PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — The No. 1-ranked Plattsburgh State women’s ice hockey team commences the 2021-22 season with a Northeast Women’s Hockey League (NEWHL) game against SUNY Cortland at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 6, at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena.
Plattsburgh State, which had its 2020-21 season canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, played to a 26-1-0 (18-0-0 NEWHL) record in 2019-20. The Cardinals won the NEWHL Tournament and qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the 16th time in program history. Plattsburgh State has claimed seven NCAA Division III women’s ice hockey championships, including five titles in the last six completed NCAA Tournaments. The Cardinals won the last NCAA championship in 2019. Plattsburgh State, which enters the season on an NCAA Division III women’s ice hockey record 40-game home winning streak, has been ranked No. 1 for 20 consecutive USCHO.com Division III Women’s Polls.
The Cardinals look to continue their success on the ice in 2021-22.
“Our expectations will be the same as they always are — to make a run at a national championship,” head coach Kevin Houle said. “That is our goal every year, but a lot of things come before that. Heading into the season, we have to be prepared for every opponent; our league gets stronger every year and we will be challenged in the NEWHL as much as we have ever been.”
Houle, who was named the CCM/AHCA Division III Women’s Coach of the Year for the seventh time in 2019-20, talked about staying in the moment and focusing on improvement to achieve the goal of making a run at a national championship, being back on the ice, and the competition across the country.
“Our goal is the same as any other year, but we never think ahead or talk about that until it is upon us,” Houle said. “We want to go out and play as hard as we can and get better every game. We are getting back into that mode of normalcy again and that happened pretty quickly. With all of the time off, the first few days were a little strange, but once we got on the ice everything got back to normal. Every team is in the same situation with the time off, so there are no excuses moving forward. We have a veteran team coming back and some promising young players. I think our goals are realistic, but I know there is a lot that comes before those goals and tough opponents both in our conference and throughout the country.”
Forwards:
This year’s group of returning forwards is led by graduate student forward and team captain Annie Katonka (Pittsburgh, Pa./Pittsburgh Penguins Elite), who is the Cardinals’ active leader in career goals (64), assists (54) and points (118). Katonka was a CCM/AHCA First-Team All-American and the NEWHL Player of the Year after tallying 21 goals and 20 assists for 41 points in 2019-20.
Senior Sara Krauseneck (Saginaw, Mich./Northern Cyclones) tallied 19 goals and 16 assists for 35 points to earn First-Team All-NEWHL honors in 2019-20. Senior Taylor Whitney (Livonia, Mich./Little Caesars) earned Second-Team All-NEWHL honors with 14 goals, 12 assists and 26 points in 2019-20.
Also returning at forward are graduate student Kaitlin Drew-Mead (Niagara Falls, N.Y./Buffalo Bisons), senior Holly Schmelzer (East Amherst, N.Y./Niagara Jr. Eagles), senior Nicole Unsworth (Milwaukee, Wis./East Coast Wizards), junior Tatem Cheney (Ottawa, Ontario/Ottawa Lady 67’s) and junior Ivy Boric (Newport Beach, Calif./Anaheim Lady Ducks).
The forwards taking the ice for the first time in a Cardinal uniform this season are sophomore Rivers Morris (Braintree, Mass./Thayer Academy), sophomore Haley Steffey (Sewickley, Pa./Pittsburgh Penguins Elite), sophomore Mae Olshansky (Wilmette, Ill./North American Hockey Academy), sophomore Jordan Kowalski (Westfield, Mass./Boston Jr. Eagles), first-year student Tes Hurd (Ann Arbor, Mich./HoneyBaked), first-year student Riley Calhoun (New Hartford, N.Y./Bishop Kearny Selects), first-year student Kami Dompier (Chester, Conn./Connecticut Polar Bears), first-year student Rachel Martin (Lancaster, Pa./Philadelphia Jr. Flyers), first-year student Bridget Orr (Excelsior, Minn./North American Hockey Academy) and first-year student Lily Stumm (Cranberry Township, Pa./Pittsburgh Penguins Elite).
Defensemen:
Leading the group of defensemen is graduate student Erin McArdle (Macomb, Mich./Belle Tire), who earned CCM/AHCA Second-Team All-American and First-Team All-NEWHL honors in 2019-20. McArdle, who recorded five goals and 20 assists for 25 points in 2019-20, is serving as a team captain.
Also returning on defense are senior Sierra Benjamin (Palm Coast, Fla./Northwood School), senior Emma Killeen (Watertown, Conn./The Gunnery) and junior Kendall Wasik (Novi, Mich./HoneyBaked).
Benjamin tallied two goals and 15 assists for 17 points in 2019-20.
New to the defense is first-year student Mattie Norton (Glen Carbon, Ill./St. Louis Lady Blues).
Goaltenders:
Leading the Cardinals’ goaltending group is senior Ashley Davis (Winterville, N.C./Northwood School). Davis was the NEWHL Goaltender of the Year and a First-Team All-NEWHL selection in 2019-20. She played to a 19-0-0 record with 318 saves, a .949 save percentage, a 0.91 goals-against average and six shutouts.
Also returning in goal are juniors Chloe Beaubien (Colorado Springs, Colo./Ontario Hockey Academy) and Lilla Nease (Lake Forest, Calif./Anaheim Lady Ducks).
