CANTON, N.Y. – The No. 4 Plattsburgh State women's ice hockey team extended its winning streak to nine games on Friday afternoon, defeating SUNY Canton, 5-2, in Northeast Women's Hockey League (NEWHL) action at the Roos House.
Plattsburgh State is ranked at No. 4 in the DCU/USCHO.com Women's Division III Top-15 Poll.
The Cardinals finished with a 40-19 edge in shots on goal, while both teams were scoreless on the power play. Plattsburgh State was 0-for-1 on the power play, while Canton was 0-for-2.
Plattsburgh State rises to 17-2-0 overall (11-1-0 NEWHL) with the win and next visits SUNY Potsdam tomorrow at 3 p.m. Canton falls to 11-6-2 overall (5-6-1 NEWHL) with the loss and next hosts SUNY Cortland tomorrow at 3 p.m.
Canton netted the first goal of the game at 10:28 of the first period. Sophomore forward Scarlet Ditoro took a shot that was saved and then banged in the rebound, which had squirted out into the slot. Junior forward Gracyn Emmerton and first-year defenseman Asha Hanson earned assists on the play.
The Kangaroos took that 1-0 lead into the first intermission, though the Cardinals owned an 8-6 edge in shots on goal in the opening stanza.
Graduate student forward Holly Schmelzer (East Amherst, N.Y./Niagara Jr. Purple Eagles) tied the game at 1-all 2:07 into the second period. On the rush, sophomore forward Riley Calhoun (New Hartford, N.Y./Bishop Kearney Selects) centered a pass to Schmelzer, and Schmelzer scored on a one-time shot blocker side.
Graduate student forward Sara Krauseneck (Saginaw, Mich./Northern Cyclones) handed Plattsburgh State a lead it would not relinquish just 2:03 later. Senior forward Ivy Boric (Newport Beach, Calif./Anaheim Lady Ducks) led a 2-on-1 rush down the right wing before centering a pass to Krauseneck, who scored on a one-time shot through the five-hole. Senior forward Julia Masotta (Tewksbury, Mass./Norwich University) earned credit for the secondary assist.
First-year forward Emma McLean (Burlington, Mass./Pomfret School) scored her first collegiate goal, which wound up being the game winner, with 16:54 elapsed in the second. Sophomore defenseman Mattie Norton (Glen Carbon, Ill./St. Louis Lady Blues) took a wrist shot from the right point that was saved before McLean backhanded in the rebound. Calhoun also earned an assist on the goal.
Just 35 seconds later, first-year defenseman Aizah Thompson (Williamsville, N.Y./Buffalo Bisons) opened up the lead to 4-1. First-year forward Molly Riggi (Farmingdale, N.J./New Jersey Titans) was hooked while centering a pass to Thompson, and Thompson scored from just outside the crease. Senior defenseman Kendall Wasik (Novi, Mich./HoneyBaked) earned the secondary assist on the score.
Junior forward Mae Olshansky (Wilmette, Ill./North American Hockey Academy) scored 1:01 into the third period for her 12th goal of the season. After Krauseneck fed Masotta with a pass, Masotta led a 2-on-1 rush into the offensive zone. Masotta took a backhanded shot that was saved, but Olshansky was on the doorstep to hammer in the rebound.
Canton got a goal back at the 4:06 mark of the third. Junior forward Desiree Snook entered the zone and sent a short pass forward to first-year defenseman Kyra O'Keefe, and O'Keefe scored high glove side from the right circle. Junior forward Iida Laitinen also earned an assist on the play.
Neither team scored from that point forward, as Plattsburgh State came away with the 5-2 win.