NORTHFIELD, Vt. – The Plattsburgh State men’s ice hockey team traveled back to Norwich University to take on the Cadets, after defeating Norwich 6-5 (OT) in the PrimeLink Great Northern ShootOut Championship game 41 days ago. However, Friday nights result would be different as Norwich would topple Plattsburgh State 6-3.
Norwich would jump out to a 1-0 advantage on a Tyler Piacentini breakaway short-handed tally.
The Cardinals would get the game tied back up at 12:54 into the first period on the man advantage. Cole Stallard would slip a shot by Cadets goaltender Braeden Ostepchuk.
In the second period, Plattsburgh State would take a 2-1 lead when Kevin Emmerling beat Ostepchuk six hole with his shot inside the blueline.
Norwich would tie the game back up at 2-2 with a power play goal of its own on Justin Charbonneau’s second goal of the season 12:39 into the second period.
The Cadets would own the third period scoring three unanswered and four total to take control of the game.
Norwich would claim a 3-2 lead off the faceoff from the center dot before carrying the puck in down the right hand boards and throw it on net. William Pelletier was able to clean up the rebound for the Cadets, scoring the first of three for him in the period.
Norwich would go up 4-2 with 14:02 remaining in the third period on Pelletier’s second goal of the night. Pelletier would receive a drop pass from in the left dot sending a wrister by the glove of Cardinal goalie Brady Rouleau.
Senior, Dean Niezgoda would make it 5-2, converting another Norwich power play. Niezgoda would fire a shot from the left, right above the goal line to beat Rouleau.
Michael Radisa would claw the Cardinals back to 5-3 with 5:58 remaining in the third period to give Plattsburgh State a late surge.
Pelletier wouldn’t have it though, finishing off his hat trick with an empty netter with just 27 seconds left in the game.
Rouleau finished with 21 saves for the Cardinals while Ostepchuk would corral 24 shots for Norwich.
No. 2 Plattsburgh State suffered only its second loss of the season falling to 10-2-0 on the season while No. 11 Norwich earned its tenth win of the season and now is 10-5-0.
The Cardinals will return to the Stafford Ice Arena Saturday to host SUNY Canton at 7 p.m. Plattsburgh State topped the Kangaroos earlier this year 6-2 to open the season.
