Niklas Sundberg turned away 42 shots as Plattsburgh defeated Middlebury 3-1 on Friday to take a one-game lead in an NCAA quarterfinal series. The Cardinals need a win or tie tomorrow night to advance to the NCAA semifinals.
After a scoreless first period, Plattsburgh took a 1-0 lead midway through the second period with a shorthanded goal. Jason Kilcan and Rob Retter broke in two-on-one as Kilcan found Retter for the tally.
Just 1:03 into the third period, the Panthers tied the game as Grayson Fertig roofed a shot from just outside the crease after picking up a loose puck. The goal broke a 155-minute scoreless streak Plattsburgh netminder Sundberg had vs. Middlebury in NCAA tournament play.
The Cards quickly took the lead back just 1:41 as Kilcan skated coast-to-coast before scoring with a shot to the top right corner.
Plattsburgh took a 3-1 lead just 43 seconds later as Mark Coletta scored in transition after his shot deflected into the net off a Panther defenseman after a save by Christian Carlsson.
Middlebury’s power play struggled on the night, going 0-for-8, including a five-minute power play. The loss stopped the Panthers’ winning streak at 14 games.
Carlsson made 22 saves in goal for Middlebury, while Sundberg made 42 saves for Plattsburgh.
