PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State and No. 13 Neumann University men’s ice hockey teams both earned opening-day wins in the W.B. Mason Winter Classic on Friday at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena. Neumann topped Castleton University, 6-2, in the first game, while host and defending Classic champion Plattsburgh State beat Wesleyan University, 5-3, in the nightcap. The tournament winner will be determined Saturday, as Plattsburgh State opposes Neumann at 4 p.m., while Castleton and Wesleyan battle in the consolation contest at 1 p.m. Neumann’s ranking is according to the latest U.S. College Hockey Online (USCHO) Division III national poll.
Plattsburgh State, which improves to 6-5 on the season, received two goals from freshman Philip Middleton (Vail, Colo./Salmon Arm Silverbacks). Junior Matt Quilty (Midland, Ontario/Caledonia Corvairs) recorded one goal and one assist, while junior Ayrton Valente (Woodbridge, Ontario/Mississauga Chargers) and sophomore Jesse Neher (Calgary, Alberta/Cowichen Valley Capitals) both scored once. Freshman Joshua Davies (Guelph, Ontario/Brooks Bandits) made 16 saves for his fourth win of the season.
Wesleyan, which moves to 5-3 on the year, saw one goal and one assist from both sophomores Andy Espinoza and Chad Malinowski. Senior James Kline dished two assists and won 10 faceoffs. Senior Dawson Sprigings turned away 29 shots in net.
Plattsburgh State took a 1-0 lead in the first period on Quilty’s goal at 9:36. The hosts cycled along the left side and Owens backhanded a pass over to Quilty, whose snapshot caromed off of a Wesleyan defenseman and into the left side. Earlier in the stanza, Wesleyan’s best chance came as junior Dylan Holze rang a right side shot off of the left post.
Middleton put the hosts up 2-0 at 4:34 of the second period when he punched in the puck to the left side. Plattsburgh State freshman Joe Drabin (Rochester, N.Y./Wenatchee Wild) nearly stretched the margin to three but his slot shot hit the crossbar with 2:30 left in the middle stanza. Both sides then chipped in three third-period goals, as Wesleyan pulled even at 3-3 with 3:07 remaining on Malinowski’s goal. The stalemate lasted only 18 seconds as Middleton scored his second of the game. With Sprigings soon pulled for the extra attacker, Valente fired a point shot into the open net with 42 seconds to go to seal the 5-3 win.
In the first game, Neumann senior Jory Mullin paced the Knights, who go to 9-3-1 on the season, with two goals and one assist, while classmate Shane Topf registered two goals. Seniors Ryan Luiten and Matt Zendejas both netted one goal. Junior Liam Board chipped in three assists and senior Lauri Viitanen provided two helpers. Freshman Anthony Pupplo collected 33 saves for the win.
Castleton junior Trevor Hanna and freshman Troy Taylor both scored for the 3-7-2 Spartans, with help from seniors Bart Moran and Patrick Thornton and junior Simon Teodorsson. Junior Ryan Smith was 10-of-14 on faceoffs. Junior Ryan Mulder stopped 18 shots in net.
Taylor opened the scoring for Castleton just 21 seconds into play as he picked up the loose puck in a scramble and snapped a shot through Pupplo’s legs. Spartan freshman Otis Goldman then scooted down the right side and saw his shot clang off the right post five minutes later. Neumann responded by clicking off three goals, including two power-play tallies, in a 3:31 span to take a 3-1 lead. Mullin equalized at 9:10 before Luiten picked up his own rebound for a man-advantage goal at 10:59, and then Topf rounded out the first-period scoring by wristing home a shot into the right side at 12:41.
The teams skated to a scoreless second period, with Castleton owning an 11-5 shot margin in the stanza. Two minutes into play, Neumann senior Shayne Morrissey’s right circle shot caromed off the right post. Just 47 seconds later, Pupplo robbed Spartan junior Kurt Johnson by diving across the crease to knock down Johnson’s right side shot. The third period mirrored the first, with Neumann burying three goals to Casleton’s one marker. Topf redirected a point shot into the net at 6:23 and Mullin logged his second goal of the game at 9:10 to give the Knights a 5-1 edge. Hanna then stuffed home a shot inside the right post at 12:15 for Castleton but Zendejas’ tally at 15:49 provided the game’s final goal.
