith's College their first win in the last four competitions.

"Just happy we got the win, and glad I could help," said Zamazal, ever a fan of brevity in his responses. 

The win puts the Bobcats at 18-5 overall, tying the program record for most wins in a season.  They travel to Massachusetts this weekend where they'll take on Anna Maria at 7pm Saturday before completing their road trip at 5pm at Springfield on Sunday.

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.