PLATTSBURGH, N.Y.- Stephanie Moberg scored three goals and had an assist to power top-ranked Plattsburgh State to a 5-2 victory Saturday against Utica at the Stafford Ice Arena, sending the Cardinals to their ninth-straight Eastern College Athletic Conference West Division championship game appearance. Plattsburgh improves to 23-1-2 while the fourth-seed Pioneers end their season at 13-12-2. BOXSCORE
Freshman Teal Gove snapped a 2-2 deadlock with an unassisted goal late in the second period for a 3-2 Plattsburgh lead it would not relinquish. Gove pounced on an opportunity at her offensive blue line where a Utica player lost control of the puck and then she skated alone on goaltender Jill Doherty beating her with a wrist shot for her ninth goal of the season.
Tiffany Bichrest and Jodie Galluzzi scored goals in the second period to help Utica come back from a 2-0 deficit.
Plattsburgh added two insurance goals in the third period, including Moberg's empty-netter with 32 seconds left to complete the hat-trick.
Doherty finished with 46 saves while Plattsburgh netminder Mandy Mackrell made 28 stops to improve to 17-1-2 on the year.
Both teams scored once while on the power play and also one apiece while short-handed.
In today's second semifinal game, Madison Johnston blasted a slap shot from the blue line for the game-winning goal 5 minutes and 10 seconds into overtime for a 2-1 Elmira win against Rochester Tech. BOXSCORE
Sarah Dagg's power-play goal in the third period forced the extra session for RIT, tying the game at 1. Kim Schlattman and Kylie Mazzetta assisted on Dagg's 17th of the season, a shot that came from the point and through traffic in front of the net.
After the teams skated to a scoreless first period, Elmira broke through at the 1:15 mark of the second when Jillayne DeBus netted her 14th goal.
Jenna McCall and Tiffany Hart each had two assists for the second-seeded Soaring Eagles, who improve to 21-4-1 overall.
The Tigers--at 19-5-3--must await word Monday to learn if they received an at-large bid for the national tournament by the NCAA Division III Women's Ice Hockey Committee.
The teams tied in shots on goal, 29-29, and RIT's Carley King had 27 saves while Elmira's Lauren Sullivan had 28.
Elmira and Plattsburgh have met in all nine conference championship games.
