PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — Looking to bounce back after a 3–1 road loss to No. 13 Endicott, the No. 8 Plattsburgh State women's hockey team opened SUNYAC play in commanding fashion on Friday night, rolling to a 4–0 win over William Smith at Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena. The meeting marked the first between the programs in nine years, and the Cardinals continued their perfect all-time record against the Herons, improving to 7–0 in the series.
Plattsburgh dictated the tempo from the start, generating heavy pressure and outshooting William Smith 57–13 on the night. The Cardinals broke through midway into the first when junior Maeghan Forsyth (Billings, Mont.) lofted a puck forward that took a deflection but still found the stick of sophomore Kayson Ruegge (Edmond, Okla.). Cutting straight down the middle of the ice, Ruegge snapped a rifle shot past the goaltender and into the bottom-right corner for her first goal of the season, giving Plattsburgh the early edge.
The Cardinals kept the momentum rolling into the second period with a beautifully executed combination play. First-year Riley Keller (Cuba, N.Y.) and senior Ella Fesette (Plattsburgh, N.Y.) worked a give-and-go, with Keller receiving it back from Fesette before burying her first collegiate goal to extend the lead to 2–0. Minutes later, Plattsburgh struck again as first-year Bailey MacKellar (Hamburg, N.Y.) corralled a loose puck deep in the defensive zone, turned up ice, and carried it end-to-end, slicing through the neutral zone before finishing off the rush with a clean shot to make it 3–0, another first collegiate goal for the Cardinals on the night.
Plattsburgh capped the scoring late in the third, sophomore Kate Conlon (New Hudson, Mich.) dumped a puck off the back glass, where it bounced back toward the crease, glancing off Keller in front. The rebound settled perfectly for first-year Piper Smith (Newnan, Ga.), who pounced on it and buried her first collegiate goal to seal the 4–0 victory.
On the other end, the Cardinals' defensive unit and junior goaltender Chloe Lewis (Monson, Mass.) were rock-solid, limiting the Herons to minimal looks and allowing just 13 shots. Lewis stopped everything sent her way, earning her second shutout of the season. Plattsburgh also dominated the faceoff circle, winning 66 percent of draws and controlling possession from start to finish.
Plattsburgh will close out their SUNYAC opening weekend at home tomorrow against Buffalo State, with puck drop set for 3 p.m.
