Box score
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The nationally-ranked No. 5 Plattsburgh State men's hockey team opened the 2013-14 campaign with a 3-0 victory over the Potsdam Bears in a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) game Friday night at the Stafford Ice Arena.
With a 51-14 advantage in shots, the Cardinals controlled play through much of the season opener but Potsdam goaltender John Hall limited the damage with 48 saves in the loss. Plattsburgh State's Mathieu Cadieux turned away all 14 shots to earn his first shutout of the year.
Despite a distinct edge in possession through the first period, a turnover in the neutral zone with just under 12 minutes to go in the first gave the Bears a golden opportunity to take a lead. Potsdam's Mike Arnold intercepted the puck and carried it over the line alone, but Cadieux answered the call to keep the visitors off the board.
The Cardinals appeared poised to take the lead with 27.7 seconds left in the opening stanza when Dillan Fox's shot deflected off Alex Jensen and past Hall but the officials waived off the goal ruling that the puck was kicked in.
Plattsburgh State opened the second period with a two-man advantage and wasted no time in cashing in the opportunity. With just 41 seconds gone in the period, Nick Jensen ripped a shot from the top of the left circle that sailed past Hall to give the Cardinals a 1-0 lead. Dillan Fox and Barry Roytman picked up assists on the power-play marker.
With the teams skating 4-on-4, freshman defenseman Patrick Hermans scored his first collegiate goal on a shot from the left point to make it a 2-0 Plattsburgh State lead at 3:31 of the second. Brandon Beadow and Michael Cassidy were credited with the assists.
The Cardinals added an insurance goal at the 4:23 mark of the third period when Fox scored his first of the year on the power play to push the score to 3-0. Luke Baleshta's pass from along the back boards found Fox who was able to poke one past Hall for his first of the year.
Potsdam pulled their goaltender for the extra attacked after the Cardinals drew two penalties in the final two minutes of regulation, but the Bears were unable to get on the board.
Plattsburgh State went 2-for-5 on the power play while Potsdam went 0-for-5 on the evening.
The Cardinals return to action next weekend with a pair of conference games at the Stafford Ice Arena. Plattsburgh State hosts Geneseo on Friday night before closing out the weekend against Brockport on Saturday. Both games get underway at 7 p.m.
