Despite starting their conference season 0-2 for the first time in program history, Plattsburgh State is not a pushover like their record may make them out to be. Aside from the typical cliche, “throw out the records when these [rivals] play,” the Cardinals are a team that has played well.
“We’ve played some good hockey, probably good enough to win both games,” head coach Steve Moffat said. “We didn’t have a lot of puck luck … but I thought we played pretty well, especially Saturday night. We showed signs of improvement and what it took to win in the SUNYAC.”
Bounces are a big part of hockey, and for Plattsburgh State, it is only a matter of time until the puck lands in their favor. Facing the reigning conference champions is never an easy task, but this became magnified by the situation Plattsburgh State is in. With a new head coach for the first time in 30 years and a freshmen-dependent lineup, it was an unfavorable matchup for the Cardinals against SUNY Geneseo last Saturday, Nov. 2.
Even with their struggles, Plattsburgh State was able to play its game, one that is very conducive for success, especially come crunch time. Much like last season, the Cardinals are a passive, defensive team that is willing to sit back and wait for their chances. Defensively, they allow the opposition to hold the puck in their own zone.
What is so impressive with this system is that in the defensive zone, the Cardinals are able to collapse toward their net and clog up the middle of the ice. This results in fewer passes across the crease. Most of the scoring chances are diminished to low danger chances from odd angles.
For Oswego State, it is imperative to move the puck quickly but stay patient. Throwing pucks on net results in a blocked shot and could start a rush the other way for the Cardinals.
“Quick puck movement, especially on the powerplay,” Josh Zizek said. “We’ve been working on it all week, it’s just moving that puck side to side, quick … They don’t move much but any movement is going to open up a lane.”
These defensive schematics were put on full display during the Cardinals’ penalty kill. While they are only 6-9 on the man disadvantage, they sit back, making it difficult to generate scoring chances. Against SUNY Geneseo, the forwards on the ice did not attack the point man, instead they stayed within three or five feet of the top of the faceoff circles. With this, the Knights could not find shooting lanes from the back end.
As of now, the Cardinals cannot afford to press on the penalty kill like the Lakers do. Their skaters lack the speed of teams like Oswego State and SUNY Geneseo. This is mostly due to the slew of freshmen who are playing impact roles on Plattsburgh State. Eleven of its 12 freshmen have played in at least one game this season. With so many new faces, the team has not been able to gel quite yet, nor have the freshmen adjusted to the speed of college hockey.
“Some adjust quicker than others, it’s just a matter of when will they all adjust and get to that next level,” Moffat said. “[We] have seen improvement [in each] game from the younger guys.”
The lack of speed hurts the Cardinals immensely against Oswego State. Plattsburgh State typically likes to cycle the puck down low and in the corners in order to generate offense, something the Lakers do very well. The Lakers speed will be able to neutralize this attacking strategy by getting to the pucks and boards before a Cardinal can retrieve the puck. A similar fate occured against SUNY Geneseo, resulting in one and done opportunities for Plattsburgh State. When the Cardinals did escape their zone, it led to a single line rush. Plattsburgh State failed to pick up the rebounds and generate a second wave of attack.
One thing Plattsburgh State did extremely well in their first weekend of games was activating their defense when they did have extended offensive zone time. Once the Cardinals were able to enter and establish control of the puck in the zone, they were able to pass it back to their defensemen, many of whom have heavy shots or strong skating abilities. The Cardinals’ two goals have been scored by sophomore defenseman, Matt Araujo. The Cardinals do a great job finding open passing lanes and shooting lanes once they get it back to their defenders, something that is so vital in today’s game.
“How we like to play, is have our [defense] activated,” Moffat said. “It’s just so hard to score goals now, everybody plays such tight defense. You have to get five guys involved to try and help you score some goals.”
Aside from activating the defense, Plattsburgh State does a great job scoring off of faceoffs. Last season in Plattsburgh against the Lakers, Ryan Kuhn was able to score on a one-timer directly off of a faceoff. These types of plays neutralize the Lakers’ aggressive forwards, as they do not have time to attack the defense. When the Cardinals get the puck back to their defense in the offensive zone, they have to move the puck quickly or else Oswego State could force a turnover and odd man rush the other way.
While the Cardinals lost a veteran head coach, Moffat will continue the style of play that Emery preached for decades. The team is defensively responsible, physical and seems to score when they need a goal.
