PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The No. 13 Neumann University men’s ice hockey team won both of its games to capture the W.B. Mason Winter Classic on Saturday at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena. Neumann beat host and defending Classic champion Plattsburgh State, 7-1, in the championship tilt, while Wesleyan University topped Castleton University, 3-0, earlier in the consolation game. Neumann’s ranking is according to the latest U.S. College Hockey Online (USCHO) Division III national poll.
Plattsburgh State, which moves to 6-6 on the season, received its lone goal from sophomore Jesse Neher (Calgary, Alberta/Cowichen Valley Capitals). Freshmen Charles Barber (Queensbury, N.Y./New York Bobcats) and Brady Pfaff (South Riding, Va./Islanders Hockey Club) assisted, while sophomore Ross Sloan (Oakville, Ontario/Oakville Blades) and Antoine Desnoyers (Quebec City, Quebec/Cegep de Saint-Laurent) both won 12 faceoffs. Freshman Joshua Davies (Guelph, Ontario/Brooks Bandits) stopped 20 shots and classmate Philip Middleton (Vail, Colo./Salmon Arm Silverbacks) was named to the all-tournament team.
Junior Jake Davidson paced 10-3-1 Neumann with five assists while seniors Ryan Luiten and Shayne Morrissey and junior Liam Board each had one goal and one assist. Seniors Collin O’Neil, Anthony Pino, Shane Topf and Matt Zendejas all scored once. Classmates Zac Lazzaro, Jory Mullin, Johannes Sallila and Lauri Viitanen each recorded one assist. Freshman Anthony Pupplo collected 56 saves and was named as the Classic’s most valuable player. Pupplo was joined by Board, Mullin and Viitanen on the all-tournament team.
The visiting Knights needed only six shots to own a 1-0 first-period lead. After coming out of the gate with three shots in the opening 1:15 the latter of which came off of a rebound chance by Board that was kicked out by Davies. Neumann then jumped on the board at 6:49 as O’Neil scooted through the Cardinal defense and snapped a low shot into the left side. Plattsburgh State senior Kyle Hall (Assiniboia, Saskatchewan/Battlefords North Stars) nearly tied the game three minutes later but his low shot was denied by Pupplo.
Neumann then pumped in three goals, including two special teams tallies, during a 7:12 span in the second period. Topf got the spurt going with a goal at 11:41 before Luiten’s power-play goal at 14:57 and Pino’s short-handed marker at 18:53. Neumann reeled off three more goals in the third period while Plattsburgh State was able to get on the board at 13:22 on Neher’s tally from Barber and Pfaff.
Wesleyan sophomore Dylan Holze scored all three of his team’s goals with freshman Tyler Wyatt assisting each time, along with sophomore Mike Yablong, who had one helper as the Cardinals move to 6-3 on the season. With his hat trick outing, Holze earned a spot on the Classic’s all-tournament team. Sophomore George Blinick turned in a 33-save shutout.
Castleton, which drops to 3-8-2 on the season, had junior Trevor Hanna win 11 faceoffs, while senior Kevin Rosset won 10 draws. Junior Brody Wagner stopped 18 shots in net.
Wesleyan took a 1-0 lead despite being outshot 12-3 in the opening period. After a Spartan defensive-end turnover, Wyatt and Holze darted up ice on a 2-on-1, with Wyatt dishing off to Holze, who directed the puck into the net at 1:34. The Cardinals then killed their only penalty of the period as they held Castleton to just one shot with the man advantage. Wyatt and Holze connected again in the second as Wyatt’s right circle pass found Holze, who flipped the puck into the left side at 12:00. Holze rounded out his hat-trick afternoon with a power-play marker at 12:32 of the third period. Yablong took a point slapshot and Holze redirected it in the air. With just under five minutes left in the game, Blinick kept his shutout alive by stuffing Rosset on a low shot off the right post.
W.B. Mason Winter Classic
Team Champion
Neumann University
Most Valuable Player
Anthony Pupplo, Goalie, Neumann
All-Tournament Team
Liam Board, Forward, Neumann
Dylan Holze, Forward, Wesleyan
Philip Middleton, Defense, Plattsburgh State
Jory Mullin, Forward, Neumann
Anthony Pupplo, Goalie, Neumann
Lauri Viitanen, Defense, Neumann
