Paul Smith’s Colin Palmer celebrates after scoring a goal during Friday’s playoff game against the University of Albany. (Provided photo — Mercedes Rideout/PSC)

SARANAC LAKE — The Paul Smith’s College men’s hockey team won their first-ever Upstate New York Collegiate Hockey League playoff game Friday evening, topping the University at Albany Great Danes 9-1.

Junior captain Colin Palmer of Clifton Park paced his team with four goals, while teammates Hazen Stoufer and Nick Ogden scored twice. Zach Thoren also scored for Paul Smith’s and Attila Quesnel finished with seven assists.

“Scoring four goals in the game felt great!” Palmer said. “But the teamwork that allowed me to make those key plays was really satisfying, especially against a team that gave us a challenge a few weeks ago”

Palmer connected on the first three goals of the game to secure the first natural hat trick — three consecutive goals in a game without a scorer in between — of his collegiate career.

He opened up the scoring when he collected a turnover on the side boards and beat the Great Dane goalkeeper low.

At 12:26 of the second period, Palmer collected a breakout pass from Kevin Zamazal of Opava, Czech Republic to Attila Quesnel of Montreal and skated down the ice before roofing the goalie on the short side. Palmer completed his hat trick just five minutes later as he buried a shot in the slot off passes from Quesnel and Dylan Sauve of Wappingers Falls.

The Bobcats scored two more before the end of the period, both off of set face off plays, as Stoufer, of East Montpelier, Vermont, and Palmer made it 5-0 going into the third.

Paul Smith’s connected on four more goals in the final period as Thoren, of Raleigh, North Carolina, netted a pass from Larry Parece of Woburn, Massachusetts and Ryen Janus of Frederick, Maryland before the home squad exploded on the power play.

“Larry made a great play to create space, and I was able to finish it off,” Thoren said.

Ogden, of Queensbury, scored two power play goals sandwiched between Stoufer’s goal. The Bobcat penalty kill was also clicking, finishing a perfect 7-for-7 kill rate in the game.

“Our P.K. was dialed in on Friday,” Thoren said. “We blocked shots, cleared pucks and didn’t give them too much to work with. Killing those penalties gave us a ton of momentum … it was a huge team effort all around and it felt great to contribute on both ends.”

Zamazal finished with 29 saves. The Great Danes scored once with about a minute left.

The Bobcats were slated to play at Hamilton College on Saturday for the quarterfinal round of the UNYCHL D2 playoffs, but a scheduling mishap with the officials caused that game to be canceled. They now await a ruling from the commissioner on whether or not they will receive the forfeit win and advance to the 2025 UNYCHL Final Four in Skaneateles this coming weekend.