College Hockey Stats Box Score
NORTHFIELD, Vt. – The No. 1/2 Plattsburgh State women's ice hockey team lost by a 3-2 final to No. 3/3 Elmira College in double overtime in the semifinal round of the NCAA Division III Tournament on Friday afternoon at Norwich University's Kreitzberg Arena.
Plattsburgh State is ranked at No. 1 in the D3hockey.com Women's Top-10 Poll and No. 2 in the USCHO.com Women's Division III Top-10 Poll, while Elmira is ranked at No. 3 in both the D3hockey.com Women's Top-10 Poll and the USCHO.com Women's Division III Top-10 Poll.
It marked the longest game in program history, as the Cardinals had never played in a double-overtime contest prior to Friday.
Senior goaltender Brooke Wolejko (South Windsor, Conn./St. Lawrence University) posted the second-highest single-game save total in program history, as she turned aside 43 shots in net for the Cardinals.
Plattsburgh State drops to 24-3-2 overall with the loss and will play in the third-place game tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. Elmira rises to 25-2-2 overall with the win and will play in the national championship game tomorrow at 7 p.m. Norwich and Hamline University are playing in the other semifinal-round contest.
Senior forward Kayla Meneghin (Clifton, N.J./The Gunnery) put the Cardinals on the board 40 seconds into the game. Meneghin played the puck to junior forward Courtney Moriarty (Estero, Fla./Northfield Mount Hermon) along the end boards, and Moriarty skated around the back of the goal before taking a shot from the bottom of the left face-off circle. Elmira's senior goaltender Kaycie Crawford made a pad save before Meneghin collected the rebound and beat Crawford low glove side from along the goal line to the right of the goal. Junior forward Mackenzie Millen (Anchorage, Alaska/North American Hockey Academy) was also credited with an assist on the play.
Senior defenseman Lizzy Viola (Williamsville, N.Y./Buffalo Bisons) gave Plattsburgh State a 2-0 lead 14:12 into the second period, scoring just her third career goal. Freshman defenseman Erin McArdle (Macomb, Mich./Detroit Belle Tire) passed from the high slot to freshman forward Annie Katonka (Pittsburgh, Pa./Pittsburgh Pens Elite), who was inside the right face-off circle. Katonka took a shot that was blocked, and the puck trickled across the slot toward the left post. Viola took advantage of traffic in front of the goal and beat a diving Crawford.
Elmira made it a 2-1 game 3:06 into the third period. Freshman forward Emma Crocker cleared the zone, and the puck deflected off junior forward Shannon Strawinski's skate and shot ahead toward the Soaring Eagles' zone. Junior forward Katie Granato won the race to the puck and sent a pass forward from behind the goal line, and Strawinski scored blocker side from inside the slot.
Strawinski netted her second goal of the game with 4:07 left in regulation. Senior forward Louisa Lippiatt Durnell dropped the puck off to senior defenseman Rachel Grampp, who took a shot from the right point. Strawinski redirected the puck into the net to tie the score at 2-all.
Strawinski completed the hat trick with the game-winner 4:50 before the end of the second overtime period. Senior forward Sarah Hughson helped lead a 2-on-2 rush, and she passed back to Strawinski, who scored glove side from the low slot.
Elmira finished with a 46-43 edge in shots, while both teams went 0-for-4 on the power play.
Crawford earned the win in net for Elmira, turning aside 41 shots.