WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. – The No. 3 Plattsburgh State men's ice hockey team traveled to Williamstown, Massachusetts on Saturday, and fell to host Williams College in a close affair, losing 2-1 to the Ephs in non-league play. Aaron Catron (Middletown, Del./Philadelphia Little Flyers) scored the team's lone goal on a power play to begin the third period, but that was all the Cardinal offense could manage in the road loss.

Plattsburgh State is currently ranked No. 3 in the USCHO.com Division III Top -15 Poll.

Catron tallied the team's lone goal as defenseman Simon Singher (Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec/Navan Grads) and forward Paul Bryer (Clarkston, Mich./Islanders Hockey Club) each picked up assists for Plattsburgh. Eli Shiller (Toronto, Ontario/Wellington Dukes) was the goalie of record, taking the loss with a season-high 20 saves. Cal Sandquist earned the win for Williams, as his play in net proved to be the difference, making 36 stops in net and allowing just one goal.

Plattsburgh State finished the night 1-6 on the power play, scoring on their final extra-man opportunity of the game, all while holding the Ephs 0-5 on their advantage opportunities. The Cardinals won the shot battle overall, using a 16-3 second-period advantage to outshoot Williams 37-22 over the 60-minute contest.

The Cards drop to 13-3 overall and return to conference play in their next matchup, after over a month since their last league game as they host SUNY Morrisville on Saturday, Jan. 20 at 7 p.m. Williams improved to 5-9 with the win and next host Bowdoin College on Friday, Jan. 19 as they look to continue their three-game win streak.

The first period saw the beginning of a quick and physical game between the two teams, as Plattsburgh earned three power plays in the first stanza and Willaims earned. Each defensive unit was able to kill the chances, as neither team was able to take advantage of the other's penalties early.

The Ephs, however, were able to get offense going outside the power play, just before the 10^th minute of action of the stick of Nicholas Rashokovksy, as Jamie Cates and Faisal Al-Saif each picked up assists to put Williams up 1-0 in the first period.

The lead held for the host team, as Sandquist stood tall through the first and second periods, as he made 29 saves over the first 40 minutes to keep his team out in front. A cross-checking penalty on the Ephs as time expired in the second period opened up the Cardinal power play, allowing the Cards to finally break the scoreboard to start the third.

Catron tallied the Plattsburgh goal at the 45-second mark of the third period, as he took a huge rip off a Singher pass from the point, netting his one-timer at the top of the face-off circle for a fantastic top-shelf finish.

With the game tied, the Cards were unable to control play as much as they had at earlier points, with two penalties on Plattsburgh adding to that issue. Both miscues were killed off, but the final penalty didn't allow the Cardinals to work into an advantage over the final two minutes of action.

Williams took the lead after just over 12 minutes had transpired in the period, as Cates scored off a Rashkovsky assist. From there, the Ephs held down the lead and took advantage of the late powerplay that transpired from the 17:38 mark until the 19:38 point to help them maintain their advantage.

The Cardinals were eventually able to pull their goalie late in the action, but nothing came to fruition as they sustained just their third loss of the 2023-24 season.