RUTLAND, Vt. – The top-ranked Plattsburgh State women’s ice hockey team topped Castleton University, 7-3, in non-conference play at Spartan Arena Tuesday night. The Cardinals improve to 7-1 on the season, while Spartans slip to 3-5. Plattsburgh State is tied with Elmira College atop the U.S. College Hockey Online (USCHO) Division III national poll this week.
Plattsburgh State senior Jordan Lipson (Davis, Calif./Pomfret School) recorded one goal and two assists, while junior Melissa Sheeran (Schaghticoke, N.Y./Millbrook School) scored twice and now sits at 99 career points. Senior Melissa Ames (Rochester, N.Y./Pittsburgh Penguins Elite U-19) and sophomore Karen Hudson (Sykesville, Md./Washington Pride) both registered one goal and one assist. Sophomore Ashley Songin (Springville, N.Y./Nichols School) and freshman Jen Manning (Marlborough, Mass./Massachusetts Spitfires) both scored once, with Manning netting her first collegiate goal. Freshman Hannah Kiraly (Newport Beach, Calif./Northern Cyclones) provided three assists, senior Erin Brand (Long Beach, N.Y./Syracuse) had two assists and junior Megan Crandell (Fullerton, Calif./Saint Norbert) and sophomore Muna Fadel (Belle River, Ontario/Southwest Jr. Wildcats) both chipped in one helper. Sophomore Kassi Abbott (North Billerica, Mass./Boston Shamrocks Elite U-19) stopped one shot while playing the first period as part of her third career start before senior Camille Leonard (Oakville, Ontario/Oakville Jr. Hornets) collected seven saves in two periods of relief for the win.
Castleton sophomores Aimee Briand, Jocelyn Forrest and Chanel Tvergyak each scored, with senior Ally Brandland and freshman Nicolle Trivino assisting. Sophomore Rylie Wills totaled 34 saves.
Plattsburgh State pumped in three first-period goals. Lipson potted the game’s opening goal at 9:09 while on the power play after stuffing in the puck to the left side off from a rebound off of Kiraly’s point shot. After Tvergyak equalized for Castleton on the power play at 12:20, Ames responded and vaulted the visitors back into the lead with a tally at 13:37. Briand knotted the score at 2-2 at 17:27 when she skated in on a breakaway, deked twice and wristed the puck to the right side. The stalemate lasted just 36 seconds as Hudson raced down the right side before depositing a left-side shot to give the Cardinals a 3-2 lead.
The visitors then clicked off three more goals in the second period, with Manning picking up her first career marker at 6:50 followed by Sheeran netting a pair of goals at 10:24 and 17:54, the latter coming with the player advantage to give Plattsburgh State a 6-2 edge. Both sides then scored once in the final stanza. Songin buried the Cardinals’ seventh and final goal just 34 seconds into the period by snapping a slot shot after receiving a below-the-goal-line pass from Hudson. Castleton later scored at 4:05 when Forrest stole the puck from a Cardinal defender, shot up ice and snapped a top-right shot to put the score at 7-3.
Plattsburgh State next plays in this weekend’s Panther/Cardinal Classic hosted this year by No. 5 Middlebury College. The Cardinals take on No. 3 Adrian (Mich.) College on Saturday at 5 p.m. on day one of the tournament. The consolation and championship games are slated for Sunday afternoon.
