by CORTLAND, N.Y. – Senior Zach Hopps (Akwesasne/Massena) matched his career high with nine points on six goals and three assists to become Cortland’s career-scoring leader and tied the career mark for assists as the Red Dragons wrapped up their regular season with a 20-4 win versus Oneonta Saturday afternoon in SUNYAC action at the Stadium Complex.
Hopps now has 272 points on 149 goals and 123 assists, surpassing the point total of 271 compiled by Mike Perkins from 1982-85. His 123 assists has tied the record first set by Joe Adams from 1991-94.
Hopps led 13 players who netted at least one goal for Cortland (11-5, 6-0 SUNYAC), which has now won eight consecutive games and earned the first seed in the conference tournament. Sophomore Devin Phelps (Chittenango) was the only other Red Dragon to score multiple goals, tallying five points on three goals and two assists. SophomoreNate Beresovoy (LaFayette) also recorded five points on one goal and a career-high four assists.
Freshman Joey Panariello (Islip) registered one goal and two assists, and senior Cory Becker (Buffalo/Niagara-Wheatfield) and freshman Dean Riley (Homer) each had one goal and one assist. Seniors Conner Johnston (Homer), Ethan Printy (Irondequoit/East Irondequoit), Conor Scavone (Franklin Lakes, NJ/Don Bosco) and McLaren Brady(DeWitt/Jamesville-DeWitt) and sophomores Ryan Mahon (Bethpage), Liam Erickson (Brewster) and Nick Bonitatibus (Yorktown) scored one goal apiece, and senior Gino Prestigiacomo (Rochester/Greece Athena) chipped in with two assists.
Sophomore Joe Scalise (Fairport) was the first of four goalies for Cortland, stopping all three shots he faced on goal in the first half. Freshman Cooper Brown (Redding, CT/Joel Barlow) played the third quarter and made three saves. Junior Kyle Christopher (Putnam Valley) registered two saves in 8:50, and freshman Alex Donnarumma(Hauppauge) turned aside three shots in 6:10 in his first collegiate action.
Prestigiacomo won 11-of-12 faceoffs and collected seven ground balls. Senior Pat Baldwin (Alpharetta, GA) won 5-of-9 faceoffs, and freshman Christian Stalter (Miller Place) was successful on 4-of-6 draws. Phelps caused two turnovers and secured four ground balls, and freshman Ethan Parks (Penfield) also scooped up four ground balls.
Senior Patrick Colligan (Baldwinsville/C.W. Baker) led the visiting Red Dragons (5-9, 1-5 SUNYAC) with one goal and one assist. Seniors Rob Neubert (Lake Ronkonkoma/Sachem East), Taylor Kalbacher (Syosset) and Connor Coyle (Centerport/Harborfields) each netted a goal and sophomore Liam Quinn (Greenlawn/Harborfields) contributed an assist.
Senior goalie Ryan Adler (Smithtown/Smithtown West) registered 18 saves and collected three ground balls for Oneonta. Junior Nick Buono (East Northport/Commack) recorded a team-high five ground balls, and senior Brandon Hickey (Pearl River/The Harvey School) caused two turnovers and picked up four ground balls.
Cortland wasted little time in taking control of the game, building a 9-0 lead after one quarter. Hopps scored four times, including three straight, and Phelps notched three goals in the quarter. Printy, Brady and Hopps each tallied a goal in the second quarter to make it a 12-0 lead at the half.
After Beresovoy upped the lead to 13-0 just 46 seconds into the third quarter, Kalbacher put Oneonta on the scoreboard off Quinn’s assist at 10:01. Cortland closed the quarter with three goals in a row to bring a 16-1 advantage into the final 15 minutes of play.
Twenty-six seconds into the fourth quarter, Hopps tied the career-scoring mark, assisting on Becker’s man-up goal. He recorded his 272nd point less than three minutes later as he assisted on Riley’s goal. Bonitatibus made it a 19-1 score just seven seconds later before Oneonta closed the game with three of the final four goals for the 20-4 final.
