SUNYAC MEN'S ICE HOCKEY SEMIFINALS 
#4 PLATTSBURGH CARDINALS AT #1 CORTLAND RED DRAGONS
Saturday, March 1, 2025 – 7:00 p.m.
Alumni Arena – Cortland, NY

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LIVE STATS
VIDEO

TICKET AND SPECTATOR INFORMATION...
-Cash only
-All Tickets are $5 (Ages 5 and up)
-SUNYAC students with ID are free 
-Ticket booth will open at 5:00 p.m. and doors will open at 6:00 p.m.
-Capacity is 1,500 fans

THE MATCHUP… Top-seeded Cortland, ranked 12th nationally by USCHO and 11th nationally by DIII Hockey News, hosts fourth-seeded Plattsburgh in the semifinals of the 2024-25 SUNYAC Men's Hockey Tournament.

This will be the third time that the sides match up this season, with Cortland coming away with a 3-1 road win on Nov. 22, and the Red Dragons earning a dominant 6-2 win at home on Feb. 8. 
 
In the series since 2007, Plattsburgh holds a significant 28-5-2 edge, but the Red Dragons have won each of the past three meetings of the sides. This will also be the second straight year that Cortland and Plattsburgh match up in the conference playoffs, as Cortland won 3-2 in the SUNYAC Finals last season thanks to an overtime winner from Anthony Bernardo (Hauppauge/P.A.L. Jr. Islanders).

The Red Dragons are looking to defend their title and win their second SUNYAC crown this season. Cortland has reached the SUNYAC Tournament in each of the last four seasons under head coach Joe Cardarelli. 
 
Plattsburgh is in search of a 25th conference title, most of any team in the conference. The Cardinals last won a conference championship in 2022-23, and have reached the conference tournament in each of the past 33 seasons. 

LAST TIME WE MET…  Five different Red Dragons scored a goal, and nationally 14th-ranked Cortland earned a dominant 6-2 victory over Plattsburgh at Alumni Arena on Saturday, Feb. 8 in the last matchup of the sides. 
 
Domenic Settimo (East Meadow/P.A.L. Jr. Islanders) led Cortland with two goals, while Colby Seitz (Eden/Corpus Christi Ice Rays) provided a goal and two assists and Stephen Kyrkostas (Selden/Johnstown Tomahawks) had a goal and an assist. Joshua Rumolo (Brooklin, ON/Wellington Dukes) and Charlie Merkley (Fairport/Corpus Christi Ice Rays) each scored their first collegiate goal in the victory. 
 
Ronan Mobley (Playa Del Ray, CA/New Hampshire Avalanche) stopped 19 shots for the win in goal. Johnny Facchini (Succasunna, NJ/P.A.L. Jr. Islanders), Evan Beaudry (Mississauga, ON/Kemptville 73's), and Brady Hildreth (Lockport/New Jersey Titans) each tallied two assists, while Nate Boak (Canton/El Paso Rhinos) and Andrew Clouden (Hamburg/Seacoast Spartans) recorded an assist apiece.
 
Patrick Cole and Tyler Ramm each scored a goal for the Cardinals. Dominik Bovan allowed just one goal on 12 shots in relief over the final 17:42 of play. 
 
The Red Dragons netted the first goal of the game on their second shot on goal at the 2:58 mark of the first period. Settimo won an offensive zone faceoff over to Seitz, who kicked the puck into the corner. Facchini chased the loose puck to the corner and slid a pass out to the right circle for a one-timer by Settimo into the right corner of the net. 
 
The score remained 1-0 into the first intermission, with Cortland holding a 14-9 edge in shots on goal.
 
The Red Dragons scored twice in the first 5:12 of the second period to make it 3-0. Merkley netted his first goal of his career, taking a pass from Clouden in the Cortland defensive zone and skating down the left side, before cutting towards the Plattsburgh goal and beating Plattsburgh goaltender Jacob Hearne with a backhanded shot at the right post. 
 
Settimo then netted his second goal of the game less than two minutes later, taking a feed from the left side from Seitz at the blue line, and depositing a backhand into the left corner of the net. Facchini was credited with the other assist on the goal after a strong breakout pass.
 
Near the midway point of the frame, the Red Dragons took a major penalty, and subsequent game misconduct, for slashing. Mobley and the Cortland defense were able to hold Plattsburgh off the board for the duration of the penalty to keep momentum. 
 
Plattsburgh then committed a penalty for too many players on the ice. Shortly after the completion of that penalty, Seitz netted his ninth goal of the year with a wrist shot into the top left corner of the net after a feed from below the goal line from Kyrkostas. 
 
The Cardinals made it 4-1 with 2:31 left in the third period, taking advantage of a turnover by the Red Dragons in their own defensive zone, with Ramm ripping a shot into the top left corner of the net. 
 
Early in the third period, Cortland scored a power-play goal as a result of perfect passing. Beaudry sent a pass from the blue line over to the right side to Hildreth, who quickly slid a cross-ice feed to Kyrkostas for his fourth goal of the year into the open goal. 
 
Rumolo completed the scoring for Cortland 5:24 into the period, as his shot from the right point deflected off a Plattsburgh defender and into the back of the net past Bovan, who was unable to locate the puck.
 
The Cardinals added a goal late in the third period by Cole, but the Red Dragons maintained the comfortable 6-2 edge until the final buzzer.

THE CORTLAND CAPSULE… Cortland began the season with a pair of victories on the road at Lebanon Valley and Alvernia, before returning home and falling to #2 Adrian by a score of 5-3. The Red Dragons split the opening weekend of SUNYAC play, winning 5-1 over Fredonia but dropping a 5-3 decision to Buffalo State. Cortland responded with a pair of victories in the North Country, winning at Plattsburgh and Potsdam on back-to-back nights to improve to 5-2 on the season. 
 
Cortland earned one of its signature victories of the season in a dominant 8-3 win over #5 Curry at the Syracuse War Memorial Arena on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, as Nate Berke (Williamsville/Buffalo Jr. Sabres) provided two goals and two assists, Garrett Krieger (Skaneateles/Utica Jr. Comets) tallied two goals and an assist, and Colby Seitz (Eden/Corpus Christi Ice Rays) netted a pair of goals. The Red Dragons closed out the fall semester with a 3-1 road win over Canton, heading to the holiday break with a 7-3 record. 
 
Cortland picked up a road win at #10 Wilkes as part of a 4-1 stretch to begin play in January. After dropping a non-conference contest to Oswego in the Griffin's Guardians Charity Game, Cortland rattled off four straight conference victories, including delivering a 4-3 victory over Oswego at home in conference play. During that run of games, Ronan Mobley (Playa Del Ray, CA/New Hampshire Avalanche) recorded his first career shutout, and Nate Berke became the 12th player in program history to reach 100 career points, both happening in a 3-0 shutout at Buffalo State.
 
Cortland endured its final defeat of the regular season in a loss to Potsdam, but rebounded with four straight victories, clinching the regular-season title with a 10-2 beatdown of Morrisville in which Domenic Settimo (East Meadow/P.A.L. Jr. Islanders) scored three times and added an assist. 
 
At 19-6 on the season and 12-2 in SUNYAC action, Cortland has the top winning percentage in the conference and the ninth best in the country. The Red Dragons also have tied the school record for wins in a season, and set a new program best with 12 conference wins in a season. 
 
Cortland boasts the best scoring offense in the conference, averaging 4.32 goals per game. That mark also ranks tied for fourth in the nation. Meanwhile, the Cortland defense allows just 2.56 goals per game, giving the Red Dragons the 13th-best scoring margin in the country at 1.76. 
The Red Dragons are led in scoring by Nate Berke, who has 38 points on 15 goals and 23 assists. Berke's average of 1.52 points per game leads the conference and is fifth in the nation. 
 
In goal, Ronan Mobley has recorded a 17-3-0 record with a .914 save percentage and 2.28 GAA to go along with one shutout and one assist. In 13 conference games, Mobley went 12-1 with a .934 save percentage and 1.70 GAA. 
 
DOWN A PLAYER, NO PROBLEM… Cortland has netted five short-handed goals this season, and two of them have been scored by Nate Berke. Berke is tied for eighth nationally with those two short-handed goals. Evan Beaudry (Mississauga, ON/Kemptville 73's), Conor Humphrey (Penfield/Rochester Jr. Americans), and Colby Seitz are the other Red Dragons to score while down a skater.  
  
YEAH, WE SCORE… The Cortland offense has scored 108 goals on the season, tied for the most in the SUNYAC. Five different players have reached 10 goals on the year, including Nate Berke, Domenic Settimo, Colby Seitz, Sam Christiano (Buffalo/Buffalo Jr. Sabres), and Nathan Garnier (Laval, QC/Cornwall Colts). 
 
CREATORS… As a team, Cortland has provided 187 assists on the year, the fifth-best mark in the country. Individually, Johnny Facchini (Succasunna, NJ/P.A.L. Jr. Islanders) has 23 assists on the season, tied for the team lead. His 0.96 assists per game are tied for sixth nationally. Meanwhile, Nate Berke is tied for ninth nationally with 0.92 assists per game.    
 
ONE FOR THE RECORD… Ronan Mobley has tied the school record for most goaltending victories in a season with 17. One more win this year would break a tie with Mike Germain, who had 17 wins in the 1992-93 season. 

CONFERENCE HONORS… Cortland had seven players claim SUNYAC postseason honors, as the conference released all-conference and all-rookie teams on Thursday. Nate Berke and Ronan Mobley  were first team all-league honorees, while Domenic Settimo, Colby Seitz, and Johnny Facchini were named to the second team. Sam Christiano and Justin Legault (Oakville, ON/Burlington Cougars) were honored on the SUNYAC All-Rookie Team.  
 
A BIRD'S-EYE VIEW OF THE CARDINALS… Plattsburgh enters Saturday's semifinal matchup with a 15-10-1 overall record (8-6-0 SUNYAC). The Cardinals are riding a four-game winning streak after a come-from-behind 5-3 win over Potsdam in the SUNYAC First Round on Wednesday. 
 
Plattsburgh averages 3.31 goals per game, fourth best in the conference but 29th best in the nation. The Cardinals have a scoring defense that is also 29th in the nation, allowing 2.65 goals per game. Goaltender Jacob Hearne has played in 24 games for the Cardinals, sporting a 15-8-1 record, a .908 save percentage, and a 2.27 GAA. 
 
The top scorer for Plattsburgh in points is Kevin Weaver-Vitale, who has 25 points on seven goals and 18 assists on the year. The Cardinals had three players reach 10 goals on the season, Tyler Ramm, Aaron Catron, and Patrick Cole. Ramm leads the team with 11 goals, and Catron and Cole each have scored 10 times. 
 
Three Plattsburgh players earned SUNYAC postseason recognition. Defenseman Kevin Weaver-Vitale was a first team honoree, defenseman Jack Ring was named to the second team, and forward Tyler Ramm was named to the SUNYAC All-Rookie Team. 

SCHEDULES/RESULTS (click team to access online schedules)…

CORTLAND RED DRAGONS: 19-6 (12-2 SUNYAC)

PLATTSBURGH CARDINALS: 15-10-1 (8-6 SUNYAC)