PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – No. 1 seed Plattsburgh State women's ice hockey begins its quest to win its third Northeast Women's Hockey League (NEWHL) title Saturday afternoon at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena, as the Cardinals host No. 4 seed SUNY Cortland in the NEWHL Tournament semifinals.
TICKET PRICING: Tickets are $5 for adults, $3 for children ages 5-12 and free for children ages 4 and under and for current students from NEWHL schools with valid college-issued identification. There are no refunds or exchanges for NEWHL postseason tickets. All seating is general admission.
ABOUT THE SERIES: In a series that dates back to 2001-02, the Cardinals are 46-0-0 all-time against the Red Dragons. Plattsburgh State played to a 3-0-0 record against Cortland in 2019-20. The Cardinals won, 5-2, in Cortland, N.Y. on Friday, Dec. 6, before sweeping a home series by scores of 3-2 and 5-0 on Friday, Feb. 7, and Saturday, Feb. 8, respectively. Saturday's game is a rematch of last year's NEWHL championship game, which Plattsburgh State won, 5-0.
ABOUT THE CARDINALS: Plattsburgh State (24-1-0, 18-0-0 NEWHL) is seeking its third NEWHL title in as many years and its eighth straight conference championship overall. Plattsburgh State has also won seven NCAA Division III national championships, including five of the past six, and has advanced to the national semifinals for eight straight seasons. The Cardinals enter Saturday's contest on an 18-game winning streak.
Plattsburgh State, which is ranked No. 1 in the USCHO.com Women's Division III Top-10 Poll, has held the top spot in the poll for 16 consecutive polls. Plattsburgh State, which leads the NEWHL and ranks second in NCAA Division III women's ice hockey in goals per game (4.88), has seven student-athletes with at least 10 goals scored on the season.
Junior forward and alternate captain Annie Katonka (Pittsburgh, Pa./Pittsburgh Penguins Elite) is tied for the NEWHL lead and tied for sixth in Division III in goals (19). She also leads the NEWHL and ranks second nationally in points per game (1.58). Joining Katonka with double-digit totals in goals are: sophomore forward Sara Krauseneck (Saginaw, Mich./Northern Cyclones) with 18, sophomore forward Nicole Unsworth (Milwaukee, Wis./East Coast Wizards) with 15, sophomore forward Taylor Whitney (Livonia, Mich./Little Caesars) with 13, junior forward Abby Brush (Mount Prospect, Ill./Chicago Young Americans) with 11, freshman forward Ivy Boric (Newport Beach, Calif./Anaheim Lady Ducks) with 10 and junior forward Kaitlin Drew-Mead (Niagara Falls, N.Y./Buffalo Bisons) with 10.
Katonka, who garnered her 100th career point in the Cardinals' 9-1 win over SUNY Canton on Jan. 17, 2020, enters the game with 115 career points, including 38 this season. Boric, who has also tallied 23 assists and 33 points on the season, leads all freshmen in NCAA Division III women's ice hockey in assists, while ranking second in points. Unsworth is tied for first nationally with six game-winning goals. On defense, junior Erin McArdle (Macomb, Mich./Belle Tire) has tallied five goals and 19 assists for 24 points this season. McArdle leads the NEWHL and ranks tied for seventh in Division III in points per game by a blueliner (0.96). Senior defenseman Hannah Kiraly (Glendale, Ariz./Northern Cyclones), who has garnered 21 assists for 21 points this season, is second in the NEWHL and 10th nationally in points per game by a defenseman (0.84). In goal, sophomore Ashley Davis (Winterville, N.C./Northwood School) is 17-0-0 with 282 saves, a .946 save percentage, a 0.96 goals against average and five shutouts. Davis leads NCAA Division III women's ice hockey in winning percentage (1.000), while ranking tied for third in wins, sixth in goals against average, 13th in save percentage and tied for ninth in shutouts.
Nationally, the Cardinals rank first in team winning percentage (.960), first in penalty-kill efficiency (97.9 percent), second in scoring margin (3.88), second in combined special teams (59.6 percent) third in power-play efficiency (27.6 percent) and tied for fourth in goals allowed per game (1.00). Head coach Kevin Houle has amassed a 421-51-25 record in his 17 years behind the Cardinal bench. Earlier this season, he earned his 400th coaching victory in the Cardinals' 3-1 win over then-No. 8 Norwich University on Wednesday, Nov. 6, at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena.
ABOUT THE RED DRAGONS: Cortland (14-9-2, 7-9-2 NEWHL), which has never beaten Plattsburgh State, is led offensively by junior forward Grace Schnorr. Schnorr is tied with Katonka for the NEWHL lead and tied for sixth in NCAA Division III women's ice hockey in goals scored (19). Schnorr, who has also added 13 assists for 32 points on the season, ranks tied for fourth in the NEWHL in points. Freshman forward Dany Donegan leads the team in assists (16), while ranking second in points (26) and tying for second in goals (10). On defense, freshman Molly McCabe has tallied one goal and 11 assists for 12 points, while senior defenseman Emily Rose has recorded one goal and 10 assists for 11 points. In goal, junior Chelsea Allain (10-9-2) has made 482 saves with a .915 save percentage and a 2.15 goals against average in 2019-20. Head coach Rick Filighera is in his fourth season leading Cortland and owns a record of 40-54-8. In 13 seasons coached overall in his career, Filighera has a 150-166-28 record in 13 seasons.
WHAT'S NEXT: The winner of this game will face either No. 2 seed Oswego State or No. 3 seed Morrisville State in the championship game on Saturday, March 7, at the site of the highest-remaining seed. The winner of the NEWHL championship earns an automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Tournament.