Box Score
SUPERIOR, WIS. – After a heartbreaking loss in the NCAA semifinals, the Plattsburgh State women’s hockey team rebounded Saturday with a 4-0 victory over Gustavus Adolphus in the NCAA Third-Place Game at Wessman Arena.
Despite a 25-11 edge in shots on goal for the Gusties, Plattsburgh State was able to make the most of its opportunities to secure the win. Senior forward Teal Gove scored a pair of goals while junior forward Jenny Kistner contributed a goal and two assists in the victory.
Gustavus Adolphus (27-2-1) finished the first period with a 12-1 shot advantage but the Cardinals made their one shot count. Late in the first period the Gusties took back-to-back penalties to give Plattsburgh State a 5-on-3 advantage for 1:22. A feed from Bridget Balisy set up Allison Era at the right point and Era fired a shot past Gusties’ goaltender Lindsey Hibbard to give the Cardinals a 1-0 lead at the 15:45 mark.
Sydney Aveson stopped all 12 shots she faced in the first period, including a couple off a scramble in front that left her lying on her back at one point. She finished the day with 25 saves. Aveson wraps up a career year with a 23-1-2 record, 1.19 goals-against average, a .937 save percentage and nine shutouts.
Play evened out in the second period as the Cardinals were able to get a number of scoring opportunities, including a shot from the point by Alyssa Parke that drilled the near post. Plattsburgh State extended its lead to 2-0 late in the middle period when Gove tipped in Shannon Stewart’s rebound at 17:51.
After denying a short-handed attempt by Gustavus’ senior captain Lindsey Hjelm, the Cardinals’ power-play unit illustrated why it’s the best at they do Saturday, adding another power-play goal midway through the third period. A falling Kistner was able to lift her shot over the left shoulder of Hibbard at the 9:22 mark to make it 3-0 in favor of the Cardinals.
The Cardinals added one more goal late in the third when Emma Rutherford’s shot hit the post but Gove was at the back door to poke home the rebound with 3:13 left in regulation.
Gusties’ goaltender Hibbard allowed four goals on 11 shots, dropping to 16-2-1 on the year.
With two goals on the afternoon, Gove finishes the year with 29 goals and 21 assists for a career-high 50 points. As one of the top women’s players to ever put on a Cardinal uniform, Gove wraps up her four-year career with 76 goals and 63 assists in 115 games. She boasts a long list of honors that includes the 2013 Laura Hurd Award, two AHCA First Team All-American citations, two ECAC West Player of the Year nods and Capital One Academic All-American accolades. With 139 career points, Gove ties Lynn Taylor for fourth all-time in scoring.
In the championship game, Elmira was crowned National Champions after defeating Middlebury, 1-0. Kistner represented Plattsburgh State on the NCAA All-Tournament Team and was joined by Middlebury’s Heather Morrison, Gustavus’ Lindsey Hjelm and Elmira’s Ashley Ryan, Taylor Steadman and Lauren Sullivan.
Plattsburgh State wraps up an amazing run with a 27-1-2 record to tie the program record in wins that was set during the 2006-2007 season.
