PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The No. 1 Plattsburgh State men's ice hockey team won its eighth LayerEight Shootout Tournament title on Saturday evening, as they defeated No. 11 Norwich University 2-1 in a rematch of last year's championship game. The title is the program's second straight and eighth overall in the tournament's 25-year history. 

Plattsburgh State is ranked at No. 1 in the USCHO.com Men's Division III Top-15 poll, while Norwich is No. 11.

The Cardinals also won LayerEight Shootout titles in 1999, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2015, 2017, and 2022, making this the first time the program has won back-to-back tournaments.

Senior forward Bennett Stockdale (Ottawa, Ontario/Alabama Huntsville) was named the Tournament MVP, while first-year forward Tio D'Addario (Montreal, Quebec/Navan Grads) was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Rookie. Kevin Weaver-Vitale (Toronto, Ontario/Markham Royals) and Jacob Hearne (Ennismore, Ontario/Toronto Jr. Canadiens) rounded out the Plattsburgh players on the All-Tournament team while, Clark Kerner, Devon Thibodeau, and Sami Molu each earned honors for Norwich.

Weaver-Vitale and D'Addario each scored in the second period for the Cardinals, in less than a thirty second span to eventually clinch the win. Jagger Benson (Lynnfield, Mass./Cranbrook Bucks), Ryan Hogg (Duncan, British Columbia/Islanders Hockey Club), Adam Tretowicz (Baldwinsville, N.Y./Buffalo Jr. Sabres), and Stockdale each added assists in the team's win. Hearne made 34 saves in his lone appearance of the tournament, earning his fifth win of the year in net.

Plattsburgh won the shot battle 41-35 and each team registered a power play goal, however, Plattsburgh was 1-2 in their chances, while Norwich was 1-4.

Plattsburgh rises to 8-0 with the win as they have matched their best start to a season since 2015, a year they also won the same tournament before a tie with Brockport and a loss to Geneseo snapped their unbeaten start. They will take on Cortland on Friday, Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. in the team's Casella Teddy Bear Toss night. Norwich falls to 5-3-1 and will next play New England College on Friday, Dec 1.

The game was action-packed from the start, as the teams combined for 24 shots in the first period, with Plattsburgh holding a 17-7 advantage after 20 minutes of play. Neither team registered a goal, however, leading to a scoreless tie at the first intermission, thanks in part to two penalty kills from the Cardinals.

The second period was eventful, as each team had two power play opportunities in the period, and three goals of the game were scored. The Cardinals broke the scoreless tie at the 8:25 mark, as a delayed penalty allowed six attackers to take the ice and give Plattsburgh a six-on-five advantage. On the play, Benson found Weaver-Vitale for a one-timer from the right face-off circle, as his shot snuck right through the five-hole to give Plattsburgh the 1-0 lead. 

Now on the power play after the delayed penalty, Plattsburgh continued to play with an extra man. Off a Cardinal face-off win, a Tretowicz shot from the slot was deflected by Stockdale just outside the crease. The puck remained loose inside the crease, where it was untouched for a brief second until D'Addario came from behind the goal line to clean up the mess and register the score, tapping the puck home. In just 27 seconds of action, a scoreless tie changed to a two-goal lead for the Cardinals, with the second goal occurring officially at the 8:52 mark of the second period.

A few minutes later, however, a Plattsburgh game misconduct put the Cadets on a five-minute power play opportunity. The Cardinal defense and Hearne held strong for the majority of the long disadvantage but with nine seconds to go, Paul Schmid put in a rebounded shot to bring Norwich within one score, scoring at the 14:39 mark in the second period.

From that point on, the game would remain scoreless, despite 30 total shots in the third period. Molu made 13 saves in the period to keep his team within striking distance, but Hearne was even more excellent for Plattsburgh, stopping 17 shots over the final 20 minutes, securing the championship win for the Cards.

Molu stopped 39 shots in total while taking the loss, while Devon Thibodeau and Patrick Del Vecchio each added assists for the Cadets.