NORTHFIELD, Vt. — No. 1 Plattsburgh State women's ice hockey defeated No. 6 Adrian College, 4-1, in the championship game of the 10th annual East-West Hockey Classic on Monday at Norwich University's Kreitzberg Arena.
With the win, Plattsburgh State (12-1-0) claimed the East-West Hockey Classic title for the sixth time overall with the Cardinals' last title coming in 2017-18.
Plattsburgh State outshot Adrian (9-2-2), 15-8, in the first period and got on the scoreboard first as sophomore forward Taylor Whitney (Livonia, Mich./Little Caesars) tallied her team-leading 10th goal of the season at the 6:40 mark. An initial shot taken by freshman forward Ivy Boric (Newport Beach, Calif./Anaheim Lady Ducks) was saved. Whitney got to the rebound and fired a shot from the low slot that the goaltender got a piece of, but the puck snuck behind the goaltender and just over the goal line. Boric tallied the primary assist, while sophomore forward and All-Tournament Team selection Nicole Unsworth (Milwaukee, Wis./East Coast Wizards) tallied the secondary assist.
In the second period, the Cardinals scored two goals separated by 40 seconds to open up a 3-0 lead. Junior forward Abby Brush (Mount Prospect, Ill./Chicago Young Americans) scored her sixth goal of the season at 15:40 of the period. junior defenseman Erin McArdle (Macomb, Mich./Belle Tire) took a shot from the left point that was saved, but Brush was on the left side of the crease to knock in the rebound for the goal. McArdle and sophomore defenseman and Sierra Benjamin (Tournament MVP) assisted on the play. Then at 16:20, junior forward and All-Tournament Team selection Madison Walker (Denver, Colo./Lansing Spartans) finished off a rush with a deke for her fourth goal of the season. Junior forward Kaitlin Drew-Mead (Niagara Falls, N.Y./Buffalo Bisons) and Benjamin garnered the assists.
In the third period, Benjamin scored her first goal of the season when she unleashed a wrist shot from below the left face-off dot to make the score 4-0 at the 1:47 mark. Sophomore defenseman Hannah Rose (Chaumont, N.Y./Northwood School) tallied her first assist of the season and McArdle tallied her second assist of the day.
Une Bjelland got Adrian on the scoreboard at 5:38 of the third period with her fifth goal of the season with Kelly O'Sullivan assisting on the play. An initial shot by a Bulldog was blocked in the slot, but Bjelland was able to score with a high wrist shot on the second-chance opportunity.
Sophomore goaltender Ashley Davis (Winterville, N.C./Northwood School) made the 4-1 lead stand as she recorded a career-high 32 saves for Plattsburgh State to improve to 7-0-0 in 2019-20. Davis, who made 12 saves in the third period, was named to the All-Tournament Team,
Denisa Jandova (7-2-2) made 26 saves for Adrian.
Shots on goal were 33-30 in favor of Adrian.
Plattsburgh State went 1-of-2 on the power play and Adrian finished 1-of-3.
Plattsburgh State returns home to face Morrisville State College in a Northeast Women's Hockey League (NEWHL) game at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 8, at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena. Adrian next plays a non-conference game at Utica College on Saturday, Jan. 11.
East-West Classic All-Tournament Team
Elizabeth Hanson (G), Elmira College
Amanda Conway (F), Norwich University
Jacquelin White (F), Adrian College
Ashley Davis (G), Plattsburgh State
Madison Walker (F), Plattsburgh State
Nicole Unsworth (F), Plattsburgh State
Sierra Benjamin (D, MVP) Plattsburgh State