PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State men's hockey team scuffled for the second-straight night this time coming from the hands of Williams, 6-3.
The game opened with a lot energy as the Cardinals looked to correct the ship from a poor performance Friday night against Middlebury.
After Plattsburgh State got the first four shots of the game it was the Ephs that lit the lamp first just 1:17 into the game on a counterattack.
Craig Kitto was the one credited with the goal as he tapped in a goal on the back post from a cross ice pass from David Jarrett.
Dan Doherty would make it 2-0 Williams batting in a rebound after a David Italiano wristshot bounced off Cardinal goalie Spencer Finney. Finney's night would come to the end after that goal.
Kitto would score the next two to give him the hat trick, first gathering a loose puck in front of the crease before lifting it over Plattsburgh State goaltender Brady Rouleau and in.
Then in the second Kitto made it 4-0 with a wrist shot off Rouleau and in that he fired from the right dot. Rouleau would then be pulled for freshman Ryan Hubbard.
Italiano would give the Ephs five-straight goals and a 5-0 lead when he deflected in a pass from Tyler Young that slid inside the left post.
Plattsburgh State would finally get on the board late in the second when Patrick Hermans would score the first of his hat trick performance.
Hermans would jam in a goal after a scrum in front of the net would take place.
Williams would answer right before the end of the second to stretch its lead back to five. Greg Johnson would deflect home a Jarrett shot from the point.
In the third period Plattsburgh State would tally the only two goals of the period as both goals by Hermans were identical. Hermans took a slap shot from inside the circle that would beat Ephs goalie Sean Dougherty five-hole both times.
All three goalies played for Plattsburgh State Saturday night with Rouleau picking up the loss in 14:19 minutes of play. Finney allowed two goals on four shots in the first 9:23 before Rouleau entered making one save on three shots. Hubbard would play the next 30:22 making nine saves on eleven shots. The Cardinals would play the final 5:56 with an empty net.
Dougherty was tested all night as the Cardinals had an overwhelming 58-18 shot advantage. The Smithtown, N.Y., native kept composed though making 55 saves in the win.
Plattsburgh State now has dropped two in a row and now fall to 12-4-1 as they will return to SUNYAC play where they lead the conference at 8-1-0 to host North Country rival Potsdam Friday night at 7 p.m.
