PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – SUNY Geneseo senor defenseman Matt Solomon and first-year forward Arthur Gordon each scored two goals to lead the No. 11/11 Knights to a 7-1 win over No. 3/4 Plattsburgh in the championship game of the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Men's Ice Hockey Tournament, Saturday night.

With the win, Geneseo (18-4-6) earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament. The championship was the program's fourth overall conference title and first since winning back-to-back titles in 2005 and 2006. Geneseo also won its first crown in 1986.

First-year goalie Devin McDonald finished two saves short of his career-high, notching 42 stops to improve to 15-2-5 for his rookie season. He joined Gordon, Solomon and SUNYAC Tournament MVP senior forward Stephen Collins on the All-Tournament Team. 

Geneseo took a 2-0 lead after the first period of play. Solomon scored a power-play tally with 12:45 on the clock before Gordon found the net at 11:07.

Geneseo scored four more goals to make it a 6-0 lead at the second intermission. First-year forward Zach Lynes started the run 1:47 into the period before Solomon tacked on his second of the game to make it 4-0 with 10:05 on the clock.

With 6:20 left, Gordon tipped his second goal of the game in from close range on a shot from the point by first-year forward Anthony Marra before Collins took feed in the low slot from junior forward Trevor Hills and buried a slap shot at 3:02 for the six-goal advantage.

In the third period, Hills made it a 7-0 advantage at 14:50 with his Division III-leading 12th power play goal of the season.

Plattsburgh got on the board 12 seconds later to avoid the shutout, but it was the Knights improving to 2-0-1 on the season opposite the Cardinals (20-4-3). 

Geneseo will find out its NCAA Tournament opponent on Monday at 10:30 a.m. when the brackets are announced.