CORTLAND, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State men's ice hockey team notched a critical State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) victory on Friday evening at Alumni Arena, topping SUNY Cortland, 5-2, in a game that could have playoff implications at the end of the season.
 
Plattsburgh State and Cortland now both sit at 17 points in the conference standings, tied for third behind SUNY Geneseo (22 points) and Oswego State (19 points). The Cardinals recorded a 5-1 advantage in points in the two-game series, with Plattsburgh State winning, 6-5, in overtime back on Nov. 5 before Friday's regulation win.
 
Sophomore forward Trey Thomas (Williams Lake, British Columbia) finished with two goals, while sophomore forward Bennett Stockdale (Ottawa, Ontario/Alabama Huntsville), first-year defenseman Jack Ring (Hingham, Mass./Northeast Generals) and sophomore defenseman Cory Doney (Northfield Falls, Vt./Vermont Lumberjacks) all scored once. Junior forward Matt Jahn and senior forward Michael Sciore both scored for Cortland.
 
The Cardinals finished 2-for-2 on the power play, scoring on both the shots they took in 1:24 with the extra attacker. The Red Dragons were scoreless in three power-play chances.
 
Plattsburgh State rises to 10-5-3 overall (6-2-1 SUNYAC) with the win and next visits rival Oswego tomorrow at 7 p.m. Cortland falls to 10-7-1 (5-3-1 SUNYAC) with the loss and next hosts SUNY Potsdam tomorrow at 7 p.m.
 
Jahn opened scoring just 1:12 into the game, knocking a goal in off a rebound. Sciore also earned an assist on the play. Ring tied the game at 14:30 of the first, burying a goal from the right point on the power play. Sophomore forward Carson Gallagher (Courtice, Ontario/Sacred Heart University) and first-year forward Luk Jirousek (Whitehorse, Yukon/Alberni Valley Bulldogs) earned assists on Ring's marker. Thomas tallied his first goal of the game just three minutes later from the deep slot after a Cortland turnover. Jirousek earned an assist on the score.
 
At 6:58 of the second period, Stockdale scored off a one-timer on the power play, with sophomore forwards Paul Bryer (Clarkston, Mich./Islanders Hockey Club) and Thomas Maia (Mississauga, Ontario/Nanaimo Clippers) earning assists. Doney scored at 12:30 of the second off a wrist shot from the point and passes from graduate student forward Mike Falanga (East Haven, Conn./Islanders Hockey Club) and junior forward Mitchell Hale (Oakfield, N.Y./Johnstown Tomahawks), while Sciore cut the gap to two just 16 seconds later, scoring on a deflected shot taken by first-year defenseman Johnny Facchini.
 
Thomas added insurance at 18:36 of the third, scoring on a feed from sophomore forward Pavel Kharin (Ann Arbor, Mich./Johnstown Tomahawks).
 
Both sophomore goaltender Anthony Del Tufo (Livingston, N.J./Philadelphia Revolution) and junior goaltender Luca Durante made 32 saves, with Del Tufo earning the win and Durante sustaining the loss.

UFirst Federal Credit Union is the official Zamboni sponsor of Plattsburgh State men's and women's ice hockey.