ASTON, Pa. — The top-ranked Plattsburgh State women’s ice hockey team netted two power-play goals in the third period to bounce back from a one-goal deficit and beat Neumann University, 3-2, in Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) West action at the IceWorks Twin Rinks on Friday. Plattsburgh State, which played its third game of a season-opening four-game road stretch, moved to 3-0 overall and 3-0 in the ECAC West, while Neumann drops to 1-4 and 0-3. The Cardinals’ No. 1 ranking was according to this week’s U.S. College Hockey Online (USCHO) Division III national poll.
Plattsburgh State, which scored each of its goals on the power play, received one goal apiece from senior Jordan Lipson (Davis, Calif./Pomfret School), junior Melissa Sheeran (Schaghticoke, N.Y./Millbrook School) and freshman Hannah Kiraly (Newport Beach, Calif./Northern Cyclones), with Kiraly posting the first marker of her collegiate career. Sophomore Courtney Moriarty (Estero, Fla./Northfield Mount Hermon) provided two assists, while senior Melissa Ames (Rochester, N.Y./Pittsburgh Penguins Elite U-19) and junior Kayla Meneghin (Clifton, N.J./The Gunnery) both had one assist. Senior Camille Leonard (Oakville, Ontario/Oakville Jr. Hornets) stopped 11 shots for the win.
Junior Bek Lucas paced Neumann with two points on one goal and one assist, with senior Grace Klienbach potting the other goal. Senior Julia Fair collected 56 saves in net.
Neumann needed just 23 seconds to bury the game’s first goal as Lucas found the back of the net for the early 1-0 lead. The Cardinals peppered Fair with 11 first-period shots, including a late-period bid by sophomore Karen Hudson (Sykesville, Md./The Washington Pride).
Plattsburgh State then found the equalizer at 3:33 of the second period as Lipson deposited a power-play tally with help from Meneghin and Moriarty. Both of Lipson’s goals so far this season have come with the player advantage. Neumann responded, though, as Klienbach put the hosts back on top for a 2-1 lead with a goal at 17:38. The Knights held a one-goal margin going into the third period despite the Cardinals owning a 28-3 shot advantage in the second stanza.
The visitors, aided by 20 third-period shots, scored twice in the final frame to bounce back from the one-goal deficit. Kiraly buried the tying goal at 4:37 before Sheeran put the Cardinals on top at 17:16. Plattsburgh State sent four more shots on net over the next few minutes, but Fair stopped them all before pulled for the extra attacker with 21 seconds remaining. Despite the player advantage, Neumann was unable to get a shot on net before time expired.
Plattsburgh State closes out its current four-game road swing with another meeting against Neumann on Saturday at 2 p.m.
