(BOX SCORE)

BUFFALO, NY—Taylor McGraw (N. Lawrence, NY/St. Lawrence) scored the game-winner with 3:23 remaining to propel third-seeded Buffalo State (13-11-2) to the SUNYAC semifinals for the first time in school history with a 4-3 victory over visiting No. 6 Potsdam (8-16-2) in a quarterfinal matchup tonight at the Ice Arena.

Neither team could break through in the first period, despite the Bengals outshooting the Bears, 12-6.  Potsdam successfully killed off a five-minute major in the period.

Buffalo State broke through just 38 seconds into the second stanza when Shane Avery (Ft. Covington/Salmon River) banged home a rebound on the short side to give the Bengals the lead.  Potsdam evened the score just under four minutes later, however, when Adam Place (Scarborough, ON) took a back-door pass from Sy Nutkevitch (Montreal, PQ) and converted an easy power-play goal.  The Bengals reclaimed the lead with just under two minutes remaining in the period when Matt Bessing (Elma, NY/Cheektowaga) blocked a shot at the blue line and raced down the left wing and ripped a wrist shot inside the far post.

Potsdam battled back in the third, however, knotting the score at 2-2 when Mike Arnold (Didsbury, AB) deflected a shot to the back of the net 7:42 into the period.  The Bears took their first lead of the game just 17 seconds later when a hard forecheck produced a fortunate bounce to the front of the net onto the stick of Nutkevitch who made a quick move and slid it across the goal line.

The Bengals managed to get the equalizer when a long shot by Elijah Cohen (Peabody, MA/Peabody Veterans) was deflected through the Potsdam goalie's legs by Drew Klin (Lancaster, NY/Lancaster) with 7:30 remaining.  McGraw finally ended the scoring late in the period when he slammed in a rebound on the power-play with just 3:23 remaining.

Buffalo State controlled the puck for much of the night, outshooting Potsdam, 46-29.  Kevin McFarland (St. Louis, MO) kept the Bears close, making 42 stops.  Kevin Carr (Unionville, ON/Unionville) was also solid between the pipes for Buffalo State, turning aside 26 Potsdam attempts.

The win also established a new school record for wins in a season at 13.  Buffalo State will visit No. 2 Plattsburgh in the semifinals on Saturday at 7 p.m.  The Bengals split the season series, beating the Cardinals at home, 4-3, and falling in “North Country”, 1-0.