MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – The Plattsburgh State men's ice hockey team got back to its winning ways on Friday evening, holding off regional rival Middlebury College, 3-2, in non-conference action at Chip Kenyon '85 Arena.
 
The Cardinals scored a goal across each of the three periods to take a 3-0 lead, but the Panthers netted two unanswered goals to pull within one.
 
Plattsburgh State finished with a 38-28 edge in shots on goal, while both teams scored a power-play goal; the Cardinals were 1-for-5 on the power play, while the Panthers were 1-for-7.
 
Graduate student defenseman Matt Araujo (Brookhaven, N.Y./Boston Jr. Rangers) and junior forward Carson Gallagher (Courtice, Ontario/Sacred Heart University) each tallied a goal and an assist, while senior defenseman Ryan Hogg (Duncan, British Columbia/Islanders Hockey Club) doled out two assists. Junior defenseman Nolan Moore distributed two assists for Middlebury.
 
Plattsburgh State rises to 10-4-2 overall with the win and next hosts Williams College tomorrow night at 7 p.m. in its non-conference finale. Middlebury drops to 1-12-0 overall with the loss and next visits Norwich University on Tuesday, Jan. 17, at 7 p.m.
 
Sophomore forward Luk Jirousek (Whitehorse, Yukon/Alberni Valley Bulldogs) put the Cardinals on the board at 6:55 of the first period. Hogg passed D-to-D to Araujo, and Araujo took a shot from the left point that was saved before Jirousek banged in the rebound from the slot.
 
Gallagher scored with the extra attacker on a delayed penalty 1:02 into the second period. Senior defenseman Jacob Modry (Albany, N.Y./Merrimack College) took a shot from the left point that bounced off the back wall, while junior forward Bennett Stockdale (Ottawa, Ontario/University of Alabama in Huntsville) collected the rebound at the bottom of the right circle. Stockdale then whipped a pass to Gallagher in the high slot, and Gallagher scored through the five-hole.
 
Araujo's power-play goal at 6:43 of the third made it a 3-0 game. Hogg passed to Gallagher in the left circle, and Gallagher passed back to Araujo on the left point. Araujo then clapped a one-time shot past the goaltender, scoring through the five-hole.
 
Middlebury broke into the scoring column at 8:58 of the third. Senior goaltender Adam Wisco passed to Moore, and Moore sent a stretch pass ahead to junior forward Andrej Hromic. Hromic gained the zone and backhanded a sharp-angle shot through the five-hole from the left goal line extended.
 
Senior defenseman Billy Dobensky helped the Panthers cut the gap to one at the 14:16 mark of the third with a power-play goal. Senior forward Antoine Belisle chipped the puck to Moore on the left point, and Moore passed D-to-D to Dobensky. Dobensky then wristed a shot through the five-hole from the right circle.
 
In the waning minutes of the game, sophomore goaltender Jacob Hearne (Ennismore, Ontario/Toronto Jr. Canadiens) made four saves, while four different Cardinals blocked shots to help Plattsburgh State pull out the win.
 
Hearne made 26 saves in the win for Plattsburgh State, while Wisco turned aside 35 shots in the loss for Middlebury.