PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Two goals late in the second period gave the No. 3 Plattsburgh State women's ice hockey team the momentum it needed to edge SUNY Potsdam, 4-1, in Northeast Women's Hockey League (NEWHL) action on Friday afternoon at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena in the Cardinals' home opener.
Plattsburgh State is ranked at No. 3 in the DCU/USCHO.com Women's Division III Top-15 Poll.
The Cardinals held a 49-24 edge in shots on goal, while both teams were scoreless on the power play. Plattsburgh State was 0-for-3, while Potsdam was 0-for-5. Notably, the Cardinals killed off 1:39 of a 5-on-3 power play for the Bears late in the third period.
Plattsburgh State rises to 3-0-0 overall (3-0-0 NEWHL) with the win and completes the home-and-home weekend series with the Bears tomorrow at 2 p.m. in Potsdam, N.Y. Potsdam drops to 2-1-0 overall (2-1-0 NEWHL) with the loss.
After a 39:36 of scoreless hockey, senior forward Ivy Boric (Newport Beach, Calif./Anaheim Lady Ducks) broke through with 24 seconds left in the second period. Junior forward Ciara Wall (Stoneham, Mass./University of New Hampshire) sent the puck toward the net, and Boric used an elevated stick to knock the puck past the netminder. Senior defenseman Sierra Benjamin (Palm Coast, Fla./Northwood School) earned the secondary assist on the goal.
Just 16 seconds later, graduate student forward Sara Krauseneck (Saginaw, Mich./Northern Cyclones) made it a 2-0 game, as she scored on a one-time shot off a feed from junior forward Mae Olshansky (Wilmette, Ill./North American Hockey Academy).
Senior forward Julia Masotta (Tewksbury, Mass./Norwich University) scored twice in the third period, with her first of which coming at the 2:22 mark. First-year defenseman Francesca Caterina (Cambridge, Mass./Pittsburgh Penguins Elite) sent a pass toward the slot, which found the blade of Wall. Wall backhanded a feed to Masotta on the weak side, and Masotta scored through the five-hole. Caterina's assist marked her first collegiate point.
Potsdam got on the board with 10:38 gone in the third, as senior forward Kaylee Merrill went bar down from the right circle. Junior defenseman Rebecca Holmes earned the assist with the stretch pass to spring Merrill free.
Masotta closed out scoring at the 11:54 mark. Sophomore defenseman Mattie Norton (Glen Carbon, Ill./St. Louis Lady Blues) sent a short pass to Krauseneck to initiate the zone entry, and Krauseneck passed off to Masotta along the right outside hash marks. Masotta split a pair of defenders in the right circle and threaded a shot through the five-hole.
Senior goaltender Lilla Nease (Lake Forest, Calif./Anaheim Lady Ducks) made 23 saves in the win for the Cardinals, while junior goaltender Ellie Zurfluh turned aside 45 shots in the loss for the Bears.