By Liam Sample
The Plattsburgh State Men’s Hockey Team took down the Portland Bears 1-0 in a defensive battle Dec. 3 at Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena in a conference game.
Plattsburgh came into this game with a 5-4-1 record, coming off a tough 5-2 loss versus No.6 Norwich University Nov. 28 in their final game of the Firstlight Shootout at Middlebury, Vermont. In comparison, the Bears are winless on the season.
The first two periods saw back and forth play between the teams with opportunities on both sides of the ice, but no team got one into the back of the net. Plattsburgh led 17-16 in shots heading into the break.
In the third, Plattsburgh finally broke the stalemate. Just after the fourteen minute mark, sophomore forward Joey Mancuso kept the puck in the offensive zone after an attempted clear by Potsdam. Mancuso pushed it ahead to Sophomore Forward Thomas Maia, who skated into the red circle and ripped the puck top-shelf to make the score 1-0.
This game was the Casella Teddy Bear Toss Night to aid the Clinton County Christmas Bureau. After the goal, the ice was covered with teddy bears from the fans.
This goal was Maia’s second of the season and sixth point, Mancuso picked up the sole assist on the play for his seventh this year. He leads the team with fourteen points.
Sophomore goaltender Anthony Del Tufo made twenty four stops for his sixth win of the season. This was his first collegiate shutout and came in a crucial win for his team.Plattsburgh finished the game with a 26-24 shot advantage over Potsdam. They moved to 6-4-1 on the season with a 4-2-1 record in the conference and currently sit at fourth in the SUNYAC men’s hockey standings.
