PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – First-year forward Patrick Cole (Lancaster, N.Y./Buffalo Jr. Sabres) picked up a hat trick for the Plattsburgh State men's ice hockey team, but the Cardinals were unable to take down the Williams Ephs, falling 5-4. Cole posted the first Plattsburgh hat trick since Thomas Maia had a three-goal outburst against Fredonia on Feb. 3, 2023.

Cole, who entered the night with just one goal, led the Cardinal offense as they tried to come back from an early 3-0 deficit to the Ephs. Vlad Pshenichnikov (Moscow, Russia/Utica) had the other Plattsburgh goal, his first with the Cardinals, giving him seven points in just six games with the team. Jack Ring (Hingham, Mass./Northeast Generals), Jake Sacratini (Montreal, Quebec/AIC), and Brody Spencer-Ha (Okotoks, Alberta/Drayton Valley Thunder) each tallied two assists. Jacob Hearne (Ennismore, Ontario/Toronto Jr. Canadiens) took the loss in net, allowing two goals and making 15 saves in over 44 minutes of action.

The Cardinals had an excellent showing on special teams on Saturday night, going 2-3 on the power play and holding Williams scoreless in their only advantage opportunity. Plattsburg also ended up with the advantage in shots, 30-24, and had a big advantage in face-offs with 40 wins in 62 total tries.

Plattsburgh State falls to 8-7-1 with the loss and finally returns to conference action on Wednesday, Jan. 22 when they host Potsdam at 7 p.m. in the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena. The Ephs improved to 6-7-1, as their head coach Bill Kangas earned his 450^th win, and next take on Colby College on Friday, Jan. 24.

Before Plattsburgh could blink, the team was trailing 3-0 in the first period, as Williams scored three goals in the first 13 minutes of play. The Cards, however, were able to gain some momentum back thanks to Cole, as the first-year notched a power play goal, shoveling in a saved Ring shot to get Plattsburgh on the board. Less than a minute later, Cole added another goal off a Spencer-Ha face-off win, burying a shot from the circle past the Ephs' goalie stick side, bringing the Cards within one goal.

Williams was able to answer just before the end of the first period, taking a 4-2 lead into the first intermission, holding a 10-8 shot advantage.

The Cardinals' defensive effort was much stronger from the second period on, as they had the advantage in shots the rest of the way and limited the Ephs' offense.

Pshenichnikov worked Plattsburgh back within a goal with the Card's second power-play goal of the game at the 11:39 mark of the period. The sophomore buried a deep shot from the point, as his shot deflected off a Williams skate and past the goalie's right blocker to make the score 4-3.

The 4-3 score held through the rest of the second period and into the final stanza until William Yee gave Williams a two-goal cushion with 12:59 seconds to go in the game.

Once again, Cole had an answer for the Cards, as his initial shot on the possession was blocked and corralled by Riley Sutherland (Burlington, Ontario/St. Michael's Buzzers), who then found the first-year waiting on the doorstep unmarked for his hat trick with over seven minutes to go.

With just over three minutes remaining, Sacratini took a puck that was initially called onsides across the blue line and into the offensive zone for a goal. But after an officials meeting, the goal was waved off for offsides, and the Cardinals still trailed by one score with 3:14 to go.

Plattsburgh pulled their goalie over the final few minutes but could not generate the game-tying goal, falling to Williams 5-4.

Cal Sandquist earned the win with 26 saves for the Ephs in 60 minutes of action.