OSWEGO, N.Y. – The No. 2/2 Plattsburgh State women’s ice hockey team returned to Northeast Women’s Hockey League (NEWHL) action with a 4-0 win over Oswego State in a rematch of last year’s NEWHL Tournament final Friday afternoon at the Marano Campus Center Arena.
It marked the first loss of the season for Oswego, as the Lakers were unbeaten in their first six games of the season.
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.
Senior goaltender Kassi Abbott (Medford, Mass./Boston Shamrocks Elite) continued her torrid start to the 2018-19 season, posting her NCAA Division III-leading sixth shutout of the season with a 22-save effort. She also posted her 15th career shutout to take over sole possession of the No. 4 spot in the program’s record book.
Offensively, senior forward Courtney Moriarty (Estero, Fla./Northfield Mount Hermon) and freshman forward Moe Tsukimoto (Sapporo, Japan/Northwood School) each posted three points on one goal and two assists, while sophomore forward Annie Katonka (Pittsburgh, Pa./Pittsburgh Pens Elite) registered a goal and an assist.
Plattsburgh State rises to 7-1-0 overall (5-0-0 NEWHL) with the win, while Oswego drops to 5-1-1 (3-1-1 NEWHL) with the loss. The two teams will finish the weekend series tomorrow at 3 p.m. at the Marano Campus Center Arena.
Sophomore forward Kaitlin Drew-Mead (Niagara Falls, N.Y./Buffalo Bisons) scored the game’s first goal 6:22 into the contest, taking a shot that deflected off the Oswego goalie and past the goal line. Junior forward Sarah Wolf (Fairport, N.Y./Boston Shamrocks Elite) earned her first assist of the season on the play.
With 17:05 gone in the first, Tsukimoto made it a 2-0 game. Freshman forward Taylor Whitney (Livonia, Mich./Little Caesars) centered a pass to Moriarty, and Moriarty took a shot that hit the post. Tsukimoto ended up jabbing in the rebound with a backhanded effort in the crease for her third marker of the season. It marked the first collegiate assist for Whitney.
Moriarty netted a power-play goal with 10:15 elapsed in the second, banging in the puck off of a rebound. Tsukimoto and Katonka each were credited with assists on the goal.
Finally, Katonka added an insurance goal with 17:05 gone in the third, scoring low stick side on assists from Moriarty and Tsukimoto just six seconds after a Laker penalty released.
Plattsburgh State’s penalty kill once again stood tall, as Oswego was unable to score on seven power-play opportunities, including three separate 5-on-3 chances. The Cardinals, meanwhile, were 1-for-3 with the extra skater and finished the contest with a 39-22 edge in shots on goal.
Oswego’s junior goaltender Rachael Farmer took the loss, making 30 saves over two periods of work. Freshman goaltender Hannah Lindey made five saves in a scoreless third period.
