POTSDAM, N.Y. – Junior Ryan Heath (Baldwinsville/C.W. Baker) scored three goals and juniors Billy Fuchs (Merrick/Sanford H. Calhoun) and Adam Hyde (Baldswinsville/C.W. Baker) each finished with two goals and one assist as nationally 14th-ranked Cortland held off Clarkson, 8-6, in a game played at SUNY Potsdam.

Junior Kyle Simensky (Locust Valley) added a goal and an assist and sophomore Matt Hipenbecker (Mountain Lakes, NJ) made eight saves for the Red Dragons, who are now 3-2 on the season.

Sophomore Greg Gibbons (Baldwinsville/C.W. Baker) led Clarkson (1-5) with four goals and one assist. Sophomore Tom Ross (Adams/South Jefferson) scored a goal and assisted on another and junior Greg Lamb (Baldwinsville/C.W. Baker) made eight saves, including five in the fourth quarter to keep the Golden Knights within striking distance.

Simensky scored 1:15 into the game to give Cortland a 1-0 lead, and neither team scored again until Fuchs netted a man-down goal 46 seconds into the second period, assisted by Hyde. Heath tallied 1:40 later to give the Red Dragons a 3-0 lead.

Gibbons responded with three straight goals over about an eight-minute span, the last of the three assisted by Ross, and the game was tied at 3-3 with 2:13 remaining in the half. Cortland re-established a three-goal lead, however, on a Heath extra-man goal with less than a minute left in the half and goals by Hyde and Fuchs in the first nine minutes of the third quarter.

The teams traded goals in the final three minutes of the third before Clarkson used scores by Cory Schneider (Yorktown) and Gibbons, the latter with 5:36 left in the game, to pull within 7-6. The Red Dragons received a key insurance goal by Hyde with 3:17 left and blanked Clarkson the rest of the way for the victory.

Each team finished the game with 24 shots and Cortland held a slight 28-24 ground ball advantage. The Red Dragons were whistled for seven penalties, including five one-minute personals, but killed off all seven of Clarkson's extra-man offensive opportunities.

Cortland (3-2) 1-3-3-1=8
Clarkson (1-5) 0-3-1-2=6

Scoring (Goals-Assists):

Cortland: Ryan Heath 3-0, Adam Hyde 2-1, Billy Fuchs 2-1, Kyle Simensky 1-1, Ryan Simensky 0-1
Clarkson: Greg Gibbons 4-1, Tom Ross 1-1, Cory Schneider 1-0, James Merritt 0-1, Steve Kennedy 0-1

Goalkeepers:
Cortland: Matt Hipenbecker, 8 saves (6 GA in 60:00)
Clarkson: Greg Lamb, 8 saves (8 GA in 60:00)

Shots: Cortland 24, Clarkson 24
Ground Balls: Cortland 28, Clarkson 24
Clears: Cortland 14-of-17, Clarkson 13-of-17
Faceoffs Won: Clarkson 8, Cortland 7
Penalties: Cortland 7-6:00, Clarkson 2-1:30
Extra-Man Offense: Cortland 1-2, Clarkson 0-7

2007-03-24