PSU hockey hosts Devils in SUNYAC championship
Everything has fallen into place for the Plattsburgh State men's hockey team in the SUNY Athletic Conference Tournament.
So far.
The fourth-seeded Cardinals will host sixth-seeded Fredonia in the conference championship game tonight at 7 p.m. at the Stafford Ice Arena, with an automatic NCAA Division III Tournament berth on the line.
"We're excited about being home and appreciate the support we get from our fans," said Plattsburgh State head coach Bob Emery. "We're thankful for the opportunity.
"But, being home doesn't guarantee a win. We've had more conference home losses this year than I can remember."
The Blue Devils (14-12-1) are coming to Plattsburgh on a roll and with plenty of confidence.
Fredonia, after closing out the regular season with a 6-5 overtime win at Morrisville, has gone on the road to win two games in the playoffs and advance into the finals.
The Blue Devils skated to a 3-2 victory at Buffalo State and, last weekend, stunned top-seeded and top-ranked Oswego, 2-1, in overtime.
"The SUNYAC is arguably the best Division III conference in the country from top to bottom," said Emery. "Fredonia has taken advantage of its opportunity.
"Winning two games on the road like they have builds character and coach (Jeff) Meredith always has his team ready to play in the playoffs. We have our work cut out for us."
The Blue Devils have five players with 20 or more points, led by junior forward Bryan Ross (15-30-45), senior forward Jordan Oye (17-22-39) and senior defenseman Steve Rizer (3-29-32).
Freshman Mark Friesen (9-8-1, 2.44 gaa) has been a mainstay in net, especially in the playoffs.
"Fredonia is the same type of team we usually see from them," said Emery. "They play real hard — they're big and strong — and they don't make a lot of mistakes."
It's been a pressure-filled ride in the conference tournament thus far for the Cardinals (19-7-1), who have continued to put forth a quality effort with each game.
Both Plattsburgh State playoff wins have gone deep in overtime, with the Cardinals escaping with a 4-3 home win over Morrisville in the quarterfinals and then a thrilling 3-2 victory at second-seeded Geneseo in last weekend's semifinals.
The Cardinals have six players with 20 point or more, with sophomore forwards Eric Satim (12-22-34) and Dylan Clarke (17-13-30) leading the way.
Freshman Nick Jensen (8-14-22), junior Vick Schlueter (8-13-21), junior Kyle Kudroch (11-9-20) and sophomore Patrick Jobb (10-10-20) round out the group with 20 or more points.
Sophomore Josh Leis (16-4-1, 2.39 gaa) has done the majority of the goaltending and is coming off a strong effort at Geneseo.
"Everyone on the team is healthy and ready to go," said Emery.
The Cardinals, who are currently ranked sixth in the country, defeated the Blue Devils twice in the regular season — a 4-2 win in Plattsburgh on Nov. 20 and a 3-1 victory, with an empty-net goal, in Fredonia on Feb. 12.
"Those were both tough games and we were fortunate," said Emery. "This is not going to be an easy game for either team and hopefully our non-conference schedule will prepare us for the game."
Note: The Plattsburgh State men's hockey team is encouraging their fans to wear red at tonight's game for a "Red-Out" Stafford Ice Arena.
