BROCKPORT, N.Y. – The No. 11 Plattsburgh State men's ice hockey team scored three unanswered goals to defeat SUNY Brockport, 4-1, in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) action on Friday evening at Wegmans Ice Arena. The victory stretched the Cardinals' winning streak to five and, coupled with Oswego State's loss to SUNY Cortland in overtime, gave Plattsburgh State a share of first in the conference standings.
 
Plattsburgh State is ranked at No. 11 in the DCU/USCHO.com Men's Division III Top-15 Poll.
 
Junior forward Bennett Stockdale (Ottawa, Ontario/University of Alabama in Huntsville) scored twice, while first-year forward Colin Callanan (Stony Point, N.Y./New York Apple Core) earned his first two collegiate points with a goal and an assist. Stockdale has now scored six goals in the past four games. Sophomore defenseman Jack Ring (Hingham, Mass./Northeast Generals), back in the lineup after missing four games due to participation in the 2023 Winter World University Games for Team USA, earned two assists.
 
The Cardinals finished with a 45-26 edge in shots on goals and were superior on special teams. Plattsburgh State was 1-for-2 on the power play and killed off all five penalties it sustained.
 
Plattsburgh State rises to 14-4-2 overall (8-2-1 SUNYAC) with the win and faces a critical game tomorrow night against No. 7 SUNY Geneseo at 7 p.m. Brockport falls to 8-11-0 overall (3-7-0 SUNYAC) with the loss and hosts SUNY Potsdam tomorrow at 4 p.m.
 
Junior defenseman Kevin Weaver-Vitale (Toronto, Ontario/Markham Royals) fired the opening salvo when he scored his first goal of the season and his second collegiate goal at 2:22 of the first period. First-year forward Riley Sutherland (Burlington, Ontario/St. Michael's Buzzers) dug the puck out in the left corner to sophomore forward Jake Lanyi (North Salem, N.Y./Connecticut Jr. Rangers), and Lanyi banked a pass off the boards to Weaver-Vitale on the left point. Weaver-Vitale wound up and clapped a one-time shot that beat the goalie through the five-hole.
 
The Golden Eagles tied the game 4:58 into the second period. First-year forward Manny Sanchez forced a turnover in the neutral zone and dropped a pass back to junior forward Connor Galloway. Galloway walked into the zone and ended up scoring from the high slot.
 
Just 1:12 later, Stockdale gave the Cardinals the lead, scoring on the power play. Ring passed D-to-D to senior defenseman Jacob Modry (Albany, N.Y./Merrimack College) on the right point before Modry moved the puck to Stockdale in the left circle. Stockdale ended up scoring on a one-time shot to put Plattsburgh State out in front.
 
Stockdale netted his second goal of the night at 1:22 of the third. Ring helped force a turnover at the defensive blue line, chipping the puck to Stockdale in the neutral zone. Stockdale passed to Callanan at the top of the left circle before Callanan found Stockdale open on the weak side. Stockdale used Callanan's pass to score low glove side for his SUNYAC-leading 13th goal of the season.
 
Callanan's first collegiate goal served as an insurance marker for Plattsburgh State at 7:38 of the third. Junior forward Carson Gallagher (Courtice, Ontario/Sacred Heart University) passed D-to-D to senior defenseman Ryan Hogg (Duncan, British Columbia/Islanders Hockey Club), and Hogg found Callanan in the slot, who scored high blocker side on a one-time shot.
 
First-year goaltender Eli Shiller (Toronto, Ontario/Wellington Dukes) made 25 saves in the win for the Cardinals, while graduate student goaltender Nolan Egbert turned aside 41 shots in the loss for the Golden Eagles.