Plymouth pushes past Cortland

FINAL: Cortland 2, Plymouth State 5

Dragons fall in NCAA tournament

PICTURED: Plymouth State junior Brady Morrison blows by Cortland senior Nate Berke

PLYMOUTH, NH — Prior to Saturday, Cortland hadn’t faced Plymouth State in 15 years. The game played out like a fierce rivalry between familiar foes.

The teams combined for over two dozen penalties — most came in the second period. Midway through the middle frame is when the violence volcano erupted.

During a scuffle behind the Red Dragons’ net, Plymouth sophomore Payton Schaly ripped the helmet off Cortland senior A.J. Przystawski. The rink then became a wrestling mat as Przystawski landed a diving blow to Schaly’s head. Both players were tossed.

Off the ice, the theatrics continued: Schaly slashed his stick against the wall, and Przystawski — hearing boos from the home crowd — cradled his crotch in jest. The fans were amused by the gesture. 

PICTURED: Cortland senior A.J. Przystawski jaws with the crowd

Heading into the final period, the Dragons found themselves down 2-1. Cortland would tie the game with a sliding score by sophomore Colby Seitz. Panthers’ goalie Kalle Andersson was furious because Seitz had barreled into the net like a freight train, causing the goal posts to be dislodged. After review, the score stood. 

Three minutes later, more drama ensued in front of the Panthers’ net. Cortland sophomore Stephen Kyrkostas was whistled for goaltender interference after colliding with Andersson. Plymouth converted on the power play and regained the lead.

The Panthers would add a couple more late goals to make the score 5-2. The home fans waved goodbye to the Dragons as the game — and Cortland’s season — came to a close.