A quick look at the standings in the SUNYAC finds Plattsburgh in second place behind Oswego heading into the remaining conference games on the schedule. At 5-2-1, the Cardinals are only looking up at Oswego and still have a game remaining with the Lakers in the battle for the top which also includes defending champion Geneseo and a resurgent Cortland squad in the mix. This year’s edition of the roster has a great mix and balance of youth and experience and coach Steve Moffat is hopeful that the team’s best hockey is still coming in the second half.
“It’s terrible coach-speak and cliché for sure,” said head coach Steve Moffat. “It is one day at a time and Middlebury in front of us on Friday that we only need to worry about today. We had a pretty good first semester and in general, I think we played hard. We need to get better defensively as a team and continue the positive trending of a lower goals-against average and better save percentage so far this season. Without question if we want to end up playing for something at the end of the year our power play needs to be better as well.”
The Cardinals, like several other D-III teams, are managing through roster reductions with players representing the USA in the World University Games in upstate New York. Defenseman Jack Ring (7-6-13), who is second on the team in scoring behind Bennett Stockdale (7-7-14), is representing the USA and his absence creates both a challenge and an opportunity for the Cardinals over the next week or two.
“Jack will be missed both on and off the ice,” noted Moffat. “He is a key performer for us on the ice and eats a lot of minutes in all situations, but he has a great personality off the ice and lightens the locker room. He never takes himself too seriously and has a calming influence on the rest of the players. Those things will be missed for sure. The opportunity with Jack out is for other guys to get more minutes to step up and contribute in different situations including the power play. I have liked our zone time and momentum on the man advantage but we look for the pretty goal too much vs. the rebound and tough goals right in front of the net. I’d like to see us simplify things by getting more pucks to the net and more bodies in front to take away the goalie’s eyes and give us chances for rebounds in close.”
The Cardinals came back from an extended break to host a tournament last weekend where they lost to SUNYAC rival Oswego in the final by a 2-1 score. This weekend, the team plays two long-time rivals from NESCAC before the stretch run to finish out the regular season in conference play which includes match-ups with other contenders including Oswego, Geneseo and Cortland among the eight remaining league contests.
“We had a long break and I think last weekend we worked the rust off. Now is the time we really need to hit our stride and we will have two games this weekend where we better be ready to play. The records don’t matter when we play Middlebury or Williams and as we all have seen across D-III you can’t get in a hole against anyone and expect to come back and win – teams are too good now everywhere. As Coach Emery used to say, “you get to play a game 25 nights of 365 days in a year.” That is a really small sample size, so you better be motivated to go each and every time you get the opportunity to play. We are looking for that and our best hockey heading into the second half of the season.”
After traveling to Middlebury on Friday to face a Panther team they defeated 5-0 back in November, the Cardinals return home to close out their non-conference schedule at home against Williams College.
“It’s important to build some momentum this weekend for the remaining SUNYAC schedule with a strong finish to our out of league schedule,” stated Moffat. “We want to end one chapter on a good note and carry that into the final month of the regular season.”
