By Michael Purtell
From an overtime win to a shutout loss, the 2025 Cardinal/Panther Classic was a roller coaster ride for Plattsburgh State.
Last weekend marked the annual women’s hockey Cardinal/Panther Classic, a two-day tournament hosted by No. 6 Plattsburgh State featuring Division III rival No. 3 Middlebury. In the tournament’s first round, the Cardinals faced off against the unranked St. Norbert Green Knights and took a 2-1 overtime win. On day two, the titular teams faced off for championship, where the Middlebury Panthers completed a 4-0 win over Plattsburgh.
“(Middlebury’s) a big team, a fast team, a talented team,” head coach Kevin Houle said. “They’re a tough opponent.”
Middlebury shutout the Cardinals at Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena for the second time in ten months. Plattsburgh has only ever been shut out at home one other time, by Elmira College in 2008.
- NORBERT
St. Norbert entered the tournament without a loss on its schedule, and was the first team left off of the United States College Hockey Online’s poll for the top 15 DIII teams.
Plattsburgh was the first team ranked within the top-10 the Green Knights have faced this season.
The first period was a grueling fight from both defenses as neither team allowed a goal.
Plattsburgh narrowly led the way in shots 10 to nine, but St. Norbert’s offense was generating clean looks, including four shots off of a power play.
Thankfully for the Cardinals, sophomore goaltender Chloe Lewis was everywhere.
“She was unreal,” senior forward Bridget Orr said. “I’m so happy she was in net for us, because she’s just a phenomenal goalie.”
Lewis ended the game with 22 saves, including four in overtime.
The tone of the game shifted heavily after the first intermission. The Cardinals were determined to widen the gap in shots. Plattsburgh’s skaters seemed to move faster, play bigger and hustle harder throughout the second 20 minutes. The effort resulted in a 1-0 lead.
Sophomore forward Emily Kasprzak punched the puck into the net off of a deflected shot from first-year forward Kayson Ruegge. Ruegge and fifth-year forward Ciara Wall recorded assists on the play.
“We were just getting the team fired up. We wanted to win, so we came out and did everything we could,” Orr said.
The third period was the Green Knights’ chance to rally, and late in the game they found what they needed. With four and a half minutes left, a Green Knight found the puck on a breakaway and got Lewis in a one-on-one. St. Norbert found the back of the net, and the Cards were unable to find a second goal in the short time left.
In three-on-three overtime, St. Norbert struck first and struck hard, rifling multiple shots on the Plattsburgh net. It was Lewis coming up big, which allowed the Cardinals momentum heading the other way.
Orr flew up alongside the benches with a Green Knight on her hip. She held the puck until she was right in the goalie’s face, and popped the puck into the top right corner of the net.
“I thought ‘OK, I just got to put it in the net,’ and luckily I did,” Orr said.
MIDDLEBURY
The championship game featured a rematch of last year’s Cardinal/Panther Classic. The results were much different.
The Panthers opened with hard physical play, but for much of the first period the Cardinals looked just as strong. The Cardinals jumped to an early shot lead, recording six shots in less than two minutes, but were unable to capitalize on the looks.
“I thought at times, especially in the first period, we dominated that game. We needed to come out of that period at the very least even, and we had nothing to show for it but being down two goals,” Houle said. “That’s hockey sometimes.”
Middlebury’s shots, while in much lower volume, were of higher quality. Many early shots came from lapses in the Plattsburgh defensive zone, and at the 12th minute the team burned one past Lewis, who was grounded after making the initial block.
“(Middlebury) is a team that’s going to capitalize every time you give them something,” senior defensemen Mattie Norton said.
It took the Panthers’ five minutes to touch the back of the net again, jumping to an early 2-0 lead to end the first period.
Lewis did not return to the ice or the bench after the first period. She was involved in a collision late in the period and was seen limping during the break. Plattsburgh began the second period with first-year Ava Varecka. She recorded two saves in the period.
The Panthers scored their third goal 14 minutes into the second, off of another rebound.
“I think we could have been better at times against the boards and being a little more physical in one on one battles,” Norton said.
First-year Maddy Stetson played the entirety of the third period over Varecka in Lewis’ absence. She recorded nine saves.
The final Middlebury goal came off of a power play nearly seven minutes into the final period.
Team captain Norton was proud of how the first-years handled the top-talent of the Panthers in their first appearances on the ice this season.
“At the end of the day, they’re our goaltenders. We trust them, they trust us. So it doesn’t matter if they’re senior, junior, sophomore or freshmen,” Norton said.
NEXT WEEK
The Cardinals will play the final game of the year at home against Morrisville next Friday. A ceremony will be held for Houle, who reached his 500th career win last week.
After the Morrisonville game, the Cardinals will enter winter break. The team won’t return to the ice for a game for a month. Staying sharp over that break will be paramount to this team succeeding late in the season.
“You don’t wanna go home and ruin all your efforts to get into your role you have with the team, but it’s good for everyone to get a little rest,” Norton said. “It’s a good break, but it’s tough. We don’t want to leave.”
