Sports Information Department – 112 Dods Hall
Phone (716) 673-3100 / Fax (716) 673-3136

CONTACT: Matt Palisin, Sports Information Department

DATE: Friday, October 22, 2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Hockey

Blue Devils not up to Challenge in season opener

CORTLAND, N.Y. – Fredonia State jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but could not hold on as the team dropped its season-opener to 7-4 vs. Potsdam in the SUNYAC Challenge at SUNY Cortland.

The game featured 27 power plays and 35 penalties. The Blue Devils managed 38 shots on goal to Potsdam's 24.

Fredonia State's Brian Kolesar (Broadview Heights, Ohio) opened the scoring on a power play at 13:06 of the first period. The Blue Devils followed that up with a short-handed score at 5:56 of the second frame to take a 2-0 lead. Joe Muli (Sioux Lookout, Ont.) scored on assists from Jim Gilbride (Parma, Ohio) and Kolesar.

Potsdam would answer right back just 13 seconds later. Greg Lee opened the scoring for the Bears, who would go on to score two more goals in the next 10 minutes. T.J. Sakaluk scored a goal on a five-on-five. Nic Bibic made it 3-2 Potsdam as the Bears added a short-handed goal of their own.

Gilbride scored the game's second five-on-five goal at 16:22 of the period to tie the score at 3-all.

Potsdam put the game away in the third period with four goals. Two of Potsdam's final-period scores came on power plays by Adam Gebrara and Ryan McCarthy. Sean Bracklin also go into the act, adding his first score of the season. McCarthy wrapped up the scoring on a short-handed goal, his second of the game.

Fredonia's final goal was scored by Gilbride, his second of the game.

The Blue Devils (0-1-0) play Saturday at Cortland vs. Buffalo State. Game time is at 4 p.m.

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