Comfort Inn Winter Classic Semi Finals: Wentworth Leopards @ Plattsburgh State Cardinals January 11th 2025

NCAA Division 3 Mens Hockey
glove save
Photo By: 
Kyle Coryea

Plattsburgh State's Jacob Hearne 31) with the glove save on the writer as part of an 18-save night as the Cardinals get the 5-3 win. It would be the 2025 edition of the Comfort Inn Winter Classic from the Ronald B Stafford Ice Arena, and the second semi-final on the day would see the host Plattsburgh State Cardinals take on the Wentworth Leopards, with the winner getting the #15 University of New England Noreasters in front of 1200 fans. The game would start well for the home Cardinals as they would get the game's opening goal from Jack Ring. The Leopards would come back two minutes later with a short-handed goal from Alex Walicki to tie the game at 1. Then the Cardinals would answer back at the ten-minute mark with two goals in 35 seconds from Kevin Weaver Vitale and Colin Callahan to make it 3-1 after the first period. When the teams returned for the second period, the Leopards would make it a one-goal game again just a minute into the Mighton Johnson goal to make it a 3-2 game. However, the Cardinals would return at the 7:47 mark of the period on the Brannon Butler goal to regain their two-goal lead at 4-2. It would be shortlived though cause the Leopards would answer back 35 seconds later on the Nicholas Ramm goal to make it 4-3 game. The game would stay there till the closing minute of the game when Riley Sutherland would add an empty netter for the Cardinals to secure the 5-3 victory. Jacob Hearne would make 18 saves in the winning effort as they go to 7-5-1 on the season and will take on the #15 University of New England in the Comfort Inn Winter Classic finals. As for the Wentworth Leopards, they fall to 4-8-2 in the season and will take on #10 Wilkes. Gallery

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