PSC Skates to 14th Straight Win

Buffalo, NY ~ The Paul Smith's College men's hockey team is having a season.  At 14-1, they currently sit atop the Upstate New York Collegiate Hockey League (UNYCHL) East Division standings, they have the most points of any UNYCHL team, have the most wins in the country, they have the best goal differential in the nation at +46, and they are the odds-on favorites to make a run at the 2026 AAU College Hockey National Tournament in Jacksonville, FL in March.  To put it succinctly, they're rolling.

Friday night was a real test for the Bobcats as a tenacious Buffalo State team almost took them to overtime.  The visitors got on the board first as Liam Berger (Geneseo, NY) buried a well-placed shot from the point on the power play, with Collin Trapiss (Macedon, NY) and Dylan Sauve (Wappingers Falls, NY) assisting.  With 1:06 left, Lake Placid native Bailey Bartholomew leveled it for Buff State, but then, just 20 seconds later, team captain Colin Palmer (Clifton Park, NY) deposited a 2-on-1 into the back of the net from Attila Quesnel (Montreal, QC) and Omar Uqdah (North Adams, MA).

AJ Dennett (Franklin, VT) would make it 3-1 before the Bengals came roaring back to tie it at 3-3.  Nick Ogden (Queensbury, NY) would regain the lead for the Bobcats before Palmer netted his second of the night on the power play, with Quesnel and Ogden assisting.  The Bengals made it 5-4 but good goaltending from Ethan Stefaniak (Franklin, VT) slammed the door shut as the visitors squeaked out a 5-4 win.  Tony Pinski (Perrysburg, OH) had an assist and was named Player of the Game for his dogged work at both ends of the ice.

"This past weekend we had to work hard and continuously improve as a team," said Pinski.  "Every shift we had to earn every play, every shot, and every save to secure three wins," he added.

Saturday's game against SUNY Geneseo was another close battle, but in the end the Bobcats came out on top with a 3-1 victory.  After the Bobcats fell behind early, Attila Quesnel buried a nice backhand deke on a beautiful setup from linemates Colin Palmer and Caden Doran (West Newton, PA).  Doran then scored on another odd-man rush with Quesnel and Palmer assisting to make it 2-1 Bobcats.  A gritty third period resulted in Nick Ogden burying his third goal of the season and second of the weekend as Palmer picked up his third assist of the game.  Kevin Zamazal (Opava, Czech Republic) was terrific in net, stopping 34/35 shots faced as he continues to bulid back his starter position after suffering a midseason injury.  

"It felt good to get back on the ice and get a win for the boys," said Zamazal.  The Czech native picked up his third win of the season and 31st overall in his career.  His .923 save% is the third best in the nation (minimum four games played).  

On Sunday, the Bobcats took down Niagara by a score of 5-2 at the coveted Dwyer Arena, avenging their loss at nationals from last season.  Colin Palmer got the Bobcats on the board early on a nice setup from linemates Attila Quesnel and Caden Doran.  The Purple Eagles would get one back at the end of the period, but a dominant middle frame resulted in a 3-1 lead for the visitors.  Collin Trapiss made it 2-1 on a nice play out of the corner from Sean Wright (Wappingers Falls, NY) and Julien Shafer (Queensbury, NY) at the 2:54 mark.  Then, less than a minute later, Larry Parece (Woburn, MA) got the crowd and the Bobcat bench on its feet after Tony Pinksi made a terrific pressure play in the offensive zone after Ryen Janus cleared the puck and found Parece in front of the Niagara net.

"That goal doesn't happen without Tony and Janny working at both ends of the ice.  They were battling together, and I was in the right place at the right time and just finished off a great play from them," recalled Parece.  The Boston-area native has worked hard to return to form after suffering a lower-body injury the first week on the ice.  "Coming back from my ankle took a lot of work, but everyone in the locker room helped me stay focused and positive about coming back.  It feels good to be out there again helping the team," he added.  

The Bobcats netted two more early in the third before the Purple Eagles scored late to make it 5-2.  Palmer buried his second of the night and fourth of the weekend, with Quesnel and Doran assisting once again at 13:08.  Just 24 seconds later, Oak Haslett (Grimsby, ON) would send the Purple Eagles packing on a beautiful net-front goal that he slammed into the back of the net.  

"It felt great to start and score in front of a passionate crowd," said Haslett.  Haslett was playing a home game of sorts, having grown up just across the Canadian border in Grimsby, Ontario, on the other side of Niagara Falls.  His parents were in attendance and went wild when the first-year player scored.

James Kircaldie (Londonderry, NH) earned his fifth win of the season, stopping 18 of 20 shots faced.  The Bobcats have been getting superb goaltending from their three go-to guys in Kircaldie, Stefaniak, and Zamazal.  They've even been able to get help from first-year players Jake Ducklow (Steamboat Springs, CO) and Carter Irving (Guilderland, NY), who combined for a shutout in the 12-0 win against SUNY Potsdam.  Goaltending is just one of many bright spots for the team - their defense has been staunch, limiting goals against, while their offense has scored prolificly.

Up next for the Bobcats is the Keystone Classic in Harrisburg, PA this coming weekend.  At 1:10pm on Friday they take on York College (PA) before a heavyweight matchup with SUNY Cortland at 3:10pm on Saturday.  The Red Dragons are undefeated at 7-0 and sit atop the UNYCHL Central Division.  The Bobcats finish their road trip on Sunday at 11:00am against Penn State Harrisburg, the tournament hosts.

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.