College Hockey Stats Box Score

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Junior Melissa Sheeran (Schaghticoke, N.Y./Millbrook School) recorded a hat trick and senior Camille Leonard (Oakville, Ontario/Oakville Jr. Hornets) turned in an 11-save shutout as the top-ranked Plattsburgh State women's ice hockey team topped SUNY Potsdam, 5-0, in Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Women's West action at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena on Saturday. The Cardinals, who see their first semester of games come to an end, move to 10-1 overall and 6-1 in the league, while the Bears go to 5-4 and 3-3. Plattsburgh State's ranking is according to the latest U.S. College Hockey Online (USCHO) Division III national poll.

Sheeran's three-goal outing was joined by senior Erin Brand (Long Beach, N.Y./Syracuse) and sophomore Mackenzie Millen (Anchorage, Alaska/North American Hockey Academy), who both had one goal. Juniors Megan Crandell (Fullerton, Calif./Saint Norbert) and Kayla Meneghin (Clifton, N.J./The Gunnery) both chipped in two assists, while senior Jordan Lipson (Davis, Calif./Pomfret School), sophomore Courtney Moriarty (Estero, Fla./Northfield Mount Hermon) and freshman Brittani Mingoia (Ronkonkoma, N.Y./Shattuck-Saint Mary's School) each had one helper. Leonard registered 11 saves for her 25th career shutout and her 60th career win. She joins Sydney Aveson '14 (69) and Carolyne Roy '05 (62) as the only Cardinals with at least 60 career victories.

Potsdam sophomore Tatum Walbur was 8-of-16 on faceoffs and freshman Alexa Pfeiffer totaled 51 saves.

The Cardinals owned a 1-0 lead after a 15-shot opening period. Sheeran and Brand sent two early bids on net, but Pfeiffer turned away both opportunities. Plattsburgh State then grabbed the game's first goal at 12:31 off of Sheeran's stick. Crandell's pass from the left side went down to Meneghin on the goal line and Meneghin backhanded a pass to Sheeran, who skated across the slot and snapped a shot into the left side. Potsdam junior Anna-Rose Bertin sent a right side shot that was stopped in the closing minute.

Plattsburgh gained two power-play chances in the second period, but could find nothing on five of those player-advantage opportunities. Sheeran tacked on to the hosts' lead at 13:47 of the second stanza. Meneghin sent a pass from her defensive zone up to Sheeran, who shook off a Potsdam defender before firing a low liner past Pfeiffer. Leonard kept the Bears at bay when she reached behind to snag a high shot from freshman Lucy Condon. Then with 17 seconds left in the period, Lipson fed a half board pass up to Brand, who slapped home a shot into the right side as Plattsburgh State went up 3-0.

Sheeran finished off the hat-trick bid with an unassisted power-play marker at 8:08 of the third period. Following a scramble in front of the net, Sheeran skated from behind the net and stuffed in the puck just inside the left post. Millen capped the Cardinals' scoring with a tally at 15:36 as she redirected Crandell's point shot. A trio of Potsdam shots with just under three minutes remaining, including two by freshman Karina Villalobos in the low slot, was the visitors' last rush at the net.

With its first-semester slate wrapped up, Plattsburgh State is off for the remainder of the calendar year. The Cardinals return to game action Jan. 7 against No. 5 Adrian (Mich.) College for day one of the East/West Hockey Classic hosted by No. 6 Norwich University.