PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State men's hockey team hosted SUNY Canton Saturday night defeating the Kangaroos by the final of 8-2.
The Cardinals would tally five goals in the opening 20 minutes converting on both power play opportunities as well.
Freshman,
Nick Belger would open the scoring for Plattsburgh State 4:50 into the first period. Belger received a pass from fellow newcomer
Ross Sloan before dekeing Kangaroos goaltender Luis Puig.
Luke Baleshta would make it 2-0 with a wrister from the slot over Puig's blocker.
Belger would get his second of the game at 14:39 to make it 3-0. Puig would be lifted after that for Josh Erickson
The Cardinals would get their first of back-to-back power play tallies at 15:53 when Sloan would tip in an
Anthony Calabrese blast from the point.
The second power play goal would come with just seven seconds left in the first period when
Pat Egan carried the puck to the right dot before slinging a pass to
Brandon O'Quinn in the slot for an easy tap in goal.
O'Quinn would net two-straight and again on the power play, this time a 5-3 advantage to make 6-0 Plattsburgh State.
The Kangaroos would net the next two to cut the Cardinal lead to 6-2.
On the power play, Nick Lepone would pass the puck from the right side below the goal line to Eric Witzel stationed far post for a tap in.
Nick Vasilopoulos would bury one on a stretch pass splitting the Cardinals defense and roofing it over Cardinals goalie
Spencer Finney off the crossbar and in.
Egan would get his eighth of the season jamming one by Erickson early in the third period to make it 7-2 Cardinals.
Baleshta would get his second of the game with some nifty stick skills as he dangled the Canton defense before dekeing the goalie for a pretty goal to make it 8-2.
Finney finished the game with 23 saves while Puig and Erickson combined for 29.
With the victory, No. 2 Plattsburgh State gets back into the win column and improve to 11-2-1. Canton drops to 2-12-2 on the season.
Next up for the Cardinals is a road trip with Middlebury at 7 p.m. on Friday night. Plattsburgh State defeated the Panthers in November 5-4.
