OSWEGO, N.Y. – Graduate student forward Annie Katonka (Pittsburgh, Pa./Pittsburgh Penguins Elite) posted three points on two goals and an assist, as the No. 2 Plattsburgh State women's ice hockey team scored three unanswered goals in the third period to down Oswego State, 5-2, in Northeast Women's Hockey League (NEWHL) action on Friday afternoon at the Deborah F. Stanley Arena.
Plattsburgh State is ranked at No. 2 in the DCU/USCHO.com Women's Division III Top-10 Poll.
Playing in their first game in more than a month, the Cardinals showed no sign of rust, never trailing in the contest and owning a 29-24 edge in shots on goal. Oswego went 1-for-3 on the power play, while Plattsburgh State was scoreless in two power-play chances. The Cardinals did, however, score with the extra attacker in the third period on a delayed penalty call.
Plattsburgh State stretches its winning streak to five and rises to 11-2-0 overall (8-0-0 NEWHL) with the victory. The Cardinals next visit SUNY Morrisville tomorrow for a 2 p.m. contest. Oswego falls to 6-4-1 (3-3-1 NEWHL) with the loss and next hosts SUNY Cortland tomorrow at 3 p.m.
The Cardinals opened scoring at 7:50 of the first period, as senior forward Sara Krauseneck (Saginaw, Mich./Northern Cyclones) played the puck out in front from along the back wall, and Katonka dove to bury the loose puck from just outside the crease. Junior forward Ivy Boric (Newport Beach, Calif./Anaheim Lady Ducks) also earned an assist on the play.
Sophomore forward Rivers Morris (Braintree, Mass./Thayer Academy) scored her second collegiate goal at 13:10 of the first period. Junior defenseman Mack Emery (Mars, Pa./Merrimack College) sprung senior forward Taylor Whitney (Livonia, Mich./Little Caesars) forward with a stretch pass, and on a 3-on-2 rush, Morris redirected a pass from Whitney into the goal.
Oswego pulled within one just 54 seconds into the second period, as sophomore forward Morgan Shines blasted a one-timer from first-year forward Simone Bednarik into the back of the net from the low slot.
With 4:37 gone in the third, the Lakers tied the game by scoring on the power play. Junior defenseman Amanda Zenstein took a shot from the high slot that was saved, and sophomore forward Kyleigh Grugin knocked in the rebound. Sophomore forward Megan Teachout also earned an assist on the goal.
Krauseneck found Katonka for what wound up being the game-winning goal 1:21 later, as the two passed back and forth on the rush before Krauseneck's centering pass set up Katonka for the finish right in front of the crease.
Graduate student forward Kaitlin Drew-Mead (Niagara Falls, N.Y./Buffalo Bisons) added to the Cardinals' tally at 7:50 of the third period. Sophomore forward Mae Olshansky (Wilmette, Ill./North American Hockey Academy) sent a stretch pass forward to create a 2-on-1 rush, and after receiving a pass from senior forward Nicole Unsworth (Milwaukee, Wis./East Coast Wizards), Drew-Mead beat a sliding Laker goaltender with a shot through the five-hole.
Junior forward Tatem Cheney (Ottawa, Ontario/Ottawa Lady 67's) added insurance at 17:09 of the third period by scoring with the extra attacker as a result of a delayed penalty. Graduate student defenseman Erin McArdle (Macomb, Mich./Belle Tire) took a shot that was blocked before Cheney took advantage of traffic in front of the net to rip a shot past the netminder from the left circle. Katonka also earned an assist on the play.
Junior goaltender Chloe Beaubien (Colorado Springs, Colo./Ontario Hockey Academy) made 22 saves in the win for the Cardinals, while sophomore goaltender Joanna Hiebert turned aside 24 shots in the loss for the Lakers.