Plattsburgh Cardinals men's ice hockey

The Cardinals are the name of the sports teams of the State University of New York (SUNY) @ Plattsburgh. Cardinal Hockey is by far the most notable of Plattsburgh State sports, featuring perennial national powerhouses in both men's and women's ice hockey.

The men's hockey team has won three NCAA D-III Championships (1987, 1992, and 2001) and 18 SUNYAC Championships.

Cardinal hockey players have been named first team All-Americans a total of ten times. For the men's team, Tracey Belanger (1999), Jason Desloover (1998), Steve Moffat (1998), Lenny Pereira (1993, 1994), Joe Ferras (1987), Peter DeArmas (1985), Gaetan D'Anjou (1982), and Doug Kimura (1980, 1981)  have been first team All-Americans.

NCAA Sanctions
On March 29, 1990, the school was hit with sanctions from the NCAA for violations of NCAA rules which stemmed from "extra benefits" received by several student athletes receiving impermissible benefits while living at the homes of boosters. The sanctions included the vacating of appearances in the NCAA Division III Men's Hockey Championship tournaments in 1985 (4th place), 1986 (runner-up), 1987 (championship), and 1988 (first round loss). The team's appearance in the 1990 tournament in which they finished as runners-up was not affected as the infractions occurred between 1985 and 1988. The sanctions included a post season ban for the 1990-91 season. The sanctions could have been worse but the school fully co-operated in the investigation and the school had already taken steps to ensure that the school would comply in the future.

Plattsburgh-Oswego hockey rivalry
In 1990, the Cardinal Hockey Boosters Club began a tradition of fans throwing hundreds of tennis balls onto the ice after the first SUNY Plattsburgh goal was scored against the visiting SUNY Oswego Lakers. There are a number of reasons tennis balls may have been chosen. It is believed that tennis balls were chosen because the Head Coach for Oswego's hockey team was also the school's tennis coach; because tennis balls matched the bright yellow color of the Lakers' jerseys; or because the tennis coach from Oswego State had left to work for Plattsburgh. In 1998, Oswego goaltender Carl Antifonario shutout the Cardinals in Plattsburgh, denying fans the opportunity to throw any tennis balls. This accomplishment led to an Oswego counter-tradition of throwing hundreds of bagels (representing a zero; also said to represent "bird food" for Plattsburgh's mascot: a Cardinal) on their home ice following the first goal scored against the Cardinals in Oswego. The SUNY Plattsburgh tradition of throwing tennis balls at home games against Oswego lasted for 18 years but, following Oswego's lead two years earlier, it was finally ended by school administrators on January 25, 2008.

Conferences

 * ECAC Division II Independent (1975-1976)
 * ECAC Division II West (1976-1985)
 * ECAC West (1985-1992)
 * State University of New York Athletic Conference  (1985-present)

Arenas

 * Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena (1975-present) (known as Plattsburgh State Fieldhouse Arena until 1987)

Head Coaches

 * John Corker (1975-1976) 14-11-1
 * Lou Frigon (1976-1980) 75-30-2
 * Herb Hammond (1980-1982) 52-17-4
 * Steve Hoar (1984-1989) 131-48-2 (totals do not include vacated victories being removed; see above)
 * Bob Emery (1989-Present) 634-229-68 (as of end of 2019-20 season)

Links

 * SUNYAC men's ice hockey website
 * Plattsburgh Cardinals men's hockey website