College Hockey Stats Box Score
BUFFALO, N.Y. — The No. 5 Plattsburgh State men's ice hockey team opened its State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) slate with a 4-1 loss at the Buffalo State Bengals on Friday in the Bengals' Ice Arena. Plattsburgh State moves to 1-1 overall and 0-1 in the SUNYAC, while the Bengals improve to 1-1-1 and 1-1-1. Plattsburgh State's national ranking was according to this week's U.S. College Hockey Online (USCHO) Division III poll.
Plattsburgh State sophomore
Cole Stallard (Waleska, Ga./New Hampshire Junior Monarchs) scored the team's lone goal and was 15-of-25 on faceoffs, while classmates
Nick Belger (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Soo Eagles) and
Pat Egan (Rochester, N.Y./Lone Star Brahmas) chipped in assists. Senior
Brady Rouleau (Fort Macleod, Alberta/Quinnipiac University) stopped 16 shots in net.
Buffalo State senior Taylor Pryce scored twice, while freshmen Michael Anthony Guerrera and Zach Remers both netted one goal. Junior Brody Power provided two assists and senior Jake Rosen went 11-for-18 at the dot. Senior Mike DeLaVergne collected 22 saves for the win.
Despite being narrowly outshot, 6-5, in the opening period, Buffalo State potted two goals for a 2-0 lead. Remers opened the scoring at 5:23 when he redirected Powers' point shot. The Bengals extended their lead with 2:58 remaining in the period after Pryce stole the puck in his offensive end from a Cardinal defender, and punched home the puck for the two-goal advantage.
Buffalo State, which had drawn two late first-period penalties that carried over into the next stanza, was bitten by the latter infraction as Stallard netted a power-play marker just 34 seconds into the period to pull Plattsburgh State to within a 2-1 deficit. Five minutes later, Pryce's top-shelf wrist shot while on a 5-on-3 power play vaulted the hosts to a 3-1 advantage. While skating on the power play midway through the period, Plattsburgh State sophomore
Santino Ragone (Babylon, N.Y./Jersey Hitmen) scooted up the left side and snapped a quick wrist shot that was gloved by DeLaVergne as part of his seven second-period stops.
DeLaVergne kept the Cardinals at bay throughout the remainder of the game as he turned aside all nine shots he faced in the final period. With 1:20 remaining, Rouleau was pulled for the extra Cardinal attacker but Guerrera sealed the Bengal win 40 seconds later with an empty-net goal.
Plattsburgh State returns to action Saturday with a 4 p.m. contest at SUNYAC foe Fredonia.
