PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State men's ice hockey team avenged last year's State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Tournament loss to SUNY Brockport in a big way Friday evening, downing the Golden Eagles by a 9-2 final in conference action at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena in its home opener.
 
Junior forward Bennett Stockdale (Ottawa, Ontario/University of Alabama in Huntsville), senior defenseman Ryan Hogg (Duncan, British Columbia/Islanders Hockey Club) and sophomore defenseman Jack Ring (Hingham, Mass./Northeast Generals) each notched three points on two goals and one assist, while sophomore forward Luk Jirousek (Whitehorse, Yukon/Alberni Valley Bulldogs) scored a goal and added an assist.
 
The Cardinals went 2-for-5 on the power play and held the Golden Eagles scoreless in nine chances with the extra skater. Plattsburgh State finished with a 51-23 edge in shots on goal.
 
Plattsburgh State rises to 3-1-1 overall (2-1-0 SUNYAC) with the win and faces a tough test tomorrow when it hosts four-time reigning SUNYAC champion and defending national runner-up SUNY Geneseo at 7 p.m. Brockport falls to 2-2-0 overall (1-1-0 SUNYAC) with the loss and visits SUNY Potsdam tomorrow at 5 p.m.
 
Jirousek put the Cardinals on the board 44 seconds into the contest. Senior forward Mitchell Hale (Oakfield, N.Y./Johnstown Tomahawks) won a defensive-zone face-off back to junior defenseman Kevin Weaver-Vitale (Toronto, Ontario/Markham Royals) along the back wall, and Weaver-Vitale threaded a stretch pass ahead to Jirousek. Jirousek walked into the attacking zone and fired a shot past the goaltender high blocker side.
 
With 9:51 elapsed in the first period, senior forward Brendan Young (Lefroy, Ontario/Blind River Beavers) doubled Plattsburgh State's advantage. Jirousek won an offensive-zone draw back to junior defenseman Cory Doney (Northfield Falls, Vt./Vermont Lumberjacks) on the left point, and Doney took a wrist shot from the blue line that Young deflected into the back of the net from the slot.
 
Ring scored on the power play at 16:33 of the first period to give the home team a 3-0 edge. Stockdale wheeled the puck to Hogg on the left point, and Hogg fed Ring in the right circle. Ring then scored on a one-time shot high glove side.
 
Hogg scored two goals in a span of 26 seconds early in the second period. His first goal, which came at the 4:01 mark, came as a result of the Brockport goalie trying to push the puck out of harm's way. Hogg picked off the clearing attempt and scored high glove side from the right circle. Twenty-six seconds later, Hogg struck again. Ring passed to junior forward Carson Gallagher (Courtice, Ontario/Sacred Heart University) in the neutral zone, and Gallagher entered the zone along the left wing. He navigated a pass past two Golden Eagle skaters in the slot and found the stick of Hogg, who dragged the puck on the back hand and scored stick side.
 
Stockdale scored with 7:47 gone in the second, as he stole the puck on the forecheck and beat the goalie with a short-side shot from the right circle. Senior defenseman Jacob Modry (Albany, N.Y./Merrimack College) added to the lead at 8:31 of the second period when he carried the puck nearly the length of the ice and scored stick side. Senior forward Adam Tretowicz (Baldwinsville, N.Y./Buffalo Jr. Sabres) and first-year goaltender Eli Shiller (Toronto, Ontario/Wellington Dukes) earned assists on the score.
 
Stockdale made it an 8-0 advantage at the 10:10 mark of the second, as he led a 3-on-1 rush into the offensive zone. He passed off to first-year defenseman Brannon Butler (Toronto, Ontario/Boston Advantage) on the right, and Butler set Stockdale up for the one-timer with a centering pass.
 
Brockport erased the shutout bid with 14:02 elapsed in the second, as senior forward Scott Ramaekers scored backhanded through the five-hole. First-year forward Chase Maxwell and sophomore forward Chris Aarons earned assists.
 
Ring netted what wound up being Plattsburgh State's final goal of the game at the 5:32 mark of the third period, as he blocked a shot to send himself forward before beating the goalie one-on-one on the rush. Brockport's first-year forward Matt Anastasio scored the final goal of the contest less than a minute later, scoring on the weak side after a feed from first-year forward James Tilley. First-year forward Manny Sanchez also earned an assist on Anastasio's score.
 
Shiller made 21 stops to earn the win in his collegiate debut, while senior goaltender Aidan Curry turned aside 28 stops in 32:13 of reserve action for Brockport.