NORTHFIELD, Vt. – Two second-period goals by No. 8 Norwich University proved to be the difference, as the No. 12 Plattsburgh State men's ice hockey team fell to the Cadets, 2-1, in non-conference action on Tuesday evening at Kreitzberg Arena. It marked a rematch of the FirstLight Shootout championship game from 10 days earlier, a contest in which the Cardinals prevailed, 3-1.
 
Norwich is ranked at No. 8 in the DCU/USCHO.com Men's Division III Top-15 Poll, while Plattsburgh State is ranked at No. 12.
 
Junior forward Paul Bryer (Clarkston, Mich./Islanders Hockey Club) put the Cardinals on the board at 3:54 of the third period to cut the Cadets' lead in half. Junior forward Bennett Stockdale (Ottawa, Ontario/University of Alabama in Huntsville) tried to poke the puck past the goaltender on the left side of the crease, and the puck eventually squirted out to junior forward Carson Gallagher (Courtice, Ontario/Sacred Heart University) in the slot. Gallagher fed a short pass back to Bryer, and Bryer took advantage of Norwich's goaltender being out of position to score.
 
Plattsburgh State pulled its goalie with 1:51 remaining and dominated possession down the stretch, but Norwich held off the Cardinals' attempts to net the equalizer, including a save by senior goaltender Drennan Atherton on a Gallagher shot with 32 seconds left.
 
Plattsburgh State falls to 7-3-2 overall with the loss and hosts SUNY Morrisville on Saturday, Dec. 10, at 7 p.m. for the Cardinals' third annual Casella Teddy Bear Toss. Norwich rises to 8-2-1 overall with the win and next hosts SUNY Canton as a part of the NSB Tournament on Friday, Dec. 30, at 7 p.m.
 
Norwich's senior forward Philip Elgstam netted the first goal of the game on the power play at 6:35 of the second period. Elgstam intercepted a clearing pass on the point and skated into the left circle before scoring under the blocker.
 
At the 10:36 mark of the second, first-year forward Nick Cordeiro scored what wound up being the game-winning goal for the Cadets. After the Cardinals tried to clear the zone, Cordeiro fired a shot from the left circle that navigated through traffic and went through the five-hole. First-year forward Johnny Johnson earned the assist on the goal.
 
First-year goaltender Eli Shiller (Toronto, Ontario/Wellington Dukes) made 28 saves in the loss for the Cardinals, while Atherton turned aside 34 shots in the win for the Cadets.