ELMIRA, N.Y. – The top-two teams all year met again for the fourth time this season in the ECAC West Championship game as the Plattsburgh State women’s hockey team knocked-off the Elmira Soaring Eagles 4-0.
The Cardinals got on the board first with a power play goal by Giovanna Senese with 7:44 left in the first period.
The goal came on the heels of three-consecutive Elmira penalties that Plattsburgh State was finally able to take advantage of.
Senese was not done either converting on the power play as she scored again late in the second period. The Huntley, Ill., native tipped in an Alyssa Parke shot from the point to give the Cardinals a 2-0 advantage.
Bridget Balisy would provide the insurance goal in the third period with a blast from the right point beating Elmira goaltender Kyle Nelson with just 4:04 remaining in the game.
Senior, Shannon Stewart would slide in an empty netter with 35 seconds left to seal the win for the Cardinals.
Cardinals goaltender Camille Leonard earned her seventh shutout of the season stopping all 23 shots while her counterpart Nelson allowed three goals while stopping 25 shots.
The 2015 ECAC West All-Tournament team featured three players from Elmira in Ashley Ryan, Brooke Wilgosh and Phoebe Piku. Four Cardinals were selected to the team including Senese who was announced the tournament MVP. The other Plattsburgh State members honored were Kayla Meneghin, Balisy and Leonard.
Plattsburgh State moves to 23-2-2 on the season and 2-2-0 against the Soaring Eagles this season.
Sunday was the third-straight meeting between the two schools in the ECAC West Championship game with Plattsburgh State collecting all three wins.
The Cardinals will get an automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Women’s Ice Hockey Tournament and will find out who they play Monday at 10 a.m. in the NCAA selection show.
