PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The No. 2 Plattsburgh State women's ice hockey team scored six straight goals across the second and third periods to give the Cardinals a 6-3 victory over Oswego State in Northeast Women's Hockey League (NEWHL) action on Friday night at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena.
Plattsburgh State is ranked at No. 2 in the DCU/USCHO.com Women's Division III Top-10 Poll.
Senior forward Sara Krauseneck (Saginaw, Mich./Northern Cyclones) led the offense with three points on two goals and one assist, while graduate student forward Annie Katonka (Pittsburgh, Pa./Pittsburgh Penguins Elite) scored a goal and chipped in two assists and graduate student defenseman Erin McArdle (Macomb, Mich./Belle Tire) distributed three assists.
While the Cardinals were 0-for-2 on the power play and the Lakers were 1-for-3, first-year forward Riley Calhoun (New Hartford, N.Y./Bishop Kearney Selects) netted a shorthanded goal—which wound up being the game winner—that also served as her first collegiate marker. Shots were 37-22 in favor of the Cardinals.
Plattsburgh State rises to 13-2-0 overall (10-0-0 NEWHL) with the victory and stretched its winning streak to seven, while Oswego falls to 8-5-1 (5-4-1 NEWHL) with the loss. The two teams will play again tomorrow at 3 p.m. in a non-league game.
Oswego stunned Plattsburgh State in the opening period, as the visitors netted three goals.
Senior defenseman Chyne Kennedy got the Lakers on the board at 9:16 of the first. Sophomore forward Mia Conboy took a shot from the right circle that banged wide of the net off the back wall, while Kennedy one-timed the rebound low glove side from the left circle. Senior forward Taylor Hudon also earned an assist on the play.
Oswego scored on the power play at the 11:49 mark in the first period. Senior defenseman Philomena Teggart passed D-to-D to junior defenseman Amanda Zenstein, and Zenstein ripped a shot from the left point that sophomore forward Rachel Corbett deflected in.
Finally, with 1:54 left in the first, sophomore forward Sophia Kyrkostas made it a three-goal game. Kyrkostas broke the Lakers out of the own end, creating a 3-on-2 rush the other way. First-year forward Simone Bednarik carried it into the attacking zone from the right wing and centered a pass to junior forward Ariella Haas, who fed Kyrkostas for a one-timer goal.
Plattsburgh State finally broke through at 12:52 of the second period. Katonka won an offensive-zone face-off, and senior defenseman Sierra Benjamin (Palm Coast, Fla./Northwood School) passed D-to-D to McArdle. McArdle took a shot that went wide right of the goal, and Krauseneck was waiting behind the goal line along the right post to bang in the rebound.
With 34.6 seconds left in the second period, Krauseneck drew the Cardinals within one heading into the final regulation period. McArdle sent a stretch pass down the ice, and Katonka eventually took control from behind the goal line. She fought traffic to find Krauseneck out in front, and Krauseneck buried a shot low blocker side from the low slot.
Plattsburgh State pulled away thanks to a four-goal third period, which began just one minute into the stanza. McArdle wristed a shot from the right point that was saved, and sophomore forward Mae Olshansky (Wilmette, Ill./North American Hockey Academy) chipped the puck over to Unsworth, who had an open net along the left post.
Calhoun scored the game winner, a shorthanded marker, on the Cardinals' penalty-kill unit at 8:50 of the third. Senior forward Taylor Whitney (Livonia, Mich./Little Caesars) forced a turnover along the back wall in the offensive zone, and she slid a pass to Calhoun while diving to the ice. Calhoun took the rebound and sent a low shot past the netminder blocker side.
Junior forward Ivy Boric (Newport Beach, Calif./Anaheim Lady Ducks) added insurance at 15:24 of the third. Krauseneck passed to Katonka along the back wall, and with the Oswego goalie tracking the puck on Katonka's blade, it opened up an opportunity for Boric to crash the net. Boric buried a one-timer from just outside the crease.
Katonka put the game on ice with an empty-net goal with 58 seconds left. First-year defenseman Mattie Norton (Glen Carbon, Ill./St. Louis Lady Blues) banked a pass off the side boards ahead to Katonka, and Katonka buried a shot from just inside the red line into the open net. Whitney also earned an assist on the play.
Senior goaltender Ashley Davis (Winterville, N.C./Northwood School) kept the Lakers scoreless in 41:54 of relief action, making 16 saves, including 14 in the third period. Sophomore goaltender Bryn White took the loss, turning aside 31 shots in the contest.