CORTLAND, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State men's ice hockey team notched a statement win on Saturday evening, defeating SUNY Cortland, 7-2, at Alumni Arena in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) action.
 
The Cardinals owned a 44-28 edge in shots on goal and went 1-for-5 on the power play. The Red Dragons were 1-for-3 with the extra skater. Plattsburgh State was dominant on face-offs once again, going 46-for-72.
 
Junior forward Paul Bryer (Clarkston, Mich./Islanders Hockey Club) scored two goals, while first-year forward Riley Sutherland (Burlington, Ontario/St. Michael's Buzzers) scored his first collegiate goal and also chipped in with two assists. First-year forward Ryan Bonfield (Kemptville, Ontario/Brockville Braves) netted his first collegiate goal as well and added an assist, while senior forward Adam Tretowicz (Baldwinsville, N.Y./Buffalo Jr. Sabres) also recorded a goal and an assist.
 
Plattsburgh State rises to 2-1-1 overall (1-1-0 SUNYAC) with the win and hosts SUNY Brockport on Friday, Nov. 11, at 7 p.m. in its home opener. Cortland falls to 2-1-1 overall (1-1-0 SUNYAC) with the loss and hosts Oswego State next on Friday, Nov. 11, at 7 p.m.
 
The Cardinals opened up scoring at the 14:46 mark of the first period. Sophomore defenseman Jack Ring (Hingham, Mass./Northeast Generals) entered the zone on the left side and sent a drop pass down to sophomore forward Jake Lanyi (North Salem, N.Y./Connecticut Jr. Rangers), while Lanyi sent a puck toward the slot that Sutherland got a piece of. Lanyi skated around the back of the goal and caught up to the puck on the other side, scoring high glove side from the right circle.
 
It remained a 1-0 game through the remainder of the first period and the early stages of the second before Tretowicz tallied to put Plattsburgh State out in front by two. Sutherland helped force a turnover on the forecheck, and senior defenseman Ryan Hogg (Duncan, British Columbia/Islanders Hockey Club) picked up the puck along the right boards. His pass toward the slot bounced off a skate and to Sutherland in the high slot, and Sutherland took a shot that Cortland's senior goaltender Luca Durante turned aside with a stick save. Tretowicz then buried the rebound through the five-hole.
 
Bryer added to the lead with 12:26 elapsed in the second. Junior defenseman Kevin Weaver-Vitale (Toronto, Ontario/Markham Royals) launched a stretch pass ahead from the defensive zone, which sprung Bryer forward into a one-on-one with the goaltender. Bryer walked into the slot and scored through the five-hole.
 
Cortland cut the deficit to two with 2:20 remaining in the second period, as sophomore forward Domenic Settimo forced a turnover in the neutral zone and dropped a pass back to junior forward Cameron Knowlton, who scored high glove side.
 
Sutherland buried his first collegiate goal just 40 seconds later to swing the momentum back into the Cardinals' favor heading into the second intermission. Bonfield took control of a loose puck along the offensive blue line and led a 2-on-1 rush down the right wing. He slid a pass to Sutherland on the back door, and Sutherland beat an outstretched Durante along the left post.
 
Junior forward Carson Gallagher (Courtice, Ontario/Sacred Heart University) extended the advantage to 5-1 with 2:58 gone in the third period with a power-play goal. Bryer forced a turnover on the forecheck in the right corner, and junior forward Bennett Stockdale (Ottawa, Ontario/University of Alabama in Huntsville) took control of the puck along the back wall. Stockdale skated around the back of the net and found Gallagher out in front, who scored high glove side.
 
Cortland answered at the 5:26 mark of the third period with a power-play goal, as senior forward Trevor Veneklase blasted a one-timer from the top of the right circle off a pass from senior defenseman Nick Grupp. First-year forward Devlin O'Kane also earned an assist on the goal.
 
Bonfield's first collegiate goal came less than two minutes later. Tretowicz sent a short pass to Bonfield behind the goal line, and Bonfield skated around the back of the net and fired a shot into the back of the net high glove side once he came out in front.
 
Bryer concluded scoring with his second of the evening with 10:38 elapsed in the third. Ring entered the zone on the left wing, skated around the back of the net and found Bryer in the left circle. Bryer settled the puck on his blade and wristed a goal in high glove side.
 
Sophomore goaltender Jacob Hearne (Ennismore, Ontario/Toronto Jr. Canadiens) stood tall in net with 26 saves in the win for the Cardinals, moving to 2-0-0 on the year. Durante shouldered the loss for Cortland with 37 stops.