College Hockey Stats Box Score

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Seven different student-athletes scored, as the Plattsburgh State men's ice hockey team returned to the win column with a decisive 7-2 victory over non-conference Wesleyan University on Tuesday evening at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena.
 
The Cardinals' special teams clicked on all cylinders, with Plattsburgh State scoring two shorthanded goals and one goal on the power play in two chances. Wesleyan, meanwhile, was unable to capitalize on its power-play opportunities, going 0-for-7 with the man advantage.
 
While Plattsburgh State emerged with a lopsided win on the scoreboard, Wesleyan actually held a 42-29 edge in shots.
 
Plattsburgh State rises to 9-8-0 overall with the win and next hosts The College at Brockport on Friday, Jan. 26, at 7 p.m. as it returns to State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) action. Wesleyan drops to 8-3-3 overall with the loss and next visits Connecticut College on Friday, Jan. 19, at 7 p.m.
 
It took just 26 seconds for Plattsburgh State to light the lamp, as freshman forward Rich McCartney (Hershey, Pa./Philadelphia Revolution) buried his team-leading 11th goal of the season. Senior defenseman Ayrton Valente (Woodbridge, Ontario/Mississauga Chargers) passed to junior forward Cam Owens (Wilmington, Mass./Islanders Hockey Club) in transition, and Owens dumped the puck off to senior forward Matt Quilty (Midland, Ontario/Caledonia Corvairs) inside the left face-off circle. Quilty dished a centering pass to McCartney in the slot, and McCartney beat an off balance Wesleyan goaltender glove side to give the Cardinals a 1-0 lead.
 
Plattsburgh State added a second goal with 7:03 elapsed in the first period. Freshman defenseman Sam Schultz (Hartland, Wis./Virden Oil Capitals) took a shot from the right point that got deflected toward the goal by freshman forward Connor Logan (Victoria, British Columbia/North Battleford North Stars), but the Wesleyan netminder made a save. Sophomore forward Joe Drabin (Rochester, N.Y./Wenatchee Wild) crashed the net and got his blade on the puck before freshman forward Liam Lawson (Vancouver, British Columbia/Powell River Paper Kings) hammered home the rebound.
 
Junior forward Ross Sloan (Oakville, Ontario/Oakville Blades) added insurance in a big way with a highlight-reel snipe 13:13 into the first period. Freshman defenseman Tom Bowe (Homer, Alaska/Aspen Leafs) passed the puck back to Valente in Plattsburgh State's defensive zone as Wesleyan changed lines, and Valente sent a cross-ice pass to Sloan, who was in the neutral zone along the left boards. Sloan wound up and fired a slap shot from the left face-off circle that clanged off the right post and in, going top shelf on the goalie's glove side.
 
The home Cardinals' fourth goal came on the power play 10:28 into the second period. McCartney wheeled the puck from the bottom of the left face-off circle up to Valente on the left point, and Valente found Quilty in the high slot. Quilty then took a shot that bounced off the goalie's glove and into the goal.
 
Freshman forward Mike Falanga (East Haven, Conn./Islanders Hockey Club) added to Plattsburgh State's cause just 1:11 later. Sophomore forward Antoine Desnoyers (Quebec City, Quebec/Cégep de Saint-Laurent) set sophomore defenseman Andrew Pizzo (Thorold, Ontario/Niagara University) up for a one-timer from the left point, and the shot was blocked before hitting the pad of the Wesleyan goaltender. The loose puck right at the top of the crease squirted to Falanga, and Falanga found the back of the net.
 
Wesleyan erased the shutout bid with 17:00 gone in the second period. Sophomore forward Tyler Wyatt won a face-off in the right circle and established position in the slot. He then redirected a shot from the right point by senior defenseman Marty Rubin that sailed over the Plattsburgh State goaltender's blocker and into the net.
 
Just 4:04 into the third period, Wesleyan cut the gap to 5-2. The play developed in the left face-off circle, as sophomore forward Spencer Fox slid a pass onto the stick of freshman defenseman Matthew Zandi in the slot, and then Zandi sent a pass toward net, which sophomore forward Walker Harris corralled and sent into the bottom left corner of the goal.
 
Valente registered his third point of the game shorthanded 11:25 into the third period. Pizzo, who was sliding inside the slot, sent the puck to Valente at the top of the left face-off circle, and Valente fired a one-timer that beat the goalie five-hole to extend the lead to 6-2.
 
Junior forward Cole Stallard (Atlanta, Ga./New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs) spelled the final score with 16:05 elapsed in the third period, netting Plattsburgh State's second consecutive shorthanded goal. Stallard forced a turnover on the penalty kill and found himself in a one-on-one with the goalie. He went top shelf glove side from inside the slot, scoring unassisted.
 
Freshman goaltender Jimmy Poreda (Tonawanda, N.Y./Connecticut Jr. Rangers) made 40 saves in the win for Plattsburgh State, while junior goaltender George Blinick turned aside 22 shots in the loss for Wesleyan.