By Kamiko Chamble
The Plattsburgh State Cardinals men’s hockey team entered their game against Vermont State University on Halloween determined to bring home a win 6-1. In honor of the holiday, the exhibition game was also a special costume night.
Plattsburgh made a statement early in the game, setting the tone with aggressive forechecking, crisp passing and relentless pursuit of the puck.
After the fast-paced start, the Cardinals finally broke through late in the first period. First year defender Mike English broke out from deep in his own zone, threading a long, precise pass to sophomore Patrick Cole. Cole fired the shot past the Castleton goaltender, giving the Cardinals a 1-0 lead.
The Spartans answered the first goal quickly. The team took advantage of a breakaway opportunity generated by a turnover at the blue line and scored to tie the score at one before the first intermission.
The Cardinals entered the second period organized. The Spartans wouldn’t find another opportunity to score and Plattsburgh was set up for a commanding second half.
In the middle frame, Plattsburgh quickly regained control. After making a crucial mistake in his own defensive zone, senior forward Riley Sutherland quickly passed the puck up ice to Cole, who then made a precise pass to sophomore forward Blake Hall, who was trailing. Without hesitation, Hall buried the puck to give the Cardinals the lead again and start an attacking rush that would continue for the rest of the game.
Gabriel Filion, a first-year forward, increased the lead to 3-1 just over ten minutes later. He scored his first goal of the year by intercepting a ball and finishing cleanly in front of the net with fast hands.
Shortly after, junior forward Aaron Catron demonstrated how his defensive instincts could be turned into offensive play by swiping the puck from a Spartan defender in their own zone and scoring his first goal of the year to make it 4-1.
Filion struck once more as Plattsburgh kept up the pressure. Filion scored his second goal of the evening and gave the Cardinals a dominating 5-1 lead going into the third period after Cole passed the ball to senior Quinn Tavares, whose first attempt was stopped. With several forwards cycling in and maintaining momentum, the team made its depth clear. Having easy access to new legs kept up intense, offensive pressure on Castleton.
Senior Jake Sacratini took advantage of a rebound off the end glass, circled in front of the net, and lifted a crisp shot over the goalie’s shoulder to give Plattsburgh a convincing 6-1 victory in the final period.
In goal, junior Dominik Bovan made a strong statement in his first season as the team’s full-time starter. Bovan exuded a calm composure throughout the night, making several critical stops early to keep the game tied before the offense found its rhythm. He finished with 22 saves on 23 shots, earning his first win of the year while establishing a foundation of confidence that will be vital for Plattsburgh’s success this season.
With the goal of extending their winning streak and maintaining their supremacy on the home ice, Plattsburgh will try to bring this energy into their home game v.s. Oswego State next week at 7 p.m.
