PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State women's ice hockey team begins its quest to win its fifth consecutive and seventh overall NCAA Division III national title on Saturday, March 10, at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena, as the Cardinals host Middlebury College at 3 p.m. in the NCAA Division III Tournament quarterfinals.
TICKET PRICING: Tickets are $6 for adults, $4 for students with valid identification and senior citizens, $3 for children between the ages of 3-12 and free for children 2 years old and under... The Field House box office will open at 1 p.m. the day of the game... There are no refunds or exchanges for NCAA postseason tickets... All seating is general admission.
ABOUT THE SERIES: The Cardinals prevailed, 2-1, when the teams played earlier this season on Jan. 30 at Middlebury's Chip Kenyon '85 Arena... In the storied rivalry between the two perennial powers, Plattsburgh State is 20-10-4 dating back to their first meeting in 2002-03.
ABOUT THE CARDINALS: Plattsburgh State has won each of the past four NCAA Division III national titles and has won six overall in its history... The Cardinals enter the NCAA Tournament by virtue of the automatic bid out of the Northeast Women's Hockey League (NEWHL)... They won the league's inaugural title in the process, defeating SUNY Potsdam, 6-1, in the semifinal round of the NEWHL Tournament before topping Oswego State, 6-0, in the championship game... Plattsburgh State is ranked at No. 1 in the D3hockey.com Women's Top-10 Poll and No. 2 in the USCHO.com Women's Division III Top-10 Poll… Several student-athletes contribute to a potent Cardinal offense that ranks sixth in NCAA Division III with 4.33 goals per game… Junior forward Courtney Moriarty (Estero, Fla./Northfield Mount Hermon) has an NCAA Division III single-season-record 14 game-winning goals this year, and she also leads Division III in power-play goals with 12… Moriarty is tied for the Division III lead in goals (30) while also holding a share of second in the nation in goals per game (1.11)… Senior forward Melissa Sheeran(Schaghticoke, N.Y./Millbrook School) is tied for fifth in the country in points per game (1.74), as she has registered 47 points this season on 18 goals and 29 assists… Sheeran is tied for third in the nation in assists per game (1.07)… Senior forward Kayla Meneghin (Clifton, N.J./The Gunnery) ranks 16th in Division III in points per game (1.46, 38 total on 19 goals and 19 assists), and she is also 12th in the country in goals per game (0.73)… On Division III's all-time list of point scorers, Meneghin and Sheeran rank fourth (186) and sixth (184), respectively... Sophomore defenseman Hannah Kiraly (Glendale, Ariz./Northern Cyclones) leads the blue liners offensively with 21 points on three goals and 18 assists… Kiraly's 0.78 points per game are tied for 13th in Division III among defensemen… The Cardinals turn to two of the top goaltenders in Division III to backstop their defense… Senior goaltender Brooke Wolejko(South Windsor, Conn./St. Lawrence University) leads the nation in goals-against average (0.83) and save percentage (.966), while junior goaltender Kassi Abbott (Medford, Mass./Boston Shamrocks Elite) ranks second nationally in goals-against average (0.93) and third in the country in save percentage (.956)… The Cardinals hauled in NEWHL end-of-the-year awards, with Sheeran, Moriarty and Kiraly being named to the All-NEWHL First Team and Abbott and Meneghin being named to the All-NEWHL Second Team... Sheeran was named the NEWHL Player of the Year, while Meneghin earned NEWHL Tournament MVP honors... Joining Meneghin on the NEWHL All-Tournament Team was Moriarty, Wolejko and senior defenseman Lizzy Viola (Williamsville, N.Y./Buffalo Bisons)... The Plattsburgh State defense is Division III's best, averaging 0.93 goals allowed per game… On special teams, the Cardinals rank eighth in Division III on the power play (24.2 percent) and seventh nationally on the penalty kill (90.4 percent)… Plattsburgh State is led by 15th-year head coach Kevin Houle, who is 367-45-25 overall behind the Cardinal bench.
ABOUT THE PANTHERS: Middlebury is looking for its third national title in program history, as the Panthers won three straight championships from 2004-06... Middlebury is making its 15th NCAA Tournament appearance and has qualified for the NCAA Tournament more times than any other program in the history of the event... The Panthers are ranked at No. 4 in both the D3hockey.com Women's Top-10 Poll and the USCHO.com Women's Division III Top-10 Poll… Offensively for the Panthers, senior forward Jessica Young leads the way with 1.26 points per game (34 overall), which ranks 24th in Division III... Young also is tied for second in Division III in power-play goals (9) and ranks 19th nationally in goals per game (0.63, 17 total)... Senior forward Maddie Winslow is tied for second in the country in game-winning goals (6), while sophomore goaltender Lin Han backstops the defense, ranking eighth in Division III in goals-against average (1.24) and 11th nationally in save percentage (.944)... Like Plattsburgh State, Middlebury's calling card is its defense... The Panthers rank fifth in Division III in scoring defense with 1.11 goals allowed per game, and they counter that with 3.11 goals per game, which is tied for 13th in the country... Middlebury's power-play unit is among the best of Division III women's ice hockey, as it ranks fifth with a 27.9 success rate... The Panthers are directed by 30th-year head coach Bill Mandigo, who is 561-146-42 overall and has more wins than any other coach in the history of college women's ice hockey.
WHAT'S NEXT: The winner of this game will face either Adrian College or Elmira College in the national semifinals on Friday, March 16.