PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The No. 3 Plattsburgh State women's ice hockey team stretched its winning streak to six on Saturday afternoon, completing a Northeast Women's Hockey League (NEWHL) series sweep over Oswego State at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena with a 4-1 win.
Plattsburgh State is ranked at No. 3 in the DCU/USCHO.com Women's Division III Top-15 Poll.
The Cardinals once again came from behind, scoring four unanswered goals in the victory. Plattsburgh State held a 41-22 edge in shots on goal and went 1-for-2 on the power play. Oswego was scoreless in three chances with the extra skater.
Plattsburgh State rises to 14-2-0 overall (9-1-0 NEWHL) with the win and next hosts SUNY Canton on Friday, Jan. 20, at 3 p.m. Prior to the start of the game, the Cardinals will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Oswego falls to 9-8-1 overall (7-4-1 NEWHL) with the loss and next hosts Buffalo State on Friday, Jan. 20, at 7 p.m.
Oswego scored the first goal of the game 3:40 into the first period. Senior defenseman Amanda Zenstein passed D-to-D to sophomore defenseman Lauren Schell, and Schell took a shot from the left point that junior forward Kensie Malone tipped in.
Senior forward Julia Masotta (Tewksbury, Mass./Norwich University) scored on the power play at the 8:41 mark of the first to tie the score at 1-all. Senior defenseman Kendall Wasik (Novi, Mich./HoneyBaked) wrapped a pass along the right boards down low to junior forward Ciara Wall (Stoneham, Mass./University of New Hampshire), and Wall skated out in front before taking a shot that was saved. Masotta was waiting on the doorstep and hammered home the rebound.
The Cardinals took the lead at 12:11 of the second period. Wall and sophomore forward Riley Calhoun (New Hartford, N.Y./Bishop Kearney Selects) both helped spring graduate student forward Sara Krauseneck (Saginaw, Mich./Northern Cyclones) forward into the neutral zone, and Krauseneck went end to end before slotting a shot on the short side in between the goaltender's glove and left pad.
Graduate student forward Nicole Unsworth (Milwaukee, Wis./East Coast Wizards) put Plattsburgh State up by two with 3:33 elapsed in the third. First-year defenseman Francesca Caterina (Cambridge, Mass./Pittsburgh Penguins Elite) passed ahead to help Unsworth gain the zone, and Unsworth skated past three defenders before deking out the goalie, going from her backhand to her forehand.
The Cardinals tacked on an insurance goal with 15:44 gone in the third. Wasik sent a pass down low from the right point that deflected off the endboards and to Masotta out in front on the weak side. Masotta took a shot that was saved before junior forward Mae Olshansky (Wilmette, Ill./North American Hockey Academy) banged in the rebound.
Senior goaltender Lilla Nease (Lake Forest, Calif./Anaheim Lady Ducks) stood tall in net, making 21 saves in the win for Plattsburgh State. Sophomore goaltender Lexi Levy made 36 stops in the loss for Oswego.