Championship Program
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Stafford Ice Arena will serve as the host for the 2013 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Women’s West Hockey Championships with semifinal games beginning Saturday afternoon. The ECAC Women’s West Championship game is set for Sunday at 3 p.m.
Tournament Schedule
Saturday, March 2 – 4 p.m.
ECAC West Semifinals
Neumann vs. Plattsburgh State
Saturday, March 2 – 7 p.m.
ECAC West Semifinals
Utica vs. Elmira
Sunday, March 3 – 3 p.m.
ECAC West Finals
Neumann/Plattsburgh winner vs. Utica/Elmira winner
Ticket Information
Tickets prices are per day and are $5 for adults and $3 for college students with a valid ID. The Plattsburgh State athletic department will be providing free tickets to the first 300 students each day who present a current Plattsburgh State student ID. All tickets will be available beginning at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday and at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday at the Field House Box Office.
Multimedia Links
All three games of the ECAC Women’s West Tournament will be streamed live, courtesy of Northeast Sports Network. Live Stats will also be available for all three contests, while live audio will accompany any Plattsburgh State game.
Live Video – Courtesy of Northeast Sports Network
Live Stats
Live Audio – Courtesy of WIRY 1340 AM (only Plattsburgh State games)
Plattsburgh’s Path to the Postseason
As the top-seed in this year’s tournament, the Cardinals begin their quest for their third ECAC Women’s West Title. Plattsburgh State wrapped up the regular season with a 23-0-2 overall record and a 15-0-1 in league play, claiming the ECAC West Regular Season Crown. It is the second time the program has finished the regular season undefeated. The Cardinals also accomplished the same feat during 2006-07, finishing the regular season with the same mark.
Plattsburgh State is led by ECAC West Player of the Year Teal Gove, who has paced the Cardinals' offense throughout the majority of the year and finished the regular season leading the league in points (41), goals (21), assists (21), power-play points (17), power-play goals (8) and game-winning goals (4). With her 41 points in the regular season, she has already matched her career-high which was set during the 2011-12 season.
Shannon Stewart has debunked any myths of a sophomore slump, tallying 20 goals and 17 assists for 37 points. Stewart also earned ECAC West First Team honors with 29 of her points coming against league opponents.
ECAC West Goalie of the Year Sydney Aveson has helped the Cardinals become the top defense in the league by holding opponents to 1.00 goals per game. She posted a .952 save percentage against ECAC West opponents and allowed just 10 goals in league play. Aveson also led the league with seven shutouts.
The Cardinals boast the top offense in Division III, averaging 4.80 goals per game, and the top defense, holding opponents to 1.00 goals per game. Plattsburgh State’s power-play unit is all the best Division III has to offer at 31.6 percent while the penalty-kill ranks fourth at 90.1 percent.
It hasn’t been long since the Knights squared off against the Cardinals as the two teams met at Neumann in the final weekend of the regular season. Plattsburgh State prevailed in both meetings with scores of 5-1 and 4-0.
Scouting the Visitors
Neumann Knights
After league tiebreakers favored Neumann, the Knights entered the postseason as the sixth seed. In the ECAC West Quarterfinals, Neumann traveled to Oswego and defeated the third-seeded Lakers, 3-0, to advance to the semifinals. Neumann enters Saturday’s game with a 10-15-1 record on the year and finished the season with a 6-10-0 ECAC West record.
The Knights are led by junior forward Edie Brenning with 10 goals and 11 assists for 21 points. Senior Lynsey Nakamura comes into the weekend with a team-high three power-play goals. Neumann will need solid team defense in Saturday’s semifinal game as the Knights average 2.15 goals per game while opponents have scored 2.65.
Senior Shannon Donnelly serves as the Knights’ primary goaltender with a 7-12-0 record, 2.51 goals-against average and .923 save percentage.
Elmira Soaring Eagles
The Soaring Eagles finished the regular season in second place and come to Plattsburgh in search of their eighth ECAC West Championship. Elmira sits at 20-4-1 overall which includes a 14-2-0 record in conference play.
With 14 players in double-digits, Elmira has succeeded this season with a balanced offense. Ashton Hogan and Ashley Ryan lead the Soaring Eagles with 24 points apiece while Tanis Lamoureux has contributed 23 points. Elmira has outscored it opponents, 107-26, and averages 4.28 goals per game.
Senior Lauren Sullivan has an 11-3-1 record in 15 games with a 1.13 goals-against average. In nine games, Lisa Marshall has been just as effective in between the pipes with an 8-1-0 record and 0.89 goals-against average.
Utica Pioneers
ECAC Women’s West Co-Coach of the Year Dave Clausen guided Utica to a 9-5-2 ECAC West record to secure the fourth seed in this year’s tournament. The Pioneers hosted Potsdam in the ECAC West Quarterfinals last weekend, defeating the Bears 5-1 to advance to the semifinals and improve to 16-8-2 on the year.
Junior forward Megan Myers is Utica’s top offensive threat with 17 goals, 14 points and four power-play goals. Senior Carmen Johnson has added a team-high four game-winning goals.
Jennifer Hamel has played the majority of minutes in the Utica net, owning a 10-5-1 record and 1.79 goals-against average. Marissa Hotaling has also been solid in goal with a 6-3-1 record and a .920 save percentage.
