PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The No. 3/3 Plattsburgh State women’s ice hockey team relied on three third-period goals to blank Trinity (Conn.) College 3-0 in a non-conference game on Saturday afternoon at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena. It was the Cardinals’ final contest of the 2017 portion of their schedule.
Plattsburgh State is ranked at No. 3 in both the USCHO.com Women’s Division III Top-10 Poll and the D3hockey.com Women’s Top-10 Poll.
The Cardinals doubled up the Bantams in shots (44-22) and went 1-for-5 on the power play. Trinity went 0-for-4 with the extra attacker.
Plattsburgh State rises to 9-2-0 overall with the win and next opens up the Norwich East-West Classic on Sunday, Jan. 7, at 2 p.m. against host Norwich University. Trinity drops to 2-5-0 overall with the loss and hosts Norwich next on Wednesday, Jan. 3.
After two scoreless periods, junior forward Ashley Songin (Springville, N.Y./Nichols School) put the Cardinals on the board 9:24 into the third on the power play. Junior goaltender Kassi Abbott (North Billerica, Mass./Boston Shamrocks Elite) handed the puck off to sophomore defenseman Hannah Kiraly (Glendale, Ariz./Northern Cyclones), who skated up the left wing into Plattsburgh State’s offensive zone. She went behind the goal, and Songin took control of a loose puck. Songin then wrapped around the right side of the goal and scored.
Plattsburgh State added insurance with 12:02 elapsed in the third period. Senior forward Kayla Meneghin (Clifton, N.J./The Gunnery) took a shot that was saved before senior forward Melissa Sheeran (Schaghticoke, N.Y./Millbrook School) collected the rebound. Sheeran found the back of the net through traffic in the slot and handed the Cardinals a 2-0 lead. With the goal, Sheeran padded her NCAA Division III lead in scoring with 25 points for the season.
Finally, sophomore forward Meghan Kraus (Bellingham, Wash./Northern Cyclones) scored an empty-net goal to seal the outcome with 42 seconds left in regulation. Junior forward Courtney Moriarty (Estero, Fla./Northfield Mount Hermon) and Kiraly each earned assists on the marker.
Abbott made 22 saves in the win and earned her Division III-leading fifth shutout in the process. Senior goaltender Sydney Belinskas turned aside 41 shots in the loss for Trinity.
