MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – The Plattsburgh State men's ice hockey team dropped their opening round LayerEight Shootout matchup on Friday, Nov. 30, falling to Norwich 1-0 at Chip Kenyon Ice Arena. The Cardinals edged the Cadets 30-23 in shots but were unable to find the back of the net on Friday evening.
Devon Thibodeau scored the game's lone goal on a power play late in the third period, leading the Cadets to the win.
Jacob Hearne (Ennismore, Ontario/Toronto Jr. Canadiens) had a solid outing in net, making 22 saves in just under 58-and-a-half minutes of play. The Cardinals had two powerplays, both in the third period, but went 0-2 on the advantage, while Norwich finished 1-2 on the power play on Friday.
Plattsburgh State moves to 3-4 and will await the loser of the Marian and Middlebury game, as they will play in the LayerEight Shootout Consolation game on Saturday, Nov. 30 at 3:30 p.m. Norwich moves to 3-2-1 and will await the winner of the Marian and Middlebury game, as they will play for the LayerEight Shootout Championship at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 30.
The first period saw Norwich come out strong, outplaying Plattsburgh over the first 20 minutes, holding a 13-5 advantage in shots on goal. The Cardinals were able to hold defensively, led by Hearne's 13 saves, including a penalty kill at the end of the first stanza.
Plattsburgh flipped the script in the second period, coming out in much better fashion, outshooting the Cadets 14-6 and giving themselves several opportunities at scoring. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, Sami Molu was up to the task for Norwich, making all 14 saves.
The third period saw Plattsburgh State continue to generate more chances than Norwich, limiting the Cadets to just three shots all period. Norwich, however, needed just one shot to take the lead, as they scored at the 15:02 mark with just 15 seconds left on their power play. Thibodeau notched his first goal of the season on the play, while Holden Doggett and Anthony Domina each had assists.
Plattsburgh was unable to score on an earlier power play, beginning at the 5:56 mark of the third period, attempting only one shot. After the Cadets' goal, the Cardinals had another power play opportunity beginning at the 16:10 mark, attempting two shots on goal without a score. The team continued to play on the advantage over the final minute and forty seconds, as Hearne was taken out of the net, but Plattsburgh could not find the back of the net, taking the loss.
Molu made 30 saves, picking up the shutout and the win.
