PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The No. 5 Plattsburgh State men's ice hockey team scored four unanswered, third-period goals—including two from senior forward Ryan Butler (Kelowna, British Columbia/Adrian College)—as the Cardinals posted a 5-2 win over Buffalo State in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) action Friday evening at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena.
 
Plattsburgh State is ranked at No. 5 in the USCHO.com Men's Division III Top-15 Poll.
 
The Cardinals finished with a 41-22 edge in shots on goal and went 1-for-4 on the power play. The Bengals were 1-for-3 with the extra skater.
 
Plattsburgh State rises to 18-4-2 overall (11-3-1 SUNYAC) with the win and closes out the regular season tomorrow at 4 p.m. against Fredonia. Based on Oswego State earning a point with a 2-1 overtime loss to SUNY Cortland on Friday evening, Oswego secured the No. 2 seed in the SUNYAC Tournament and relegated Plattsburgh State to the No. 3 seed regardless of tomorrow's result against the Blue Devils. Buffalo State falls to 9-13-2 overall (4-9-2 SUNYAC) with the loss and finishes out its regular season tomorrow at SUNY Potsdam (7 p.m. game time).
 
Junior forward Anthony Morin put the Bengals on the board just 2:53 into the contest, forcing a turnover in the Cardinals' end before depositing a shot from the right circle over the goalie's blocker-side shoulder.
 
While Buffalo State led, 1-0, at the first intermission, senior defenseman Kevin Weaver-Vitale (Toronto, Ontario/Markham Royals) evened the score at 1-all with a power-play goal at the 15:00 mark of the second period. Senior forward Paul Bryer (Clarkston, Mich./Islanders Hockey Club) passed to Weaver-Vitale in the right circle, and Weaver-Vitale rocketed a one-time shot past the Bengal netminder glove side. Junior forward Luk Jirousek (Whitehorse, Yukon/Alberni Valley Bulldogs) earned the secondary assist on the goal.
 
Buffalo State took a 2-1 lead at 6:14 of the third, as junior forward Joe Glamos scored on the power play. Senior defenseman Parker Allison passed to first-year forward Jake Meure along the left goal line extended, and Meure quickly fed Glamos out in front. Glamos snapped a shot from the left circle to put the visitors on top.
 
Junior forward Jake Lanyi (North Salem, N.Y./Connecticut Jr. Rangers) answered 1:17 later to tie the game at 2-all and start the Cardinals' 4-0 tear to end the contest. First-year forward Aaron Catron (Middletown, Del./Philadelphia Little Flyers) fed Lanyi on a give-and-go pass in the neutral zone, and after Lanyi entered the attacking zone along the left wing, he ripped a shot that went over the goaltender's blocker-side shoulder. Graduate student defenseman Ryan Hogg (Duncan, British Columbia/Islanders Hockey Club) also earned an assist on the play.
 
Butler's game-winning goal came at 12:49 of the third. Weaver-Vitale sent a stretch pass ahead to first-year forward Tio D'Addario (Montreal, Quebec/Navan Grads), and D'Addario sent a centering pass to Butler in the slot that Butler one-timed into the back of the goal.
 
Senior forward Trey Thomas (Williams Lake, British Columbia/Brooks Bandits) added insurance at 16:25 of the third period. Junior defenseman Jack Ring (Hingham, Mass./Northeast Generals) passed D-to-D to sophomore defenseman Spencer Bellina (Medina, Ohio/Chippewa Steel) in the defensive zone, and Bellina sprung Thomas ahead with a stretch pass into the neutral zone. Thomas received the puck at center ice, entered the zone and scored high glove side from the inside hash marks of the left circle.
 
Butler scored an empty-net goal with 1:25 left to seal the win. Lanyi intercepted a Bengal pass in the Buffalo State zone, and Lanyi fed Butler out in front of the unmanned net for the result-clinching marker.
 
Junior goaltender Jacob Hearne (Ennismore, Ontario/Toronto Jr. Canadiens) made 20 saves in the win for the Cardinals, while first-year goaltender Marcus Cumberworth steered aside 36 stops in the loss for the Bengals.