Box score
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The special teams scored three of the four Cardinals goals Friday night as the Plattsburgh State men's hockey team topped Geneseo, 4-1, in a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) game in front of a sellout at the Stafford Ice Arena.
The nationally-ranked No. 4 Cardinals (2-0-0, 2-0-0 SUNYAC) quickly capitalized on their first power play of the evening when Barry Roytman's shot from the point rung off the post and over the goal line to give Plattsburgh State a 1-0 lead at 4:23 of the first period. Alex Jensen made the pass to Roytman off the draw to pick up the assist.
Michael Radisa's short-handed goal added to the Plattsburgh State added lead with 26 seconds left in the first. Patrick Hermans poked the puck away from a Geneseo attacker before Alex Jensen grabbed the loose puck in the neutral zone and carried it up the left side. Geneseo goaltender Nick Horrigan made the initial stop on Alex Jensen's shot but Radisa was there to bury the rebound for his first collegiate goal.
Plattsburgh State went up by three goals early in the second period on Kevin Emmerling's first of the year at the 1:57 mark. The Ice Knights failed to keep the puck in the zone and Emmerling beat Horrigan through the five-hole on a breakaway. Emmerling's goal signaled the end of Horrigan's night as Geneseo made the switch to junior goalie Bryan Haude after the Cardinals' third goal.
Despite trailing by three, Geneseo (2-1-0, 2-1-0 SUNYAC) continued to show some fight throughout the middle period. The Ice Knights were finally able to get one back at 9:14 when freshman forward Stephen Collins scored from one knee on a backhanded shot to make it a 3-1 game.
The Cardinals regained the three-goal lead at 15:37 of the second when Roytman scored again on a blast from the point to round out the scoring. Luke Balhesta's shot sailed wide and came around the boards back to Roytman at the point and the senior defensemen sent one past Haude for his second power-play goal of the game.
Plattsburgh State finished the night with a 35-24 advantage in shots on goal. The Cardinals went 2-for-6 on the power play while the Ice Knights went 0-for-6.
Mathieu Cadieux made 23 saves for the Cardinals in the win. Horrigan recorded 13 saves in the loss while Haude stopped 18 shots for the Ice Knights.
The weekend wraps up with a conference contest against Brockport Saturday at 7 p.m. Free team posters will be available for fans in attendance Saturday night and members of the Cardinal men's hockey team will be on-hand to sign autographs on the ice at the conclusion of the game.
