PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The No. 3 Plattsburgh State women's ice hockey team continued its perfect start to the 2022-23 season on Friday afternoon at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena, defeating Buffalo State, 5-0, in Northeast Women's Hockey League (NEWHL) action.
Plattsburgh State is ranked at No. 3 in the DCU/USCHO.com Women's Division III Top-15 Poll.
Senior forward Ivy Boric (Newport Beach, Calif./Anaheim Lady Ducks) scored two goals, while junior forward Ciara Wall (Stoneham, Mass./University of New Hampshire) notched three points on a goal and two assists.
The Cardinals finished with a 69-10 edge in shots on goal and went 2-for-7 on the power play. The Bengals were scoreless in five chances with the extra skater.
Plattsburgh State rises to 6-0-0 overall (5-0-0 NEWHL) with the win and next hosts SUNY Morrisville tomorrow at 3 p.m. Buffalo State falls to 2-5-0 overall (0-5-0 NEWHL) with the loss and next visits SUNY Canton tomorrow at 3 p.m.
Graduate student forward Nicole Unsworth (Milwaukee, Wis./East Coast Wizards) put the Cardinals on the board just 2:12 into the contest. Senior forward Tatem Cheney (Ottawa, Ontario/Ottawa Lady 67's) passed to Wall to start a 2-on-1 rush through the neutral zone, and Wall slid a pass to Unsworth in the left circle. Unsworth then one-timed a shot through the five-hole for her third goal of the season.
Boric added to the lead at the 8:36 mark of the first period, picking off a pass on the forecheck in the Bengals' zone before backhanding a shot over the blocker of the Buffalo State netminder from the slot.
Senior forward Julia Masotta (Tewksbury, Mass./Norwich University) tallied on the power play with 15:34 gone in the first period to make it a 3-0 game. Senior defenseman Kendall Wasik (Novi, Mich./HoneyBaked) passed to Masotta on the right point, and Masotta passed down low to Wall in the right circle. Wall skated up to the right point and took a shot that Masotta redirected into the back of the net for her sixth goal of the season.
Boric's team-leading ninth goal of the year came with 1:31 elapsed in the second. First-year defenseman Su-An Cho (Madison, Ala./Florida Alliance) sent a stretch pass ahead to Unsworth in the neutral zone, which helped lead a 2-on-1 rush into the offensive end. Unsworth backhanded a pass to Boric in the right circle, and Boric dragged the puck across the crease before tallying on the backhand along the left post. Cho's assist marked her first collegiate point.
Wall scored her first collegiate goal with 7:10 gone in the second on the power play. Sophomore defenseman Mattie Norton (Glen Carbon, Ill./St. Louis Lady Blues) sent a pass ahead to Wall in the neutral zone, and Wall walked into the offensive zone before burying a goal from the slot. Senior defenseman Sierra Benjamin (Palm Coast, Fla./Northwood School) earned an assist on the goal.
Senior goaltender Chloe Beaubien (Colorado Springs, Colo./Ontario Hockey Academy) posted a 10-save shutout for the Cardinals, marking her fifth career shutout. Buffalo State's sophomore goaltender Jessica Auge turned aside 64 shots in the loss for the Bengals.