It might be an eye-opener that long-time Plattsburgh State head coach Bob Emery is not coaching the action this weekend. He had been on the bench as head coach since 1989, until his retirement this past March, following the 2018-19 season. To put it in context of how long Emery was coach, just look at the Cleveland Browns. The Browns changed head coaches a total of 13 times during the time Emery was intently watching over Plattsburgh State. 

When Emery said goodbye to the Cardinals, they did not have to look far for his replacement. Steve Moffat was there for 16 years as an assistant coach under Emery. While Moffat will look to replicate the successes of Emery, he is not the same person. Despite that, some things will remain consistent for the Cardinals.

“I’ve got the utmost respect for [Moffat],” Gosek said. “He’s a class act. He’ll do and represent Plattsburgh hockey the same way that Bobby did. He shouldn’t be judged by comparison. He’s a different person. He’s a different personality. But he’s a hard worker. You see him at every showcase … beating the bushes for recruits. He’ll do what it takes to keep their standards of excellence where it’s at.”

Moffat joined the coaching staff in 2000 and was a part of the national championship in his first season as an assistant coach. His first stint as assistant coach for Plattsburgh State lasted 13 years, as he left to become the head coach at Castleton University from 2013 to 2016, where his team failed to make it past the semifinals of the Eastern College Athletic Conference East Tournament. His team was two wins away from an NCAA tournament berth twice. He took his time at Castleton University as a lesson learned.

“I tried to do too much really,” Moffat said. “I tried to have my thumb on everything and didn’t delegate the way I should have. It wore me out a bit, and I think I’m more comfortable in my own skin just as a coach. I was an assistant for 13 years before I got that job and you try so hard to make everything perfect and it’s just not a perfect world. Sometimes you have to roll with the punches and relax a little bit.”

After his stint with the Spartans, Moffat returned to his alma mater, where he was an All-American hockey player back in the late 1990s. He recorded 106 goals in four seasons, the third most in program history. Moffat would add on another 99 assists in his career, bringing his point total to 205, the sixth most in Plattsburgh State history. His excellent play yielded him the honor of becoming a member of the Plattsburgh State Athletic Hall of Fame.

Moffat’s path to the Plattsburgh job is very similar to what Oswego State’s Ed Gosek went through. Gosek played for Oswego State in the 1980s and returned as an assistant coach in 1990. Both coaches spent 13 seasons as assistants until they got their first crack at being the head coach, the only difference is that Gosek’s came with Oswego State. In 2003, Gosek took over for head coach George Roll who helped build the Lakers into the steady force it is today. 

Gosek has great respect for Moffat taking over as the successor to Emery and even more for the Cardinals. Being an assistant himself, Gosek was happy to see the program reward their hard-working assistant. 

 “Steve sees that side of it, he gets that part of it, the humanistic part,” Gosek said. “I’m sure he will maintain a very successful program, and when it is someone who follows the same path being a so-called career assistant for so long, then getting the opportunity, for me those people have a special place in my heart. You want to see them succeed and given an opportunity … I know he will do a great job.” 

It has not been the start to the season that Plattsburgh State wanted, two losses to conference teams in The College at Brockport and SUNY Geneseo. This Oswego State team has been good, is highly ranked and would want nothing more than to bring Plattsburgh State to three losses to start the season. Moffat is still optimistic and following a path of progression. Not feeling pressure for taking over for Emery. 

“I’m sure at some point I may feel it,” Moffat said. “I have not yet. We are having a blast with our guys in our group. We are having fun with it. We are trying to get ourselves better in February than we are in November. We are trying to peak for playoffs and get into the playoffs.”

Photo provided by  Mark Vasey, Plattsburgh State athletics