PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Senior forward Brendan Young (Lefroy, Ontario/Blind River Beavers) scored two goals, including the eventual game winner, as the Plattsburgh State men's ice hockey team stretched its unbeaten streak to five with a 4-3 victory over Buffalo State in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) action Saturday evening at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena.
 
Young scored the game winner with 16:42 elapsed in the third. Buffalo State tried to clear the zone, but junior defenseman Kevin Weaver-Vitale (Toronto, Ontario/Markham Royals) was stationed at the blue line to keep the puck onside. Weaver-Vitale wristed a shot from the left point that deflected off Young's body in the slot, and the puck wound up going through the five-hole.
 
The Bengals pulled the goalie in favor of the extra attacker for the final 1:20 of play, but the visitors were unable to net the equalizer.
 
Plattsburgh State rises to 5-1-2 overall (4-1-1 SUNYAC) with the win and next faces off with Middlebury College on Friday, Nov. 25, at 4 p.m. to open up the FirstLight Shootout at Norwich University's Kreitzberg Arena. Buffalo State falls to 4-3-0 overall (2-2-0 SUNYAC) with the loss and squares off with Saint Anselm College in the first game of the Castleton Tournament on Friday, Nov. 25, at 4 p.m.
 
Buffalo State scored the game's first goal on the power play at 14:16 of the first period. Junior forward Tyler Vanuden took a shot that was saved, while sophomore forward Connor Bizal poked in the rebound on the doorstep. First-year defenseman Chris Blango also earned an assist on the goal.
 
Graduate student defenseman Matt Araujo (Brookhaven, N.Y./Boston Jr. Rangers) leveled the tally at 9:04 of the second. Senior forward Adam Tretowicz (Baldwinsville, N.Y./Buffalo Jr. Sabres) led the rush along the right wing and passed across to first-year forward Ryan Bonfield (Kemptville, Ontario/Brockville Braves) at the top of the left circle. Bonfield fed Araujo with a pass in the high slot that Araujo one-timed past the goaltender low glove side.
 
The Bengals regained the lead at 3:35 of the third, as junior defenseman Parker Allison scored on the power play. Vanuden dropped a pass off to Bizal on the right point, and Bizal passed D-to-D to Allison. Allison then threaded a shot through traffic that wound up going in low glove side.
 
Buffalo State's lead was short lived, however, as junior forward Carson Gallagher (Courtice, Ontario/Sacred Heart University) tied the game just 40 seconds later. Sophomore defenseman/forward Jack Ring (Hingham, Mass./Northeast Generals) entered the offensive zone along the left boards and centered a pass to Gallagher, while Gallagher scored through the five-hole on the back hand.
 
At the 5:41 mark of the third, Young gave the Cardinals a 3-2 lead. First-year forward Joshua Belgrave (Burlington, Ontario/Burlington Cougars) passed to sophomore forward Luk Jirousek (Whitehorse, Yukon/Alberni Valley Bulldogs) out in front, and Jirousek took a shot that was blocked before Young banged in the rebound.
 
Buffalo State's first-year forward Aidan LaValley equalized the score at 11:18 of the third. Blango and junior forward Nick Stuckless each took shots that sophomore goaltender Jacob Hearne (Ennismore, Ontario/Toronto Jr. Canadiens) turned aside, while LaValley punched in the rebound stick side off Stuckless' shot.
 
Plattsburgh State finished with a 51-22 edge in shots, which included a 21-4 margin in the second period. Buffalo State held the upper hand with special teams, going 2-for-4 on the power play while killing off all four of the Cardinals' power-play chances, including a five-minute major that spanned the end of the second period and the beginning of the third.
 
Hearne made 19 saves in the victory for the Cardinals, moving to 3-0-1 on the year. Junior goaltender Emil Norrman turned aside 47 shots in the loss for the Bengals.