Men’s Hockey Earn Home Ice Through Playoffs in Carnival Classic

Saranac Lake, NY ~ The Paul Smith's College men's hockey team wowed the crowd during the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival official event on Friday night, beating the visiting JCC Cannoneers 7-2.

The event, dubbed the "Carnival Classic," saw a scoreless first period blossom into a torrid middle frame as the hosts scored five goals in front of the PSC faithful.  

Zach Thoren (Raleigh, NC) put the Bobcats up 1-0 less than two minutes into the second period after Niko Reimann (Spring Lake Park, MN) delivered a bullet pass from top of the circle that Thoren directed into the back of the Cannoneer net.  Reimann would then find Julien Shafer (Queensbury, NY) in the low slot to make it 2-0 before Gabe Clark (Ogdensburg, NY) would notch his first goal for the Bobcats.  Clark picked up the puck on the side of the net after PSC goaltender Kevin Zamazal (Opava, Czech Republic) directed a pass to the freshman defenseman.  Clark then skated the entire length of the ice and sniped a shot over the goalie's glove to make it 3-0 Bobcats.  As he scored, the estimated 600 fans roared in applause as play-by-play commentator Glenn Burnett commented "And this place cannot not get louder as the Bobcats go up 3-0."

"From not playing very much at the beginning of the season to now playing regular shifts, that goal meant a lot," said Clark.  "The fan support throughout the game just enhanced everything and was much needed for such an important game," he added.

With the win the Bobcats gained home-ice advantage through the first two rounds of the Upstate New York Collegiate Hockey League (UNYCHL) playoffs.  

Attila Quesnel (Montreal, QC, Canada) and Ryen Janus (Frederick, MD) would make it 5-0 as the Bobcats totally dominated the Cannoneers in the second period.  Reimann picked up three assists in the middle frame and spoke about the chemistry that has developed over the last few weeks.  

"It felt good," said Reimann.  "The guys had good chemistry and we were rolling.  The defense did their thing and the puck was going our way."

JCC would get the next two but Reimann would put it out of reach with 7:14 left in the game.  A nice defensive zone play led to sophomore captain Colin Palmer (Clifton Park, NY) picking up his third assist of the game as he delivered a textbook sauce pass to Reimann streaking down the left side of the neutral zone.  Reimann made a quick move to the backhand, then pulled the puck to the forehand around the goalie to make it 6-2.  Reimann was quick to point out the work his linemates did to create the scoring opportunity.

"Julien [Shafer] made a good play forcing their defense to chip the puck back in our zone and Colin [Palmer] was able to track it down and get it to me," recounted Reimann.  "To score that goal on a night like that with the carnival atmosphere felt really good," added Reimann.

Janus would bury his second of the night to finish off the Cannoneers at 7-2.  Owen Kime (Waterloo, NY), Kyle Davis (Canandaigua, NY), Gabe Clark, and Zach Thoren all picked up solo assists in the winning effort.  

Paul Smith's College Athletic Director Zack Luzzi helped make the event what it was, bringing in local sponsors Hex & Hop and ADK Street Eats to provide food and drink for the PSC community in the hospitality room throughout the night.  "We're excited to build a relationship with Saranac Lake and this felt like a perfect way to share what we're all about with the community," said Luzzi.  

The Bobcats play the Cannoneers in a rematch on Friday, February 23rd at 7:45pm at the Saranac Lake Civic Center in the first round of the UNYCHL playoffs.  If they win that game, they will host Colgate on February 24th at 8pm, also at the Saranac Lake Civic Center.

You can follow the men's hockey team on Instagram at @pschockey or head to the general athletics account at @smitty_nation for scores, 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.