College Hockey Stats Box Score

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Senior goaltender Kassi Abbott (Medford, Mass./Boston Shamrocks) posted a 32-save shutout, helping the No. 2/3 Plattsburgh State women's ice hockey team notch a big 2-0 non-conference win over defending NCAA Division III national champion No. 2/3 Norwich University Wednesday evening at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena.
 
Plattsburgh State is ranked at No. 2 in the D3hockey.com Women's Top-10 Poll and No. 3 in the USCHO.com Women's Division III Top-10 Poll, while Norwich 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.
 
Abbott, who weathered several high-percentage scoring chances in the victory, has now started the season with three straight shutouts, remaining tied for the Division III lead in goals-against average (0.00), save percentage (1.000) and winning percentage (1.000) while standing alone for the national lead in shutouts (3).
 
The Cardinals' penalty kill came up big all game long, as they held Norwich scoreless on nine power-play opportunities, including 46 seconds of a 5-on-3 chance midway through the third. In addition, senior forward Mackenzie Millen's (Anchorage, Alaska/North American Hockey Academy) game-winning goal came while Plattsburgh State was shorthanded. The Cardinals went 1-for-5 with the extra skater and finished with a 42-32 edge in shots on goal for the contest.
 
Plattsburgh State rises to 3-0-0 overall with the win and next visits SUNY Potsdam in Northeast Women's Hockey League (NEWHL) action on Friday, Nov. 16, at 7 p.m. Norwich drops to 2-2-0 overall with the loss and next hosts the University of Southern Maine on Friday, Nov. 9, at 7 p.m.
 
While Abbott only had to make eight saves in the first period, one big sequence eight minutes into the game set the tone for the Cardinals' defensive stand the rest of the evening. Abbott made a pad save on a dangerous shot from the low slot before another Norwich player took a shot that hit pipe off the rebound. The Cadets challenged Abbott one more time in traffic, but Abbott froze the puck to keep Norwich off the board.
 
After a scoreless first period, Millen put the Cardinals on the board with a shorthanded goal 13:57 into the second. Senior forward Courtney Moriarty (Estero, Fla./Northfield Mount Hermon) forced a neutral-zone turnover and got the puck to Millen, who started a 2-on-1 rush into the Cadets' zone. Millen deked the Cadet defender and slid the puck underneath the Norwich goaltender's pads to stake Plattsburgh State to a 1-0 advantage.
 
Sophomore forward Annie Katonka (Pittsburgh, Pa./Pittsburgh Pens Elite) added insurance with a power-play goal 4:24 into the third. Junior defenseman Hannah Kiraly (Glendale, Ariz./Northern Cyclones) passed to sophomore defenseman Erin McArdle (Macomb, Mich./Belle Tire) at the top of the right circle, and McArdle took a shot that was blocked. She then collected the rebound and took another shot from the right circle, but the Cadet netminder made a save. Katonka corralled the rebound at the top of the crease and went five-hole to give the Cardinals a 2-0 lead.
 
Norwich pulled its goalie in favor of the extra attacker with 35 seconds left in regulation but was unable to generate a goal, as Plattsburgh State emerged victorious.
 
The Cadets had their chances, as junior forward Sophie McGovern drew iron twice, including once on Norwich's 5-on-3 advantage in the third.
 
Abbott's counterpart, sophomore goaltender Emily Lambert, turned aside 40 shots in the loss for Norwich.