PLATTSBURGH — It was a very successful start to a seven-game homestand for the Plattsburgh State men’s hockey team over the weekend.
Friday night, the third-ranked Cardinals skated to a 6-2 victory over SUNYAC rival and eighth-ranked Geneseo. Then Saturday afternoon, Plattsburgh got the job done with a 3-1 decision over Brockport.
“Getting two SUNYAC wins on a weekend is always nice,” Plattsburgh State head coach Steve Moffat said.
The Cardinals (5-0, 3-0) return to the Stafford Ice Arena Friday at 7 p.m. in SUNYAC play against North Country rival Potsdam on Military Appreciation Night.
PLATTSBURGH 6
GENESEO 2
The Cardinals bolted out to a 3-0 first-period lead. Tio D’Addario scored just 58 seconds in, Joshua Belgrave a short-handed goal at 11:19 and Kevin Weaver-Vitale late in the stanza at 19:45.
“I thought we played a good first period,” Moffat said. “We forechecked well and put them on their heels. I was happy with a 3-0 lead.
“Killing off a five-minute major and us scoring eight seconds into it took some of the wind out of their sails.”
Bennett Stockdale gave the Cardinals a 4-0 advantage midway though the second before Mitch Matchitt and Teddy Purcell tallied goals 31 seconds apart to pull the Knights to within 4-2.
But Stockdale then scored his second goal of the game in the final three minutes of the stanza to give Plattsburgh a three-goal advantage once again.
“Geneseo got better in the second period and we got worse,” Moffat said. “After they made it 4-2, I took a timeout and we took a bad penalty right off after that.
“That threw us off some, but then we got a great pass and finish by Stockdale to make it 5-2.”
The only goal in the third period was Belgrave’s empty-net tally, his second goal of the game.
“I felt good about leading 5-2 going to the third, but not comfortable,” Moffat said. “Geneseo is a really good team and will be there at the end.”
Jacob Hearne played well in the Plattsburgh nets, stopping 30 of 32 shots.
PLATTSBURGH 3
BROCKORT 1
Despite a 51-20 advantage in shots on goal in this game, the Cardinals didn’t have an easy time in this one.
“We didn’t do a good job getting bodies to the net and taking the eyes away from their goalie on screens,” Moffat said. “We weren’t able to create rebounds.”
In fact, the Golden Eagles held a 1-0 lead after one on Scott Ramaeker’s goal at the 5:40 mark.
Plattsburgh then tied it when Jake Lanyi tallied 5:09 into the second.
It stayed 1-1 until Spencer Bellina scored the game-winning goal at 9:52 of the third. Belgrave then added an empty-net goal with 2:15 remaining in regulation.
“We got better in the second and third periods,” Moffat said. “But we didn’t play with the emotion we did the night before in a big win over Geneseo.”
Eli Shiller stopped 19 and 20 shots in the Plattsburgh nets. Dylan Weimer was busy in the Brockport nets with 48 stops.
Penalties continue to be a problem for the Cardinals, who were whistled for a combined three majors in the two games.
“The major penalties have to stop or they will eventually come back to bite us,” Moffat said. “Our penalty kick, however, has been excellent. The players take it as being part of their DNA and identity being good penalty killers.
“(Adam) Tretowicz, Belgrave, Ryan Butler and (Luk) Jirousek have done a great job.”
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Friday
Plattsburgh 6, Geneseo 2
GSU 0 2 0 — 2
PSU 3 2 1 — 6
First period- 1, PSU, D’Addario (Jirousek), :58. 2, PSU, Belgrave shg (Tretowicz, Weaver-Vitale), 11:19. 3, PSU, Weaver-Vitale, 19:45.
Second period- 4, PSU, Stockdale (Lanyi, Hogg), 12:11. 5, Gen, Machlitt (Rehbaum, J. Thomas), 14:22. 6, Gen. Purcell (Wilkins, Diceman), 14:53. 7, PSU, Stockdale (B. Butler, Lanyi), 17:46.
Third period- 8, PSU, Belgrave eng (Bulger), 16:23.
Shots on goal- Plattsburgh 33, Geneseo 32.
Saves- Harris (17), Favreau (11), Gen, 28. Hearne, PSU, 30.
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Saturday
Plattsburgh 3, Brockport 1
BSU 1 0 0 — 1
PSU 0 1 2 — 3
First period- 1, Brock, Ramaekers (Roach, Tiller), 5:40.
Second period- 2, PSU, Lanyi (Hogg, Stockdale), 5:09.
Third period- 3, PSU, Bellina (Belgrave, Bryer), 9:52. 4, PSU, Belgrave eng (D’Addario, T. Thomas), 17:45.
Shots on goal- Plattsburgh 51, Brockport 20.
Saves- Weimer, Brock, 48. Shiller, PSU, 19.