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 tonight, 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 — teasingly cradled his crotch. 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 collided with Andersson and was whistled for goaltender interference. 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.