Box score
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Six different goal scorers guided the top-seeded Plattsburgh State women's hockey team to a 6-1 victory against Utica in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Women's West Semifinals Saturday afternoon at the Stafford Ice Arena.
A shaky Cardinals' defense in the early part of the first period, giving the Pioneers (17-9-1) a couple chances to strike first. On an early power play, Utica's Louise Steele-Norton's shot from the left point trickled past Sydney Aveson and hit the post before Bridget Balisy came in to clear the puck out of the crease. The Pioneers had another chance with just over six minutes gone in the opening frame when Utica's Megan Myers stole the puck away from Plattsburgh State's Alyssa Parke and came in all alone on the breakaway but Sydney Aveson denied Myers to keep Utica off the board.
Parke gave Plattsburgh State a 1-0 lead with her team-leading seventh power-play goal at the 11:09 mark of the first period. Ali Vakos and Balisy set up Parke, who skated into the right circle and lifted a high shot over Utica's Jennifer Hamel to put the Cardinals in front.
A little over three minutes later, Allison Era's shot was turned away by Hamel but the puck rolled behind the Utica goaltender and Balisy knocked the loose puck into the empty net to give Plattsburgh State a 2-0 lead at 14:17 of the first.
With 21 seconds left in the first, Shannon Stewart gave Plattsburgh State a three-goal lead to take to the locker room at the end of the first. Era's shot from the right point was denied but Stewart was there to tap in the rebound for her 15th goal of the season.
The Cardinals (24-1-1) outshot the Pioneers, 21-6, in the second but Hamel was up to the task, stopping every shot she faced to keep it a 3-0 game at the end of two periods.
Plattsburgh State wasted little time in third as Morgan MacInnis extended the lead to 4-0 with 1:50 gone in the final period, scoring her second of the season off a Tyne Gove rebound. Gove added one of her own at the 6:03 mark, spinning around and scoring off the backhand to make it 5-0 game. MacInnis and Jenny Kistner were credited with assists on Gove's fifth of the year.
Jordan Caldwell rounded the scoring for the Cardinals at the 7:42 mark of the third, deflecting a shot from Stewart on a Plattsburgh State power play.
Utica's MacKenzie Roy broke up the shutout late in the third, sending a shot through a pair of Plattsburgh State defenders and past Aveson with 2:54 left in regulation.
The Cardinals finished with a 49-14 advantage in shots on goal. Plattsburgh State went 2-for-5 on the power play while Utica went 0-for-2.
Aveson stopped 13 shots to earn the win and improve to 18-1-1 for the Cardinals. Hamel recorded 43 saves in the loss for the Pioneers.
Elmira 3, Oswego 0
Box score
In the second ECAC Women's West Semifinal matchup, No. 2 seed Elmira skated to a 3-0 win over No. 3 Oswego State to set up a Sunday showdown between Plattsburgh State and Elmira for the ECAC Women's West Tournament Championship.
Despite a sloppy first period for both teams, Elmira emerged with a 1-0 lead at the end of one. A couple of nice passes from Brooke Wilgosh and Ashley Ryan set up Tanis Lamoureux for a power-play goal from the left circle with 18 seconds left in the opening period.
Elmira (21-4-1) outshot Oswego State (17-9-1) by a margin of 13-6 in the second period, but the Soaring Eagles had nothing to show for it with the score remaining 1-0 in favor of Elmira at the end of two periods.
The Soaring Eagles pulled goaltender Lisa Marshall on the delayed penalty call in the third, allowing Brooke Wilgosh to net an extra-attacker goal at the 8:16 mark to give Elmira a 2-0 lead. Erin Weston sealed the win with an empty-net goal with 22 seconds left in regulation.
The power-play units on both sides struggled in Saturday's matchup as Elmira scored one power-play goal on six chances while Oswego State went 0-for-7 on the power play.
Marshall stopped all 18 shots she faced to earn the shutout for Elmira. Oswego State's Tori Travato made 22 saves in the loss.
Sunday's championship game between the Cardinals and the Soaring Eagles is set for 3 p.m. at the Stafford Ice Arena. Tickets are $5 general admission and $3 for college student with ID. The first 300 Plattsburgh State student with a valid ID will be admitted for free. All ticket sales will begin at 1:30 p.m. at the Field House Box Office.
