Saratoga Springs, N.Y.-- Freshman goalie Colin Bessey (Montclair, N.J./Trinity Pawling) had 44 saves and Hunter Thayer (Shelburne, Vt./Green Mountain Glades) added a pair of goals and an assist to lead the Skidmore College hockey team to a 5-3 win over number one SUNY Plattsburgh, Tuesday night at the Saratoga Springs City Rink.

The Thoroughbreds improve to 7-5, while the 12-1-2 Cardinals lose for the first time this season.

Plattsburgh jumped out to a quick 2-0 first period lead on power-play goal at 1:26 by Joey Wilson (Newmarket, Ont) and Corey John's (Albany, N.Y./CD Selects) first collegiate goal at 6:12.

Skidmore regrouped and scored a pair of goals :31 seconds apart to tie it 2-2.  Thayer picked-up his first goal of the game at 14:07 and Alex Mykolenko (Kharkov, Ukraine/Northwood) tied it from Brett Bandazian (Wyckoff, N.J./Baystate Breakers) at 14:38 to make it 2-2 after one.

The Thoroughbreds killed off a 1:44 five-on-three Cardinal power play early in the second period and then took the lead for good when Bandazian scored from Thayer and Matt Czerkowicz (Blackstone, Mass./Kent) at 8:14.

Teddy Gowan (Hamilton, N.Y./Westminster) made it 4-2 when he stripped a Plattsburgh defender and scored an unassisted power-play goal at 6:40 of the third.  The Cardinals got one back on Wilson's second goal of the game and 11th of the season at 8:57.  Thayer hit the empty net from Phil McDavitt (Duxbury, Mass./Noble & Greenough) at 19:50 for the 5-3 final.

Bessey evens his record at 3-3. He had 21 of his 44 saves in the second period.  Bryan Hince (11-1-2) had 36 saves for Plattsburgh.

The win is the program's first over a number one team and the second time this season the Thoroughbreds have knocked-off a nationally ranked team.

Skidmore returns to action at home Friday at 7 p.m. against Tufts University.

            



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                         Hockey Game Box Score (Final)
                          2009 Skidmore College Hockey
   #1 Plattsburgh vs Skidmore College (Jan 13, 2009 at Saratoga Springs, NY)
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 Plattsburgh (12-1-2) vs. Skidmore College (7-5)
 Date: Jan 13, 2009  Location: Saratoga Springs, NY  Arena: Saratoga City Rink
 Attendance:824   Start time:7 pm      End time:8:57      Total time:1:57
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 Goals by Period       1  2  3  Tot
 ----------------------------------
 Plattsburgh.........  2  0  1 -  3
 Skidmore College....  2  1  2 -  5

   1st period - 1, PLTM, Joey Wilson (Nick Rolls, Phil Farrow) 1:26
(pp). 2, PLTM, Corey John (Riley Hill) 6:12. 3, SKDM, Hunter Thayer
14:07. Penalties - Nick Dupuis, SKDM (obstruction-holding) 1:01; Tom
Breslin, PLTM (holding) 2:47.

   2nd period - 4, SKDM, Alex Mykolenko (Brett Bandazian) 14:38. 5,
SKDM, Brett Bandazian (Hunter Thayer, Matt Czerkowicz) 8:14. Penalties
- Phil McDavitt, SKDM (obstruction) 5:25; Alex Mykolenko, SKDM
(cross-checking) 5:41; Brett Bandazian, SKDM (boarding) 9:48; Ryan
Corry, PLTM (holding) 13:47; Phil Farrow, PLTM (goaltender
interference) 18:17.

   3rd period - 6, SKDM, Teddy Gowan 6:40 (pp). 7, PLTM, Joey Wilson
(Phil Farrow) 8:57. 8, SKDM, Hunter Thayer (Phil McDavitt) 19:50
(empty net). Penalties - Riley Hill, PLTM (obstruction) 6:34; Phil
McDavitt, SKDM (holding) 11:55.

   Shots on goal - PLTM 14-21-12 47; SKDM 11-16-13 41.

   Power plays - PLTM 1 of 5; SKDM 1 of 4.

   Penalties - PLTM 4 (8 min); SKDM 5 (10 min).

   Goalies - PLTM, Bryan Hince (58:29 minutes, 40 shots-36 saves);
SKDM, Colin Bessey (60:00, 47-44).

   Penalty shots - None.

 A-824  T-1:57
 Three stars: 1. None    2. None    3. None
 Referee:  Linesman:
 Win-Colin Bessey.  Loss-Bryan Hince.