Statistics

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. -- The No.15 University of New England men's ice hockey squad was first on the scoreboard and maintained the lead throughout, finishing off a hard-fought 4-2 men's ice hockey victory over host Plattsburgh State in the championship game of the Comfort Inn Winter Classic at Stafford Arena on Sunday evening (Jan. 12).

The Nor'easters (9-5-1) captured the 43rd edition of the event by out-scoring opponents, 11-4, which included hanging a season high-tying seven on No.10 Wilkes University on Saturday. Tournament Most Valuable Player Drew Olivieri and Nathan Chickering accounted for three goals apiece to pace the nation's eighth-rated offense.

Ryan Kuzmich and Stefan Carney landed spots on the All-Tournament Team; Kuzmich was the leading factor in the big result against Wilkes (three points), while Carney amassed 53 saves to hold both first-time opponents well below their season averages (combined 7.15).

UNE opened things up less than three minutes into the 2nd period, as Juraj Elias scored from the blue line through a screen on the power play, with assists from Olivieri and Dominic Murphy. It looked like the margin would just be one through 40 minutes, but Olivieri added to the cushion with just four seconds left in the middle frame. Kuzmich and Murphy assisted on the play, with a cross-ice outlet and then a pass around the lone defender to give Olivieri plenty of time to make a move and beat Cardinals goalie Jacob Hearne.

Colin Callanan got one back for Plattsburgh 1:50 into the 3rd, and the home side used that momentum to have stretch of sustained pressure before the midway mark of the period, both on a man-advantage and then during the 4-on-4 that followed. Carney turned away five shots in the span, and the Cardinals hit the bar twice, but could not find the equalizer. Minutes later, the hosts were attempting to clear the defensive zone when Will Spitzer knocked it away and Olivieri collected, before skating in, with numbers, and freezing the netminder to slot in his second tally of the night with 7:12 left (3-1). It marked the first-ever two-goal outing for the sophomore, and second three-point performance.

Moments after Hearne's sprawling shoulder kept Murphy from putting things out-of-reach for the visitors, Plattsburgh added a skater with 2:30 on the clock and closed the gap 10 seconds later (3-2), as a toe-drag around a defender by Kevin Weaver-Vitale created space to snap a shot through. The Cardinals continued to press with the goalie pulled and then got the bonus of a UNE penalty for a 6-on-4 situation. However, five Carney saves and two big blocks by Tyler Healey and Mike Tersoni later, the Nor'easters were still clinging to the lead, facing a defensive faceoff with 20 ticks to play. Ike Keller won that draw back to David Wilcox, got it back at the near wall, and chipped ahead for Chickering to chase down and guide into the empty cage to seal it.

Both of Chickering's live-action goals during the weekend came while UNE was shorthanded. Meanwhile, the Nor'easters limited their opponents to 1-for-11 on the power play.

Carney finished with 27 saves in the game, while Wilcox and Tersoni supported the defensive stand with four and three blocked shots, respectively.

Hearne had 28 stops for Plattsburgh (7-6-1), which was a 21-win program in 2023-24. Callanan and Weaver-Vitale were named to the All-Tournament unit.

Earlier in the afternoon, the other All-Tournament Team member, George Kolovos of Wentworth Institute of Technology, scored in overtime to lift the Leopards past Wilkes in the consolation match.

UNE will be back on home ice Friday night (7 p.m.) to take on Conference of New England (CNE) foe Suffolk University. The contest is also the 9th Annual Teddy Bear Toss Game.