PLATTSBURGH, NY - A strong defensive effort led by goalkeeper Julia Ennis (Carmel, NY/Kennedy Catholic) and the team's lone goal from Samantha Rachon (Marcy, NY/Holland Patent) helped give Plattsburgh State women's soccer their third straight win on Sunday morning. The team has now opened up their season with three straight shutouts, the first time the team has done so since the 2017 season when they made the SUNYAC championship game. 

Plattsburgh moves to 3-0 with the win, now having won three games in four days to begin the year. They have seen balanced play throughout, with strong defensive efforts and each goal coming from a different player on the team. Skidmore sustains their first loss of 2022, moving to 1-1 after a win yesterday versus Castleton and the loss today. 

Despite the 0-0 tie at halftime, the first half saw plenty of offense, as each team was able to fire off six shots. The Cardinals saw several shots just miss their mark, beginning the 13th minute, when Plattsburgh had a header attempt from Kirsten Villemaire (Plattsburgh, NY/Beekmantown) saved at the top of the net by the Thoroughbred keeper. Villemaire had another close shot saved around the 39-minute mark when a ball off her left foot nearly curved into the net, but once again Skidmore's keeper Claire Wolgast made an excellent save. 

Ennis and her back line of defenders, Nora Fitzgerald (New Rochelle, NY/New Rochelle), Kayla Myers (Plattsburgh, NY/Saranac), Katie Stevenson (Mastic Beach, NY/William Floyd), and Casey Granger (Hopewell Junction, NY/Arlington), all player fantastic, making shots at the net tough for the opposing defense throughout the first half. Each defender played the full time, earning 90 minutes of work for their tremendous effort. 

The second half saw more of the same play as each team struggled to score. Plattsburgh once again had a strong chance at a goal in the 45th minute, but the post stopped the shot on this attempt as Avery Durgan's (Plattsburgh, NY/Beekmantown) header was turned away by the goal itself. 

Finally, the Cardinals struck for a score in the 80th minute, as Allison Seidman's (Commack, NY/Commack) corner kick deflected off a Skidmore defender, bouncing right to Rachon, who blasted a shot from the top of the box in for a goal. The score was the first of Rachon's career at Plattsburgh, and her second of her collegiate career, having scored a goal playing at Roberts Wesleyan in 2020. 

Ennis earned the win for her superb play in goal, saving four shots to improve to 3-0 and grab her third shutout. Avery Rogers took the loss for Skidmore in her first collegiate appearance. 

The Cards will return to action on Sept. 7 when they welcome RPI to the Field House Complex Turf for a 4 p.m. start time.