POTSDAM, NY – Visiting Hartwick out-scored host SUNY Potsdam 12-0 in the second and third quarters in an 18-7 rout on Saturday at Maxcy Turf Field. The win is the Hawks' third in a row. They improve to 3-1 on the campaign. The Bears slip to 1-3 with the loss.
           
Kainen Francis-Thompson (Hogansburg, NY/Massena) fired in a game-high five goals for Hartwick, including four first-half tallies. He also added an assist for a six-point day. Sam Ferguson (Baldwin, NY/Baldwin) chipped in a pair of goals and a game-high three assists for the Hawks. Nick Couvaris (Seaford, NY/Seaford) scored twice with Garrison Wojtas (Hauppauge, NY/Hauppauge) and Tim Watson (Wrentham, MA/King Philip Regional) each finding the net twice.
             
The two teams would trade goals through the first 13 minutes of the game. The Bears broke the ice 1:36 into the contest before Couvaris tied it on a feed from David Demand (Chittenango, NY/Chittenango) 1:16 later. Potsdam went ahead at the 8:58 mark and the hosts held their lead for the next seven minutes until Francis-Thompson scored with 1:54 left in the first quarter. It would mark the first of 15 consecutive goals for the Hawks. Francis-Thompson put 'Wick up for good with 62 ticks remaining and the Hawks led 3-2 after 15 minutes.
           
Sam Ferguson gave 'Wick a two-goal cushion and the Hawks later took command with four goals in a 2:41 span. Francis-Thompson accounted for two of the goals with Watson and Wojtas also tallying and the Hawks hit halftime comfortably up 8-2.
           
The onslaught continued in the third as Sam Ferguson got the Hawks' ninth goal. Later, six different Hawks scored in the final 5:32 of the quarter to make it a 15-2 game. Mike Majchrzak (Plantsville, CT/Southington), Francis-Thompson, Watson, Wojtas, Demand, and Couvaris tallied in the rally.
           
One more goal from Dylan Ferguson (Baldwin, NY/Baldwin) early in the fourth quarter, made the margin fourteen at 16-2. With the Hawks' victory in hand, the Bears picked up four straight goals later in the quarter.
           
Wyatt Long (Hardwick, NJ/Blair Academy) tacked on the final Hartwick goal before Potsdam scored twice in the final 30 seconds to close out the scoring.
           
Demand would finish with two assists. Long and Andrew Wright (Mahopac, NYMahopac) also had helpers.
           
Wojtas recorded 12 ground balls and four caused turnovers to lead all players. Derek Chandler (Ballston Spa, NY/Ballston Spa) added six ground balls and he caused one Potsdam miscue. Dylan Reynolds (Tappan, NY/Tappan Zee), who won 12-of-21 face-offs on the day, contributed three GBs and a CT. Francis-Thompson and Wright also chipped in three ground balls.
           
C.J. Alesandrini (Schenectady, NY/Colonie) played the opening 52 and a half minutes in goal for Hartwick. He made five saves. Jared Tiong-Smith (Baldwin, NY/Baldwin), in his first action as a Hawk, played the remaining seven and a half minutes and made one stop.
           
The Hawks would out-shoot the Bears by a margin of 41-23. The Bears had more ground balls (44-37), and face-off wins (16-13).
           
'Wick is off until next Saturday when it visits Houghton in the team's Empire 8 Conference opener.
           
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