The Plattsburgh State men’s ice hockey team remained at home Saturday night for SUNYAC action, looking to rebound from a tough 7–0 setback to No. 1 Hobart the night before. In one of the most storied rivalries in Division III hockey, the Cardinals battled No. 4 Oswego State in a dramatic contest that lived up to expectations before the Lakers came from behind to earn a 5–4 decision.
Plattsburgh struck early and often, jumping out to a 2–0 lead less than three minutes into the game. First-year Alexandro Moliner(Delson, Quebec) opened the scoring at 0:54 of the first period, assisted by junior Vladislav Pshenichnikov (Moscow, Russia), and senior Spencer Bellina (Medina, Ohio) followed less than two minutes later with a goal set up by senior Joshua Belgrave(Burlington, Ontario) and senior Colin Callanan (Stony Point, N.Y.). Oswego kept the Cardinals honest with a goal midway through the first, but Plattsburgh extended the advantage to 4–1 in the second period on tallies from sophomore Quinn Tavares (Mississauga, Ontario) and first-year Felix-Antoine Parenteau (St-Augustin-de-Desmaures, Quebec).
Oswego, however, mounted a furious comeback. The Lakers responded with four unanswered goals in the second period, capped by a late power-play strike from Matt McQuade to complete the rally. Oswego’s depth showed through as multiple scorers chipped in during the comeback. Despite a late push from the Cardinals in the final minutes, Plattsburgh could not regain the lead.
With the loss, the Cardinals fall to 8–10 overall and 4–7 in SUNYAC play. Plattsburgh will look to bounce back Friday night at SUNYAC rival Cortland, with puck drop scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
