January 9, 2019

Game of the Week: Plattsburgh wins W.B. Mason Winter Classic title in thrilling four round shootout

Saint Anselm

8-8-1

Plattsburgh

6-5-2

Final	1	2	3	OT	T
Saint Anselm 8-8-1	1	0	0	0	1
Plattsburgh 6-5-2	1	0	0	0	1

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. - The State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Game of the Week comes courtesy of the Plattsburgh men's ice hockey match against Saint Anselm College from last Saturday. It was the final game in the two day W.B. Mason Winter Classic, with the Cardinals looking to take home the title for the second consecutive year.

Game Facts

First Period

Pat Egan (Rochester, N.Y.) fired the opening shot just 55 seconds after the puck dropped. Senior forward Cole Stallard (Atlanta, Ga.) played the puck up to freshman defenseman Ian Wallgren (Stockholm, Sweden) on the right point, and Wallgren fired a shot that Saint Anselm's goaltender, senior Colin Soucy (North Andover, Mass.), turned away. Egan then banged in the rebound right outside the crease to hand the Cardinals the early lead. Saint Anselm tied the game with 14:00 gone in the first. Junior defenseman Jake Grade (Falmouth, Maine) passed D-to-D to junior defenseman Liam O'Sullivan (North Hampton, N.H.), and O'Sullivan took a shot from the left point that Ferraro redirected into the goal.

Second Period

Both teams worked hard to break the tie, each managing almost identical shots on goals - Saint Anselm had 12, while Plattsburgh had 11. However, none of those attempts found the net, bringing the second period to a close, still even, 1-1.

Third Period

During the third period, Plattsburgh's chances of breaking the tie took a hit after it sustained a five-minute major with just 1:28 left in regulation. The Cardinal penalty kill once again came up big, as a pad save by sophomore goaltender Lawson Fenton (Medina, N.Y.) and a blocked shot by senior forward Cam Owens (Wilmington, Mass.) helped Plattsburgh make it through regulation.

Overtime

With the penalty carrying into overtime, Lawson Fenton (Medina, N.Y.) sprang into action two more times and Cardinal defenders blocked four more Hawks shot attempts before Saint Anselm took a roughing minor to end the power-play opportunity for the Hawks. Plattsburgh State was unable to put a shot on frame during its one-minute power play after the five-minute major ended, and neither team was able to generate an offensive chance in the final 28 seconds of overtime.

Shootout

Through the first three rounds of the shootout, neither teams' goaltenders conceded to any shots fired in their direction, keeping the game even at 1. In the fourth round, however, things finally changed. After a shootout attempt from Hawks' Chris Googins (Braintree, Mass.) was saved by Fenton, it was Egan's turn to try to win the game for the Cardinals. The senior went straight into the zone and uncorked a shot from the slot that beat the goalie glove side. Since the Cardinals shot last, that goal ended the shootout, giving the Cardinals the W.B. Mason Winter Classic title.

Player of the Game

Forward Pat Egan provided all the offense for Plattsburgh, getting them on the board quickly with his early goal in the first period. Though Saint Anselm would later tie the game, which would last through overtime, Egan would come to the rescue in the fourth round of the shootout, netting a goal to bring Plattsburgh the W.B. Mason Winter Classic title. It's the 22nd time the Cardinals have won the Winter Classic in program history.

Inside the Stats

Plattsburgh

Fenton notched 35 saves in 65:00 of play for the Cardinals
The Cardinals accumulated four penalties totaling 11 minutes - three of them were minor, one of them was major
Plattsburgh players combined for 33 shots on goal
Plattsburgh was 0-3 on power play shots

Saint Anselm

Soucy made 32 saves for the Hawks in 65:00 of play
Saint Anselm had three penalties totaling six minutes - two of them were minor, one of them was major
Saint Anselm players combined for 36 shots on goal
The Hawks were 0-9 on power play shots