Salisbury Nips Cortland in a Classic, 12-11

from press release

Sam Bradman (above) had four goals and set up the game-winner for Shawn Zordani with 3:13 remaining, lifting Salisbury to the 12-11 victory over Cortland. © Kevin P. Tucker

HAVERFORD, Pa. – Junior Shawn Zordani (Littleton, CO/Heritage) scored with three minutes, 13 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter and nationally fourth-ranked Salisbury held on for a 12-11 win versus fifth-ranked Cortland Wednesday afternoon. The Red Dragons fell to 1-2 with the loss, their second in five days to a top-five team, while the Gulls improved to 5-0.

Nine different players scored goals for Cortland with junior Chris DeLuca (Sayville) leading the way with two goals and an assist. DeLuca also won 7-of-9 faceoffs. Junior Pat Hayes (Mastic/Eastport South Manor) contributed a goal and two assists, and junior Jay DiStefano (Huntington/Harborfields) chipped in with one goal and one assist. Seniors Brian Krol (Niskayuna) and Brandon Misiaszek (New Hartford), junior Eric Parah (Baldwinsville/C.W. Baker) and sophomores Mike Tota (Webster/Webster Schroeder), Greg Wright (Irondequoit) and Eric Richards (Skaneateles) each added a goal. Freshman goalie Mike Kaminski (Sayville) stopped nine shots, and junior close defender Justin Schneidman (Katonah/John Jay-Cross River) registered five caused turnovers.

Sophomore Sam Bradman (Canton) led Salisbury with four goals and two assists. Senior Mike Winter (Port Washington/Paul Schreiber) tallied three times, Zordani and sophomore Matt Cannone (Bayport/Bethpage) recorded two goals and an assist apiece and senior Mike Von Kamecke (Winter Park, FL/Bishop Moore) had a goal and an assist. Junior goalie Johnny Rodgriguez (Gambrills, MD/Mt. St. Joseph) made 14 saves.

In a game that featured seven ties and a lead of no more than two goals by either squad, the teams combined for seven goals to open the first quarter with Salisbury holding a 4-3 lead. Bradman and Von Kamecke gave the Gulls an early 2-0 lead, but Cortland answered back with scores from Wright and DeLuca to knot the game at 2-2 midway through the opening 15 minutes. Winter and Bradman then sandwiched goals around Richards' first score of the season for the 4-3 lead.

The Red Dragons outscored Salisbury, 5-3, in the second quarter to grab an 8-7 advantage at the half. With the Gulls leading 7-5 after an unassisted goal from Cannone at the 6:58 mark, Cortland closed out the quarter with three straight scores. Tota scored unassisted at 5:22 and then Krol and DiStefano scored just six seconds apart with less than a minute remaining to swing the momentum back to the Red Dragons.

The Gulls started the third quarter with a three-goal run of their own, as Cannone, Bradman and Winter each scored, to regain the lead at 10-8. Hayes brought Cortland to within 10-9 at 3:25 and Tota helped tie the game at 10-10 when he harassed Rodriquez after a save and the Salisbury goalie ended up putting ball in his own net.

Early in the fourth quarter, Zordani staked the Gulls to another lead with an unassisted tally at 13:14. DeLuca responded with his second of the game at 11:50 to forge the game's seventh tie. Six minutes later, Cortland had an excellent chance to grab the lead but couldn't capitalize on a 90-second man-up opportunity. Shortly after returning to full strength, Bradman set up Zordani for what proved to be the game-winner.