PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — No. 1 Plattsburgh State women's ice hockey notched its 20th win of the season and extended its winning streak to 12 games with a 3-2 victory over SUNY Cortland in Northeast Women's Hockey League (NEWHL) play on Friday night at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena.
Plattsburgh State (20-1-0, 15-0-0 NEWHL) scored the first three goals of the game and then held off Cortland (12-6-2, 6-6-2 NEWHL) for the 3-2 victory.
Junior forward and alternate captain Annie Katonka (Pittsburgh, Pa./Pittsburgh Penguins Elite) made the score 1-0 with her 15th goal of the season, assisted by freshman forward Ivy Boric (Newport Beach, Calif./Anaheim Lady Ducks) and junior defenseman and team captain Erin McArdle (Macomb, Mich./Belle Tire), on the power play at 13:52 of the first period. Boric took an initial shot that hit off the left post and bounced behind the goaltender into the crease where Katonka knocked in the rebound. Boric's assist was her team-leading 20th of the season.
On the power play at 1:14 of the second period, sophomore forward Sara Krauseneck (Saginaw, Mich./Northern Cyclones) scored her 16th goal of the season to push the Plattsburgh State lead to 2-0. McArdle passed the puck from the right circle to the front of the net where Katonka redirected a shot on goal. The shot was saved, but Krauseneck got to the rebound by the right post and finished for the goal. Katonka and McArdle tallied the assists.
The score remained 2-0 until 4:23 of the second period when junior forward Abby Brush (Mount Prospect, Ill./Chicago Young Americans) tallied her 10th goal of the season, assisted by Krauseneck and senior defenseman Hannah Kiraly (Glendale, Ariz./Northern Cyclones), to make the score 3-0. Kiraly skated the puck from the neutral zone into the left side of the Cardinals' offensive zone before skating to the goal line to the left of the Cortland net. Kiraly then fed a pass to Krauseneck, who took a shot from the slot that was saved. However, Brush got to the rebound and promptly deposited the puck into the back of the net for the goal.
Cortland got on the scoreboard when Grace Schnorr scored her first of two goals on the night at 14:48 of the second period. Amanda Gaffney passed the puck from near the right face-off dot to Schnorr in the slot and she quickly released a shot that beat the Plattsburgh State goaltender on the stick side. Lindsay Reyes tallied the secondary assist.
Plattsburgh State held the 3-1 lead until the final second of the game when Hayden Keelley scored on a wrist shot from the slot at scored at 19:59 of the third period, was assisted by Elena Eichmann and Schnorr.
Plattsburgh State held a 55-22 edge in shots on goal.
Plattsburgh State finished 2-of-4 on the power play, while holding Cortland to 0-of-5.
Sophomore goaltender Ashley Davis (Winterville, N.C./Northwood School) made 19 saves to improve to 13-0-0 on the season for Plattsburgh State, while Cortland's Chelsea Allain (9-6-2) made 52 saves.
Plattsburgh State and Cortland wrap up their two-game NEWHL series tomorrow at 3 p.m. at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena.
