PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — The No. 8 Plattsburgh State men’s ice hockey team received points from seven players as the Cardinals beat SUNY Cortland, 4-3, in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) play Friday night at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena. Plattsburgh State, which played at home for the first time since Nov. 5, improves to 3-1 overall and 2-1 in the league, while SUNY Cortland slips to 2-4 and 1-3. Plattsburgh State is ranked eighth in the latest U.S. College Hockey Online (USCHO) Division III national poll.
The Cardinals received one goal and one assist from both senior Kyle Hall (Assiniboia, Saskatchewan/Battlefords North Stars) and sophomore Pat Egan (Rochester, N.Y./Lone Star Brahmas), while sophomore Cole Stallard (Waleska, Ga./New Hampshire Junior Monarchs) and freshman Antoine Desnoyers (Quebec City, Quebec/Cegep de Saint-Laurent) both scoring once. Junior Ayrton Valente (Woodbridge, Ontario/Mississauga Chargers) provided two assists, with sophomore Ryan Chiasson (Henderson, Nev./Wenatchee Wild) and freshman Joe Drabin (Rochester, N.Y./Wenatchee Wild) chipping in assists. Senior Brady Rouleau (Fort Macleod, Alberta/Quinnipiac) stopped a season-high 24 shots.
Cortland junior Darren McCormick and freshmen Tony DeVito and Nico Gonzalez each scored and four other players had assists. Junior Drew Weigman collected 36 saves.
Rouleau made three saves in the opening 5:01 before Desnoyers potted the game’s first goal at 6:04 after burying the rebound from Hall’s initial shot. Cortland netted the equalizer at 12:51 when Gonzalez snapped home the rebound from freshman Connor Beck’s shot. Rouleau then stopped a point-blank shot from freshman Stefano Alonzi at 13:39. The Cardinals regained the lead at 15:16 when Egan’s left-side shot bounced through a scramble and found Stallard, who punched in the puck while parked low on the right side for the power-play marker.
The Red Dragons peppered Rouleau with three shots in the first 1:44 of the second period. McCormick clanged a shot off the left post at 4:10 and freshman Wilson Vershay tested Rouleau one minute later with a mid-slot shot that was turned away. The visitors finally broke through at 11:47 as freshman Dougie Elgstam connected with McCormick, who flicked in a close shot to tie the game at 2-2. Egan put the hosts back on top while on the power play at 16:20 with a low-line slapshot from the point. Cardinal sophomore Cam Owens (Wilmington, Mass./Islanders Hockey Club) looked to extend the lead when scooted up ice on a breakaway, but Weigman denied the opportunity.
Plattsburgh State had a 12-7 shot advantage in the final stanza. Hall gave the Cardinals a 4-2 edge with a tally at 5:11. Sophomore Jesse Neher (Calgary, Alberta/Cowichen Valley Capitals) had two low shots turned away one minute later. Red Dragon junior Tommy Nolan hit the post midway through the period before Plattsburgh State freshmen Charles Barber (Queensbury, N.Y./New York Bobcats) and Gavin Yates (Plymouth, Mass./South Shore Kings) were denied. With 11 seconds remaining, SUNY Cortland pulled Weigman and DeVito pulled the visitors to within a 4-3 margin when he scored with four seconds to go.
Plattsburgh State is back at home Saturday at 7 p.m. with a matchup against undefeated No. 4 Oswego State.
