2026 SUNYAC Women's Ice Hockey All-Conference and All-Rookie Teams

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Senior defender Taya Balfour (Moorestown, N.J./Philadelphia Jr. Flyers), junior forward Emily Kasprzak (Niagara Falls, N.Y./Pittsburgh Penguins Elite), and first-year forward Bailey MacKellar (Hamburg, N.Y./Nichols School) earned All-State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) First Team honors, while sophomore defender Seoyoung Yoo (Yongin, Republic of Korea/Ontario Hockey Academy) and sophomore goaltender Maddy Stetson (Wasilla, Alaska/Little Caesars) were named to the Second Team. First-year forwards Zoe Puc (West Palm Beach, Fla./Florida Alliance) and MacKellar also earned All-Rookie Team recognition, as announced by the conference office Friday morning.

Kasprzak led the Cardinals offensively, appearing in all 25 games while pacing the team with 23 points. The Niagara Falls, N.Y., native dished out a team-best 17 assists and added six goals on the season. She also posted a +22 plus/minus rating, the second-highest mark on the team.

MacKellar made an immediate impact in her first collegiate season, skating in all 25 contests. She totaled 20 points, tied for second on the team, while leading the Cardinals with 12 goals and adding eight assists. In conference play, she recorded a team-best seven goals and 13 points, earning both First Team and All-Rookie Team honors.

Balfour anchored the Cardinals' defensive unit, playing in all 25 games while registering 20 points, tied for second on the team. She tallied seven goals and 13 assists, leading all Plattsburgh State defenders in both categories, and posted a team-best +23 plus/minus rating. Balfour also recorded a team-high 29 blocked shots. 

Yoo appeared in all 25 games on the blue line, contributing seven points on two goals and five assists. She ranked third on the team with 26 blocked shots and posted a +9 plus/minus rating. Alongside Balfour, she played a key role in anchoring a Cardinals defense that surrendered just 1.4 goals per game and limited opponents to only 18.2 shots per contest.

In net, Stetson put together an outstanding sophomore campaign, appearing in 13 games with 11 starts. She compiled a 9-2-1 record while posting a 0.86 goals-against average and a .951 save percentage.

Puc also enjoyed a strong first-year season, skating in all 25 games and totaling 20 points, tied for second on the team. She scored eight goals, tied for second on the squad, and added 13 assists, ranking third on the team, while finishing with a +14 plus/minus rating.

Thirteenth-ranked and top-seeded Plattsburgh State (18-6-1, 12-1-1 SUNYAC) will take on fourth-seeded William Smith (12-14, 7-7 SUNYAC) in the SUNYAC Semifinals tomorrow, February 28, at 3 p.m. at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena.