Late goal lifts Plattsburgh High

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February 22, 2012

Hornets score late in double OT to get past Cougars

JOHN CORYER Press-Republican The Press Republican Wed Feb 22, 2012, 02:23 AM EST

ROUSES POINT — With just 3:30 gone in the game Tuesday night, the Northeastern Clinton boys' hockey team held a 2-0 lead and appeared on its way to a fourth win over Plattsburgh High School this season.

The Cougars, however, didn't put the Hornets away — and ultimately paid the price for it.

Jack Tolosky stuffed in the game-winner from in close with 3.7 seconds left in the second overtime and Robby Knowles played an outstanding game in net as the fifth-seeded Hornets outlasted the fourth-seeded Cougars, 3-2, in the Section VII quarterfinals.

The wins sends Plattsburgh into Thursday's 6:30 p.m. semifinals against top-seeded Beekmantown at the Ameri-Can North Sports Center.

"We're a young team and we've been inconsistent all season," Plattsburgh coach Jamie Reidy said. "But I was proud of the effort. The kids got down early but stayed mentally tough.

"As much as Northeastern Clinton didn't deserve to lose the game, I felt our kids deserved to win it."

The Cougars grabbed an early 2-0 lead when Kastle Birch scored just eight seconds into the game and then Nick Leduc at the 3:30 mark. But those would be the only two goals scored on Knowles, who turned away 39 shots in all.

"Their second goal was a little soft by Robby's standards," Reidy said. "But he has been our best player all year and was our best player again (Tuesday)."

"We knew Knowles was capable of playing like this," NCCS coach Rob Francis said. "He got better and better as the game wore on.

"I felt we outplayed them and we outshot them. But this is what happens sometimes in playoff hockey. I give Plattsburgh credit for not quitting when it was 2-0."

The Hornets began their comeback late in the first period when Alex Maston scored at 13:41.

Then, with 7:11 gone in the second, Eric Bechard tallied a power-play goal on a slapshot to tie it.

The Cougars held a good edge in territorial play but were unable to regain the lead. Their best chance to win it came in overtime when Ben Leduc clanked one off the post.

The contest was finally decided in the closing seconds of the second extra session when Tolosky was able to get the puck past NCCS netminder Kyle McCarthy.

"It was frustrating to play as well as we did and to lose the game," Francis said.

"It was out of the coaches' hands," Reidy said. "All you can ask for is the kids to play a good hockey game and be competitive. I'm pleased. I can't say enough for a player like Michael Stetz, who has been out the entire season with a broken leg and returned tonight.

"And I give Northeastern Clinton a lot of credit. I also can't say enough about players for them like Matt Letourneau, who is as good on the back line as I've seen since I've been coaching high school hockey — and he's classy as well."

The Cougars finished with a 41-17 advantage in shots on goal, including a 15-3 edge in the third period. McCarthy finished with 14 stops.

Editor's note: The Saranac Lake/Saranac game was not reported by press time.

—

Plattsburgh 3, NCCS 2, 2 OT

Plattsburgh 1 1 0 0 1 — 3

NCCS 2 0 0 0 0 — 2

First period- 1, NCCS, Birch, :08. 2, NCCS, N. Leduc (Rabideau), 3:30. 3, PHS, Maston (Tolosky, Bechard), 13:41.

Second period- 4, PHS, Bechard ppg (Maston, Maynard), 7:11.

Second overtime- 5, PHS, Tolosky (Bechard, Matott), 7:27.

Shots: NCCS 42, Plattsburgh 17.

Saves: McCarthy, NCCS, 14. Knowles, PHS, 39.