PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Junior forward Bennett Stockdale (Ottawa, Ontario/University of Alabama in Huntsville) scored with 58.3 seconds left in regulation to help lift the No. 12 Plattsburgh State men's ice hockey team to a 4-3 State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) victory over SUNY Morrisville on Saturday night at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena in the Cardinals' annual Casella Teddy Bear Toss game.
 
Plattsburgh State is ranked at No. 12 in the DCU/USCHO.com Men's Division III Top-15 Poll.
 
Morrisville had scored three straight goals, including two in the third period, to tie the game at 3-all, but Stockdale broke the deadlock in the final minute of play. Senior defenseman Jacob Modry (Albany, N.Y./Merrimack College) wrapped a backhanded pass along the corner boards to sophomore forward Luk Jirousek (Whitehorse, Yukon/Alberni Valley Bulldogs) along the back wall, and Jirousek passed to Stockdale in the slot. Stockdale then scored stick side for his sixth goal of the season.
 
The Mustangs won the ensuing center-ice face-off and quickly pulled their goalie in favor of the extra attacker. Morrisville was able to muster just one off-target shot in the final minute, as the Cardinals held on for the win.
 
Plattsburgh State closes out the fall portion of its schedule at 8-3-2 overall (5-2-1 SUNYAC) and opens up the New Year with the Comfort Inn Complex Winter Classic on Friday, Jan. 6, at 7 p.m. against the Wentworth Institute of Technology. With the SUNYAC done its first pass through its conference schedule, the Cardinals are tied with SUNY Geneseo for second in the SUNYAC standings with 11 points. Morrisville falls to 5-6-0 overall (3-5-0 SUNYAC) with the loss and next hosts Post University on Friday, Jan. 6, at 7 p.m.
 
Junior forward Carson Gallagher (Courtice, Ontario/Sacred Heart University) became the third different Cardinal in as many years to net the first goal for the Casella Teddy Bear Toss game, as he scored with 11:24 gone in the first period to give Plattsburgh State the lead. The Cardinals won an offensive-zone face-off, and junior forward Paul Bryer (Clarkston, Mich./Islanders Hockey Club) whipped a pass over to Modry on the right point. Modry took a one-time shot that was saved, and Gallagher buried the rebound to send the teddy bears flying.
 
Despite holding a 25-3 edge in shots on goal in the opening frame, the Cardinals took just a 1-0 lead into the locker rooms at the first intermission.
 
Senior forward Mitchell Hale (Oakfield, N.Y./Johnstown Tomahawks) scored his first goal of the season with 3:54 elapsed in the second. Graduate student defenseman Matt Araujo (Brookhaven, N.Y./Boston Jr. Rangers) sprung junior forward Ryan Butler (Kelowna, British Columbia/Adrian College) ahead with a stretch pass that banked off the right boards, and Butler took a backhanded shot at close range that the Mustang goaltender turned aside. Hale then quickly tipped in the rebound to double the home team's lead. It marked Butler's first point as a Cardinal.
 
Sophomore forward Jake Lanyi (North Salem, N.Y./Connecticut Jr. Rangers) pushed the Cardinal advantage to 3-0 at the 7:18 mark of the second. Araujo intercepted a clearing attempt on the left point and sent the puck down to Lanyi at the bottom of the left circle. Lanyi then backhanded a shot in on the doorstep for his third goal of the season.
 
Morrisville entered the scoring column just 20 seconds later. Sophomore defenseman Benjamin Lindberg poked the puck to sophomore forward Cameron Clark on the forecheck, and Clark centered a short pass to sophomore forward Trevor Neumann in the high slot. Neumann wristed a shot high glove side to cut the gap to two.
 
The Mustangs trimmed the deficit to one just a minute into the third period. Sophomore forward Curtis Abbott passed to sophomore forward Chris Mott in the slot, and Mott took a shot that was saved. Junior forward Jestin Somero then jabbed the rebound through the five-hole for his second goal of the year.
 
Neumann scored his second goal of the game at 10:38 of the third. Sophomore forward Trevor Grasby intercepted a Cardinal clearing attempt along the outside hash marks of the right circle, and Grasby centered a pass to Neumann in the slot. Neumann scored underneath the goalie's blocker to knot the tally at 3-all.
 
Plattsburgh State finished the contest with a 66-19 edge in shots on goal, while neither team was able to capitalize with the extra attacker. The Cardinals were 0-for-4 on the power play, while the Mustangs were 0-for-1.
 
First-year goaltender Eli Shiller (Toronto, Ontario/Wellington Dukes) made 16 saves in the win for Plattsburgh State, while sophomore goaltender Ryan Creenan turned aside 62 shots in the loss for Morrisville.
 
A total of 660 teddy bears were collected after Gallagher's first-period goal, and those bears will be donated to The Christmas Bureau. In addition, $900 was collected in donations at the Field House lobby that will benefit The Christmas Bureau. Casella presented The Christmas Bureau with a $1,000 check, while the Plattsburgh State men's ice hockey program donated two bicycles to The Christmas Bureau.