PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State women’s hockey team is making its eighth appearance in the NCAA tournament this Saturday, when they travel to Middlebury College to face the NESCAC champions in a quarterfinal game. Game time is set for 7 p.m. at the Chip Kenyon Ice Arena.

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The Cardinals fell in the ECAC West championship game to R.I.T. and gained an at-large bid to the tournament after posting an 18-6-3 record overall, while recording a 15-1-2 record in league play.

The Cardinals own a 9-6 record in the NCAA tournament, with a 2-1 record in the championship game and a 1-1 record in 3^rd place games. They won back-to-back National Championships in 2007 and 2008 and were runners-up in 2006. Their last appearance came in the 2009-10 season when they lost at home to Norwich University at the quarterfinal stage.

The Panthers come into the weekend with a 21-3-3 record and received an automatic bid to the tournament after winning the NESCAC title in overtime against Amherst.

The Panthers won the first meeting with Plattsburgh in November, 4-1, before the two teams played to a 4-4 tie in February. Middlebury and Plattsburgh have not crossed paths in the postseason since the 2007 national championship game which the Cardinals won 2-1 to end the Panthers’ three-year run.

ECAC West Player of the Year Teal Gove leads the Cardinals this year with 18 goals and 20 assists. The Cardinals have relied mainly on youth for the rest of their scoring with first year players Emma Rutherford, Shannon Stewart, Jenny Kistner and Alyssa Parke all in the team’s top five scorers. Rutherford, who was named ECAC West Rookie of the Year, is second on the team in goals with 15 and Parke leads defensemen with five goals and 16 assists.

In goal, the Cardinals have ECAC West Goaltender of the Year Sydney Aveson. Aveson has compiled a 16-5-2 record this season and a 1.54 goals-against average. She also has a 9.31 save percentage and recorded the most shutouts in the nation with seven.

Coach Kevin Houle is in his 9th season on the Cardinal bench. Houle recorded his 200^th win this year when the Cardinals toppled Cortland on February 4^th. His career record stands at 204-37-17 and his .823 winning percentage is the highest among ALL active men’s and women’s coaches.

The Panthers are led by Annabelle Jones in goal this season. She has a 1.36 goals-against average and a .933 save percentage to go along with three shutouts. Lauren Greer is the team’s leading scorer with 13 goals and 16 assists, while Sara Ugalde is tied with Greer for the team-lead in goals with 13.

The winner of Saturday’s game will advance to the NCAA semifinals to face the winner of the R.I.T. and Concordia-Moorhead game.