PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The second-ranked and top-seeded Plattsburgh State women’s ice hockey team captured its fifth straight Northeast Women’s Hockey League (NEWHL) title and its 10th consecutive conference championship overall dating back to the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) West, as the Cardinals blanked second-seeded SUNY Cortland, 2-0, in the NEWHL Tournament championship game on Saturday afternoon at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena. With the victory, Plattsburgh State extended its winning streak to 17 and earned the NEWHL’s automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Tournament.
Plattsburgh State is ranked at No. 2 in the DCU/USCHO.com Women’s Division III Top-15 Poll.
Graduate student forward Sara Krauseneck (Saginaw, Mich./Northern Cyclones) was named the Tournament MVP and was joined on the All-Tournament Team by junior forward Ciara Wall (Stoneham, Mass./University of New Hampshire) and senior defensemen Kendall Wasik (Novi, Mich./HoneyBaked) and Sierra Benjamin (Palm Coast, Fla./Northwood School) of Plattsburgh State and junior forward Jillian Hlasnick and sophomore goaltender Molly Goergen of Cortland.
The Cardinals finished with a 31-16 edge in shots on goal and went 1-for-4 on the power play. The Red Dragons were scoreless on two power-play opportunities.
Plattsburgh State rises to 25-2-0 overall with the win, while Cortland falls to 20-7-0 overall with the loss. The selection show revealing the full bracket for the NCAA Division III Tournament will occur at 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 5, on www.ncaa.com.
Cortland nearly scored on the power play midway through the first period. Senior forward Dany Donegan skated around the back of the goal and sent a pass out to senior forward Jayden Kelley in the slot, but Kelley’s one-time shot was denied by graduate student goaltender Ashley Davis (Winterville, N.C./Northwood School) with a save between her pads.
Wall came up with her biggest goal so far as a Cardinal 2:23 into the second period, as she put Plattsburgh State on the board. Wasik passed D-to-D to first-year forward Taya Balfour (Moorestown, N.J./Philadelphia Jr. Flyers) on the left point, and Balfour found Wall in the slot. Wall received the puck, went to the backhand then back to the forehand before scoring over Goergen’s blocker.
Krauseneck buried her team-leading 19th goal of the year 4:02 into the third, scoring on the power play. Benjamin passed down to senior forward Ivy Boric (Newport Beach, Calif./Anaheim Lady Ducks) on the left goal line extended, and Krauseneck one-timed a feed from Boric past the goalie glove side. Krauseneck’s goal extended her point streak to 10 games.
Cortland pulled its goalie with 1:39 left in regulation, and Davis kept the Red Dragons off the board with a pair of stops down the stretch.
Davis made 16 saves in the win for the Cardinals, white Goergen steered aside 29 shots in the loss for the Red Dragons.
(Plattsburgh Women’s Hockey Photo)
