POTSDAM, N.Y.—The SUNY Potsdam women’s hockey team fell behind early, but rallied past Penn State for a 4-2 exhibition win on Friday night. Bears sophomore forward Jessica Silveira finished with two goals and an assist and senior defenseman Breanna Roy assisted on all four goals.

Potsdam controlled the play early, but was unable to get on the board first. At the 11:49 mark of the first period, Nittany Lion Katherine Gausseres picked up the puck at center and scored on a break away. Potsdam continued to pepper Penn State goalie Katie Vaughn, but she turned aside all 13 shots she faced in the opening stanza.

The Bears finally broke through early in the second. At the 4:46 mark Roy fired a shot from the point and Silveria tipped the shot between Vaughn’s pads to tie the score. The Bears outshot the Nittany Lions 16-6 in the second twenty minutes.

Potsdam senior captain Annmarie Lewis drove home the rebound of a Roy shot from the point at the 2:01 of the third to give the Bears the lead. Just over six and a half minutes later, Penn State’s Tess Weaver and Sara Chroman were called for penalties, giving Potsdam a five-on-three power play. Thirty two seconds later, Silveira buried the eventual game-winner. Roy and junior forward Katie Komsa assisted on the play. The Nittany Lions capitalized on their next power play at the 14:55 mark to close back to 3-2. Potsdam junior goaltender Jen Conophy stopped a shot from Penn State’s Madison Smiddy, but Tess Weaver was their to finish the rebound. With 40 seconds remaining, the Nittany Lions pulled Vaughn, but Bears freshman forward Alexandra Holowka to tack on an empty-net goal.

Conophy finished with 20 saves for the win and Vaughn made 44 stops. Both teams finished 1-6 on the power play.

“We controlled the play territorially, but we didn’t have a lot of goal scoring early,” said Bears head coach Jay Green. “All you can do is keep putting pucks on the net and hope something breaks. We were persistent offensively and never got frustrated, but we need quicker puck movement and to put more bodies to the net.”

Green was very pleased with offensive leaders tonight

“Annmarie Lewis, Breanna Roy, and Brittany Lucky were solid from start to finish, up and down the ice.”

Potsdam faces the Nittany Lions again tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m.