PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — No. 1 Plattsburgh State women's ice hockey topped Morrisville State, 5-1, to stay undefeated in Northeast Women's Hockey League (NEWHL) play on Wednesday night at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena. 

Junior forward Kaitlin Drew-Mead (Niagara Falls, N.Y./Buffalo Bisons) scored her first of two goals on the night at 5:18 of the first period to put Plattsburgh State (13-1-0, 9-0-0 NEWHL) in front of Morrisville State (6-6-1, 3-3-1 NEWHL), 1-0. Sophomore defenseman Sierra Benjamin (Palm Coast, Fla./Northwood School) forced a turnover in the neutral zone and played the puck ahead to Drew-Mead. Drew-Mead skated to the left of the left face-off dot and wired a wrist shot over the goaltender's right shoulder for the goal.

Drew-Mead would strike again with her eighth goal of the season to increase the Plattsburgh State lead to 2-0 at 10:39 of the first period. Junior forward and team captain Madison Walker (Denver, Colo./Lansing Spartans) put pressure on a Morrisville State defenseman behind the Mustangs' net to force the puck into the slot, where Drew-Mead scored with a wrist shot high on the glove side.

Junior forward and alternate captain Annie Katonka (Pittsburgh, Pa./Pittsburgh Penguins Elite) capped off the scoring in the first period with her first goal of the game on the power play at the 14:59 mark. Freshman forward Ivy Boric (Newport Beach, Calif./Anaheim Lady Ducks), who had the puck to the left of the left face-off dot, sent the puck to the front of the net where sophomore forward Sara Krauseneck (Saginaw, Mich./Northern Cyclones) took an initial shot that was saved. Katonka then knocked in the rebound to make the score 3-0.

In the second period, Krauseneck extended the Cardinals' lead to 4-0 at the 3:20 mark. After the puck was sent toward the net by Katonka, Krauseneck banged in the loose puck from in front of the net for her eighth goal of 2019-20. Katonka, and junior forward and team captain Erin McArdle (Macomb, Mich./Belle Tire) tallied the assists. 

Less than two minutes later, Morrisville State's Mackenzie Lombardi scored to make the score 4-1 at 5:02 of the second period. Maddison Devlin skated the puck from the Mustangs' defensive zone into their offensive zone before releasing a wrist shot from the left circle. Devlin had a second shot from close range that was saved, but the puck ended up in front of the net and Lombardi poked in the rebound.  

Neither team would score for the remainder of the second period as the game entered the second intermission with Plattsburgh State leading, 4-1.

In the third period, Katonka tallied her second goal of the game and 10th of the season at the 12:49 mark. On the power play, senior defenseman Hannah Kiraly (Glendale, Ariz./Northern Cyclones) skated from the left point toward the high slot and fired a slap shot that was deflected by Katonka past the Morrisville State goaltender. Kiraly and Boric assisted on the play. The Cardinal defense did the rest as they preserved the 5-1 victory.

Freshman goaltender Chloe Beaubien (Colorado Springs, Colo./Ontario Hockey Academy) made 19 saves to improve to 2-1-0 on the season. Sissy Harman (5-6-1) stopped 47 shots in net for Morrisville State.

Plattsburgh State held a 52-20 edge in shots on goal.

The Cardinals finished 3-of-7 on the power-play and held Morrisville State to 0-of-5 with the man advantage.

Plattsburgh State next hosts Buffalo State for a NEWHL game at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 11, at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena. Morrisville State hosts NEWHL foe Oswego State on Saturday, Jan. 11, at 3 p.m.