POTSDAM – A Potsdam native helped Paul Smith’s College women’s hockey in becoming national champions of the inaugural AAU College Hockey Women’s Division National Tournament.  

The event, culminating on Sunday saw the Paul Smith’s College Bobcats take down the University of Tampa Spartans 4-2 at IceLine Quad Rinks in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

Casey Gerrish said he and others were brought to Paul Smith’s College in 2018 to help build a hockey program. “And six years later we have our first championship,” he said.

Gerrish, who coaches both the men’s and women’s teams from 2018-21, now only coaches the men’s team.

The former Potsdam man thanked former school athletic director Jim Tucker, former school director of sports initiatives John Morgan, current Athletic Director Zack Luzzi, and coach Gibson Gilmore.

Gerrish was on hand to perform the commemorative puck drop as the Women’s Division Commissioner for AAU College Hockey.

Gerrish commented on the expected outcomes of the tournament, stating “This is the first step toward growing the women’s game in AAU College Hockey and giving more teams the opportunity to compete.  We want everyone here to have a great experience, and the feedback we’ve been getting from teams has been fantastic.”

Sunday’s game was a rematch of the first game of the tournament.  That game was dominated by the Bobcats as they scored eight goals against the previously undefeated conference champions from College Hockey South (CHS).  Leola Brown (Brookyln, NY) led the charge with two goals and three assists as the Bobcats outshot the Spartans 40-29, the first time Tampa had been outshot all season.

Lola De Toni (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) was named Player of the Game as she was steadfast in net, stopping 26 of 29 shots enroute to the victory in the first-ever AAU College Hockey Women’s Division National Tournament.  

“I am incredibly impressed by the grit and determination of the team and the dedication to the success of the team by Coach Gilmore.  I am also impressed with how well the tournament was run and how professional it was presented.  It was a historic moment for Paul Smith’s College, our women’s hockey team, and AAU College Hockey.  We are so excited to be able to share this moment with everyone.”

 Multiple Bobcats contributed on the score sheet as Leah Coulombe (Jay, NY) and Rhoda Peterson (Havre, MT) netted two goals apiece.  Riley Newcomb (Cazenovia, NY) and Samantha Barret (Oak Park, IL) each tallied one goal and two assists while Alli Cherry (Grasonville, MD), Lillian Gogan (Cornish, NH), and Amanda Lamonda (Saratoga Springs, NY) each added an assist.

On Saturday, another stellar performance in net saw Ashley Finch (Oswego, NY) walk away with Player of the Game honors, finishing with 30 saves in a 7-0 shutout.  Amanda Lamonda got things started for the Bobcats, scoring her first game-winning goal at 4:56 of the first period.  Cherry would score two goals and add an assist and Barrett would also score a brace for the Bobcats.  Newcomb and Lauren Taber (Howards Grove, WI) rounded out the scoring and five other Bobcats picked up solo helpers as Samantha Friend (Reston, VA) and Lindsay Palmer (Clifton Park, NY) got their name on score sheet in the assist category.

Sunday’s National Championship game was a nailbiter from start to finish.  Lauren Taber got things started on a beautiful full-ice rush where she ripped a low shot from the top of the circle and beat the Spartan goaltender on the ice, putting the Bobcats up 1-0 just over two minutes into the game.  Riley Newcomb would score her third goal of the tournament after beating the Tampa defenseman in a foot race to a loose puck in the neutral zone before going bar down to make it 2-0.  Rhoda Peterson and Lauren Taber would pick up assists on the first and second goals, respectively.  Tampa would get one back before the period was over to make it 2-1 going into the first intermission.

The second period’s lone goal was scored by Leah Coulombe as she stripped the puck from a defender in the neutral zone and used her speed to get around the left side of the ice before beating the goalie between the legs to put the Bobcats up 3-1.

At 12:24 of the third period, Tampa got back within one as the energy in the rink crescendoed over the final minutes in a one-goal national championship game in front of hundreds of fans.  After a tripping penalty with 1:11 left in the game, the Tampa bench pulled their goalie and put the Spartans on the 6 on 4 advantage to try to tie it up.  After strong defensive presence and multiple saves from Finch, Coulombe gathered the puck in the slot and sent the puck the full length of the ice.  The puck stayed true to course and ended up in the back of the net, sealing the victory for the Bobcats as the arena erupted.  With the 4-2 win the Paul Smith’s College women’s hockey team cemented their legacy as the 2024 AAU College Hockey Women’s Division National Champions.

Paul Smith’s College women’s hockey coach Gibson Gilmore spoke about what it meant to win the national championship this season while looking ahead to the future.  “The girls deserve everything,”  said Gilmore.  “Good teams find a way to win, and they have proved that it takes will, not numbers, to succeed.”  The Bobcats entered the tournament with just 12 skaters plus two goalies for 14 total players.

“To end the season with a national title leaves us hungry for the future, not just for the possibility of success, but for the opportunity to build women’s hockey in the North Country.  I believe we have something special at Paul Smith’s College,” added Gilmore.

Coulombe received Tournament MVP honors for not only her performance in the championship game, but cumulative effort for the Bobcats as she finished with four goals and one assist for five points in three games.  AAU College Hockey Executive Director Scott Solomon, AAU College Hockey Chairman of the Board of Directors Mark Purowitz, and AAU College Hockey Women’s Division Commissioner Casey Gerrish were on hand to present the 2024 National Championship Trophy to Paul Smith’s College.

The Bobcats’ Athletic Director Zack Luzzi was on hand to assist with administrative tasks and help out on the bench with water bottles, equipment, and other various tasks.  He was an important presence for the Bobcats and showed the tournament how tight knit the community really is at Paul Smith’s College.

“I couldn’t be prouder of our women’s ice hockey team and Coach Gilmore.  They made the most out of a season that started with some low numbers and some adversity, and they were able to transform that into a national championship run,” said Luzzi.