College Hockey Stats Box Score
 
MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – Sophomore defenseman Andrew Pizzo (Thorold, Ontario/Niagara University) scored twice, helping lead the Plattsburgh State men's ice hockey team to a 3-2 victory over non-conference rival Middlebury College on Friday evening at Chip Kenyon '85 Arena.
 
Pizzo netted the Cardinals' second goal of the game before burying the eventual game-winner midway through the second period. Through just three games in a Plattsburgh State sweater, the NCAA Division I transfer from Niagara University has tallied four points on three goals and one assist.
 
Plattsburgh State rises to 8-7-0 overall with the win and visits non-conference Williams College tomorrow at 7 p.m. Middlebury falls to 3-10-0 overall with the loss and visits Norwich University next on Tuesday, Jan. 16, at 7 p.m.
 
Middlebury fired the opening salvo 5:08 into the contest. Freshman forward Charlie Lawrence carried the puck along the end boards and passed to senior forward Vincent Gisonti, who was in the slot. The puck deflected off a Plattsburgh State defender and the Cardinal goalie's pads before reaching Gisonti, who went five-hole just outside the crease.
 
Just 51 seconds later, Plattsburgh State countered. Senior defenseman Ayrton Valente (Woodbridge, Ontario/Mississauga Chargers) played the puck to junior forward Cole Stallard (Atlanta, Ga./New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs) in the low slot from the left point, and Stallard knocked a short pass to freshman forward Mike Falanga (East Haven, Conn./Islanders Hockey Club) to his right. Falanga beat the sprawling Panther goaltender, who was unable to shift his focus from Stallard to Falanga fast enough, to knot the tally at 1-all.
 
The Cardinals took the lead with 13:23 elapsed in the first period, as Pizzo netted his first goal of the game. Senior forward Matt Quilty (Midland, Ontario/Caledonia Corvairs) fed freshman forward Rich McCartney (Hershey, Pa./Philadelphia Revolution) along the left wing in transition, and McCartney sent a centering pass to Pizzo from along the goal line. Pizzo then found the back of the net by beating the goalie low glove side.
 
With 18:15 gone in the first, the Panthers squared the tally at 2-all. Junior defenseman Jimmy McKee battled for puck possession with a Plattsburgh State defender along the end boards before getting the puck to freshman forward Michael Fahie. Fahie then took a shot from inside the left face-off circle that got deflected in by Lawrence.
 
Pizzo scored what wound up being the biggest goal of his young tenure so far with the Cardinals 11:53 into the second period, as he registered an unassisted tally. Sophomore forward Antoine Desnoyers (Quebec City, Quebec/Cégep de Saint-Laurent) took a shot from the top of the right face-off circle that was saved, and a Middlebury defender tried clearing the puck out of harm's way. Pizzo gained possession of the puck just inside the blue line and beat the Panther goaltender to give the Cardinals a 3-2 lead.
 
The Panthers came close to getting the equalizer with 1:28 left in the game with the extra attacker as a result of pulling their goalie, as a long stretch pass from sophomore defenseman Brendan Dawson sprung sophomore forward Mitchell Allen on a partial breakaway. Allen's shot was turned aside by Fenton, as the guests skated off with the one-goal victory. The Middlebury defense stood tall with the empty net as well, with two Panther skaters blocking shots that would have gone in the net.
 
Middlebury outshot Plattsburgh State by a slight 28-26 margin, while both teams were scoreless on the power play. The Cardinals went 0-for-4, while the Panthers went 0-for-2.
 
Freshman goaltender Lawson Fenton (Medina, N.Y./Coquitlam Express) made 26 saves in the win for Plattsburgh State, while senior goaltender Stephen Klein turned aside 23 shots in the loss for Middlebury.