PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State men's ice hockey team officially got the 2022-23 season underway with a 3-0 victory over Castleton University in an exhibition game Saturday evening at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena. Per NCAA regulations, neither the score nor the statistics count in any official capacity.
 
The Cardinals owned a 38-19 edge in shots on goal and went 2-for-8 on the power play. The Spartans were scoreless in eight chances with the extra skater.
 
Junior forward Carson Gallagher (Courtice, Ontario/Sacred Heart University) put Plattsburgh State on the board with a power-play goal at 17:32 of the first period. Junior forward Paul Bryer (Clarkston, Mich./Islanders Hockey Club) backhanded a pass to sophomore defenseman Jack Ring (Hingham, Mass./Northeast Generals) in the left circle, and Ring took a shot that was saved. With the Castleton goalie still laying on the ice from the initial save, Gallagher crashed the net and banged the puck home.
 
With just 47 seconds remaining in the second period, senior forward Adam Tretowicz (Baldwinsville, N.Y./Buffalo Jr. Sabres) extended the Cardinal lead to 2-0. First-year defenseman Spencer Bellina (Medina, Ohio/Chippewa Steel) banked a pass ahead to first-year forward Riley Sutherland (Burlington, Ontario/St. Michael's Buzzers), and Sutherland entered the zone and ultimately passed to Tretowicz from behind the goal line. Tretowicz fired a one-time shot past the Spartan netminder high glove side.
 
Junior forward Trey Thomas (Williams Lake, British Columbia/Brooks Bandits) added insurance at 14:24 of the third by scoring a power-play goal on a 5-on-3 advantage. Sutherland passed to first-year forward Ryan Bonfield (Kemptville, Ontario/Brockville Braves) inside the left circle, and Bonfield fed Thomas in the right circle. Thomas quickly snapped a shot past the goalie glove side to push the advantage to 3-0, which remained intact until the final horn.
 
The Cardinals utilized three goalies in the win, with graduate student goaltender Kyle Alaverdy (Grand Falls-Windsor, Newfoundland and Labrador/Castleton University) making the team's most saves (eight) during his 20 minutes of action in the second period.

Plattsburgh State continues its preparation for the regular season when it visits Saint Michael's College for a 7 p.m. exhibition game on Friday, Oct. 21.