The Plattsburgh State women’s ice hockey team won its third consecutive Northeast Women’s Hockey League title last Saturday afternoon, getting the better of No. 2 seed Oswego State 6-1 in the championship game. The Cardinals finished the season with a 26-1-0 record.
PSU has now won 18 straight games and with the win, has secured its eighth consecutive conference title overall counting the five Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) West championships they won in the final years of that conference.
The Cards fell behind early in the first period, after which they would go on to score the next six and secure the title.
Junior forward Kaitlin Drew-Mead equalized halfway into the first half with her 11th goal of the season, which was assisted by senior forward Sarah Wolf and junior forward Madison Walker.
Sophomore forward Sara Krauseneck gave PSU the lead late in the first period with her 19th goal of the season with Drew-Mead and junior forward Abby Brush assisting her.
The second period saw the Cards score two more goals to consolidate their lead at 4-1. Sophomore forward Nicole Unsworth scored her 16th goal of the season to make it 3-1 with the assist coming from sophomore defensemen Sierra Benjamin and Hanna Rose.
PSU scored its fourth of the night thanks to senior defenseman Hannah Kiraly with her first goal of the season. Freshman forward Ivy Boric and Drew-Mead were credited with the assist.
Sophomore forward Taylor Whitney made the score 5-1 with her 14th goal of the season being assisted by Boric and Kiraly in the third period.
Junior forward Annie Katonka wrapped up the game with her team-high 21st goal of the season with Brush assisting.
The night ended with sophomore goaltender Ashley Davis going 19-0 for the Cards.
Following their emphatic performance, PSU is ranked No. 1 in the USCHO.com Women’s Division III Top-10 Poll. The Cards secured a bid into the NCAA Division III Tournament by clinching the championship.
The success however did not stop there with head coach Kevin Houle and assistant coach Julia Duquette being named the NEWHL Coaching Staff of the Year. In his 17th season as head coach at PSU, Houle has a 423-51-25 (.873) overall record since taking over the program in 2003-04.
Kiraly, Drew-Mead alongside NEWHL Goaltender of the Year Davis and NEWHL Player of the Year Krauseneck also secured their places in the NEWHL All-Tournament Team.
The game against Norwich University at 3 p.m. tomorrow at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena has been canceled as NCAA’s recent announcement on canceling all of the winter and spring championships in 2019-20.
Email Amay Singh at cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
