PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State women's ice hockey team hosted Middlebury College on Friday afternoon in the 2016 NCAA Division III Women's Ice Hockey semifinals, and used a four-goal second period to down its cross-lake rivals 5-3 and advance to the National Championship Game for the third consecutive season.

The Cardinals got on the board first 7:26 into the opening period. Freshman Karen Hudson was stationed in front of the net and was the recipient of a pass from fellow first-year player Muna Fadel. The Sykesville, Md., product beat Panthers' goalie Julie Neuburger point blank range to give Plattsburgh State a 1-0 lead.

Middlebury responded just less than five minutes later as Jessica Young skated in on a 2-on-1 and wristed one past Cardinal netminder Camille Leonard from the left dot.

Applying most of the offensive pressure towards the end of the opening period, Plattsburgh State outshot Middlebury 13-7 in the first frame.

The second period belonged to the Cardinals, as they lit the lamp four times to take a 5-1 lead into the locker room after 40 minutes of play.

Recently named AHCA First Team All-American Kayla Meneghin gave the Cardinals their second lead of the game just 1:08 into the period. The Clifton, N.J., native collected a rebound off of her own shot and stuffed one past Neuburger far post.

Fadel picked up her second point of the game five and a half minutes into the second when she beat Neuburger high with a slick wrist shot, giving the Cardinals a 3-1 lead.

Plattsburgh State never let up in the middle frame, forcing back-to-back Middlebury penalties at 13:10 and 16:04. Just six seconds into the second of those penalties, senior captain Bridget Balisy fired a shot from the point that got through all sorts of traffic in front of the net, making the score 4-1 for the Cardinals.

Just a minute and one second later, Plattsburgh State broke away from its defensive zone and skated in on a 3-on-1. Giovanna Senese and Melissa Sheeran would play give and go, with Senese finishing the off the odd-man rush by sliding the puck past Neuburger and giving the Cardinals a four-goal lead at 5-1, forcing a Middlebury timeout.

The Cardinals continued to build up the pressure early in third period, but it was the Panthers that grabbed some momentum back as Young would get her second of the game at 12:35. The sophomore found the puck while it was in the middle of a scrum in front of the net and beat Leonard to bring Middlebury to within three goals at 5-2.

With just under three minutes remaining, the Panthers continued to chip at the Plattsburgh State lead. Elizabeth Wulf was in great position in front of the net and tapped in a puck that was redirected on the way towards the net.

Plattsburgh State would call a timeout following the third Middlebury goal and set up a defensive strategy to keep the Panthers off the board in the final 2:19.

Despite Sheeran taking a body checking penalty with 50 seconds remaining and Middlebury pulling its goalie, the Cardinals fended off all efforts put forth by the Panthers and held on for the 5-3 victory.

Sheeran and Senese each finished with three points, while Leonard made 21 saves to earn the win.

The top-ranked Cardinals improve to 28-1-0 and will play in the National Championship Game Saturday night at 7 p.m. Plattsburgh State will face the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, who defeated Elmira College 4-3 in overtime in the second semifinal matchup. The Cardinals and Falcons will meet for the first time ever.

Elmira and Middlebury will square off in the third-place game Saturday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. The soaring eagles beat the Panthers 3-1 earlier this season on November 27 in the Panther/Cardinal Classic at Middlebury.


ELMIRA vs. UW-RIVER FALLS


Elmira College and the University of Wisconsin-River Falls faced off in the second semifinal for the second consecutive year. Unlike last season, when Elmira came out on top, 3-2, Wisconsin-River Falls got revenge by beating the Soaring Eagles 4-3 in overtime.

UW-River Falls advances to the NCAA Division III Women's Ice Hockey Championship Game Saturday night at 7 p.m., while Elmira will play in the Third-Place Game Saturday at 3:30 p.m.

The contest was close all the way through as neither team led by more than one goal at any point. Each team would score one goal in the first, second, and third periods.

The Soaring Eagles notched the first goal of the game five minutes in when Maddie Evangelous found the back of the net off of a nice feed from Lippiatt Durnell that split two Falcon defenders.

UW-River Falls dialed up the pressure and it paid off at 10:31 of the first. The Falcons' forecheck caused a turnover behind the Elmira cage, and Dani Sibley found Carly Moran in front. The sophomore sent a clapper past Soaring Eagles' goalie Kyle Nelson glove side, tying the game at 1-1.

Elmira re-gained the lead at 14:15 of period number two as Maddy Jerolman would get a power play goal. Jerolman was fed a pass from the left dot to the slot and sent a shot past UW-River Falls' goaltender Angie Hall.

The Falcons would respond just 31 seconds later as Dani Sibley beat Nelson high blocker side for her 21^st goal of the season.

Having taken a penalty just 34 seconds into the third, UW-River Falls instead tallied a short-handed goal to take its first lead of the game at 3-2. Haley Nielson fired a shot from the point that appeared to deflect off an Elmira defender and beat Nelson.

Elmira came back from its first deficit at 5:04 as Evangelous netted her second of the game just as a Soaring Eagles' power play expired. The puck squirted from a scrum in front towards the freshman, who then shot one that deflected off of Hall an in the net.

Neither team would score before regulation time was over, sending the game into sudden death overtime.

AHCA First-Team All-American Chloe Kinsel played the role of hero for UW-River Falls on a power play 9:36 into the extra frame. The senior followed up her own shot and lifted the puck over the arm of Nelson to send the Falcons to their first-ever women's ice hockey national championship game.

Nelson stopped 27 shots while Hall corralled 15 attempts on net in earning the win.