NORTHFIELD, Vt. – The No. 2/3 Plattsburgh State women's ice hockey team avenged its Nov. 26 loss to No. 1/2 Elmira College with a 3-0 victory over the Soaring Eagles in the championship game of the East-West Hockey Classic hosted at Norwich University's Kreitzberg Arena on Monday. It marked the Cardinals' second East-West Hockey Classic championship in as many seasons.
 
Plattsburgh State is ranked at No. 2 in the USCHO.com Women's Division III Top-10 Poll and No. 3 in the D3hockey.com Women's Top-10 Poll. Elmira is ranked at No. 1 in both the USCHO.com Women's Division III Top-10 Poll and No. 2 in the D3hockey.com Women's Top-10 Poll.
 
Junior forward Courtney Moriarty (Estero, Fla./Northfield Mount Hermon) scored twice and added an assist in the game, which helped her secure Tournament MVP honors. It marks the second straight year in which Moriarty has been named the Tournament MVP at the East-West Hockey Classic.
 
Sophomore forward Meghan Kraus (Bellingham, Wash./Northern Cyclones), junior defenseman Baye Flanagan (Billerica, Mass./Merrimack College) and senior goaltender Brooke Wolejko (South Windsor, Conn./St. Lawrence University) all were named to the All-Tournament Team.
 
Plattsburgh State rises to 11-2-0 overall with the win and resumes Northeast Women's Hockey League (NEWHL) play at Buffalo State on Friday, Jan. 12, at 4 p.m. Elmira drops to 11-2-0 overall with the loss and next hosts Utica College on Friday, Jan. 12, at 7 p.m.
 
Moriarty opened scoring 12:36 into the first period to put the Cardinals on the board early. Flanagan played in the puck from the point, and senior forward Melissa Sheeran (Schaghticoke, N.Y./Millbrook School) took a shot in the low slot that was blocked by an Elmira skater. Moriarty was waiting just outside of the crease and knocked home the rebound to give Plattsburgh State a 1-0 lead.
 
With 17:45 gone in the first, Moriarty netted her second goal of the game, scoring unassisted. Elmira took a shot in its offensive zone that was deflected by a Soaring Eagle student-athlete, and Moriarty corralled the puck before skating the length of the ice and going top shelf.
 
Finally, 4:59 into the third period, senior forward Kayla Meneghin (Clifton, N.J./The Gunnery) added insurance by scoring on the power play. Moriarty sent the puck from the bottom of the right face-off circle to Flanagan at the left point, and Flanagan found Meneghin down in the low slot. Meneghin quickly took a shot that went five-hole to put the game on ice.
 
Elmira finished with a 31-21 edge in shots and went 29-for-52 on face-offs, while Plattsburgh State went 1-for-5 on the power play. The Soaring Eagles were unable to convert on any of their six power-play opportunities.
 
Wolejko put together a masterful performance in net for Plattsburgh State, making 31 saves to pick up her third shutout of the season. Senior goaltender Kelcey Crawford turned aside 18 shots in the loss for Elmira.