PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The No. 5 Plattsburgh State women's ice hockey team scored three times in the third period to pull away and defeat SUNY Morrisville 4-1 in a home State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) contest. Ciara Wall (Somerville, Mass./New Hampshire) scored the game-winning goal at the 11:41 mark of the third period, as the Cards scored two more goals after for the three-goal win.

The Plattsburgh State Cardinals are currently ranked at No. 5 in the USCHO.com Division III Top-15 Poll.

Taya Balfour (Moorestown, N.J./Philadelphia Jr. Flyers) got the Cardinals on the board midway through the first period, while Ivy Boric (Newport Beach, Calif/Anaheim Lady Ducks) and Zsofia Pazmandi (Kaposvar, Hungary/Ontario Hockey) also tallied scores. Kendall Wasik (Novi, Mich./HoneyBaked) and Emily Kasprzak (Niagara Falls, N.Y./Pittsburgh Penguins Elite) each had two assists, while Chloe Lewis (Monson, Mass./Northwood School) earned the win in net making 12 saves.

Neither team was able to take advantage of their power play opportunities, as Plattsburgh held Morrisville to zero shots on two power play opportunities and the Mustangs held the Cardinals to no goals on five advantage opportunities. Plattsburgh State dominated the puck in their offensive zone over the 60 minutes of action, outshooting Morrisville 43-13 on the afternoon.

The Cardinals moved to 12-2-1 (9-1 SUNYAC) and will next match up with Buffalo State on Friday, Jan. 19 at 7 p.m. in the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena. Morrisville State falls to 8-7 (3-5 SUNYAC) and will next host SUNY Cortland on Friday, Jan. 19 at home.

After puck drop, Plattsburgh got off to a great start, putting several shots on the net and looking to tally another big win over the Mustangs. However, on the first offensive chance for Morrisville, Kendal Kalinowski buried a one-time on the team's first shot on goal, pushing the Mustangs out to a 1-0 lead with just over four minutes of game tie elapsed.

Plattsburgh continued to press on, getting several offensive chances, and finally came through with a Balfour score. Playing off an Ella Fesette (Plattsburgh, N.Y./RIT) pass from the slot, Balfour took a deep slapshot from the point, as an initial stop from the goalie didn't deter the puck as it found its way through the five-hole into the back of the net. The 1-1 tie held from the 10:28 mark on, as the teams entered the second period tied at a score a piece.

The Cardinals put up 19 shots in the second period, dominating offensive possession as Morrisville could only put three shots on goal, but the Mustang's goalie Emma Plett was up to the challenge, stopping all 19 attempts. Overall, she ended up with 39 saves as she was fantastic in her 59 minutes of action, keeping Morrisville in the game until the very end. The period saw Plett and the Mustang defense withstand six minutes worth of power play opportunities, keeping the Cardinals off the board as the 1-1 tie held into the final intermission.

In the third period, Plattsburgh earned another power play early in the action but were unable to break the one-goal stalemate. The tie finally broke at the 11:48 mark of the period, as Wall centered a Bridget Orr (Excelsior, Minn./North American Hockey Academy) pass in the slot and finished glove side past the goaltender to give the Cards their first lead of the game.

The Cardinals built off their second goal, as Boric knocked in a saved Wasik shot, tallying her second goal of the weekend and her fourth goal of the season to give the Cards a two-goal cushion. The lead grew for Plattsburgh in the final minute of action, as Morrisville attempted to pull their goalie, but the Cards forced a turnover, setting up Pazmandi's empty netter as she tallied her team-leading 11^th goal of the year.  The empty-net goal sealed the win for Plattsburgh, as they picked up the weekend and season sweep over the Mustangs.

Plett allowed just three goals to go with 39 saves, earning the loss, while Allie Davidson and Miranda Bookman each had assists on the Kalinowski goal.