PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – A power-play goal by junior forward Courtney Moriarty (Estero, Fla./Northfield Mount Hermon) late in the first period helped the No. 2/2 Plattsburgh State women’s ice hockey team edge No. 4/4 Adrian College 1-0 in a rematch of last year’s NCAA Division III national championship game on Saturday afternoon in the first round of the UNO Classic at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena.
Plattsburgh State is ranked at No. 2 in both the USCHO.com Women’s Division III Top-10 Poll and the D3hockey.com Women’s Top-10 Poll. Adrian is ranked at No. 4 in both the USCHO.com Women’s Division III Top-10 Poll and the D3hockey.com Women’s Top-10 Poll.
The Cardinals rise to 6-1-0 overall with the win and will play the winner of the 7 p.m. contest between Elmira College and Middlebury College in the UNO Classic championship game tomorrow at 5 p.m. The Bulldogs drop to 6-2-1 overall with the loss and will play the loser of the contest between Elmira and Middlebury in the UNO Classic consolation game tomorrow at 2 p.m.
Moriarty scored with just seven seconds left in the first period on the power play—her NCAA Division III-leading sixth power-play goal of the season—to provide the only marker of the game. Sophomore defenseman Hannah Kiraly (Glendale, Ariz./Northern Cyclones) sent the puck along the boards to senior forward Melissa Sheeran (Schaghticoke, N.Y./Millbrook School), and Sheeran played it off the boards behind the net before passing to Moriarty in the low slot. After the puck bounced off the blade of an Adrian student-athlete’s stick, she ripped a shot that bounced off the Bulldog goalie and into the back of the net. Sheeran’s assist gave her a Division III-leading 14 for the season.
Plattsburgh State finished with a 35-28 edge in shots and went 1-for-6 on the power play. The Cardinals’ penalty kill unit held Adrian scoreless in four power-play opportunities.
Junior goaltender Kassi Abbott (North Billerica, Mass./Boston Shamrocks Elite) made 28 stops in the victory for the Cardinals to earn a share of the Division III lead in shutouts with three for the year. Freshman goaltender Kate Turner turned aside 34 shots in the loss for the Bulldogs.
