2008 Woodie Awards
Men's hockey faces-off against Potsdam Saturday in semifinal
Nick St. Denis
Issue date: 2/22/08 Section: Sports
Originally published: 2/21/08 at 3:43 PM EST
Last update: 2/21/08 at 6:50 PM EST
It is do or die tomorrow night for the Plattsburgh State men's hockey team when they face off against rival Potsdam at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena.
The Cardinals look to redeem themselves after a 4-2 upset loss against the Bears just a week ago.
Last week's game in Potsdam was the last of the regular season, but tomorrow's SUNYAC semifinal match-up will be the one that counts.
Head Coach Bob Emery said that after losing to Potsdam last week, his squad is well aware of who they are up against.
"They know right now what Potsdam has," he said. "The good thing coming out of that loss is they now know how good Potsdam is. We've got to learn from that."
Potsdam Head Coach Aaron Saul said the win against the Cardinals on Saturday was important because it secured home-ice for the Bears in the quarterfinals.
The Bears beat Cortland 7-2 in the quarterfinal round Tuesday night.
Now that his team will be back on the road to face PSUC, his players also are preparing for a tough opponent.
"Obviously they're one of the best teams in the country," Saul said, making reference to the Cards' third rank in the nation. "We know how good they are. Their offense is very good. They have four deep lines, great defensemen, and a very good goaltender. We know what we have, and we're going to play as hard as we can and hopefully things go our way."
The Cardinals earned home ice advantage throughout the playoffs after winning the SUNYAC regular season title with a 14-2-0 record. The last time the Cards played at home was in a 3-1 loss to Fredonia Feb. 2.
"Home ice is definitely not a guarantee," Emery said.
However, he didn't oppose the advantage in the home atmosphere.
"It's great to play in front of the best fans in Division III hockey," he said.
The last time the two teams met in Plattsburgh, the Cards eased their way through an 11-1 trouncing of the Bears.
Emery knows that he will be facing a different Potsdam team than the one he faced in October.
The Cardinals look to redeem themselves after a 4-2 upset loss against the Bears just a week ago.
Last week's game in Potsdam was the last of the regular season, but tomorrow's SUNYAC semifinal match-up will be the one that counts.
Head Coach Bob Emery said that after losing to Potsdam last week, his squad is well aware of who they are up against.
"They know right now what Potsdam has," he said. "The good thing coming out of that loss is they now know how good Potsdam is. We've got to learn from that."
Potsdam Head Coach Aaron Saul said the win against the Cardinals on Saturday was important because it secured home-ice for the Bears in the quarterfinals.
The Bears beat Cortland 7-2 in the quarterfinal round Tuesday night.
Now that his team will be back on the road to face PSUC, his players also are preparing for a tough opponent.
"Obviously they're one of the best teams in the country," Saul said, making reference to the Cards' third rank in the nation. "We know how good they are. Their offense is very good. They have four deep lines, great defensemen, and a very good goaltender. We know what we have, and we're going to play as hard as we can and hopefully things go our way."
The Cardinals earned home ice advantage throughout the playoffs after winning the SUNYAC regular season title with a 14-2-0 record. The last time the Cards played at home was in a 3-1 loss to Fredonia Feb. 2.
"Home ice is definitely not a guarantee," Emery said.
However, he didn't oppose the advantage in the home atmosphere.
"It's great to play in front of the best fans in Division III hockey," he said.
The last time the two teams met in Plattsburgh, the Cards eased their way through an 11-1 trouncing of the Bears.
Emery knows that he will be facing a different Potsdam team than the one he faced in October.
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