PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Junior forward Courtney Moriarty (Estero, Fla./Northfield Mount Hermon) scored twice and junior goaltender Kassi Abbott (North Billerica, Mass./Boston Shamrocks Elite) posted a shutout, as the No. 2/2 Plattsburgh State women’s ice hockey team defeated Oswego State 4-0 in Northeast Women’s Hockey League (NEWHL) action on Saturday afternoon at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena.
Plattsburgh State is ranked at No. 2 in both the USCHO.com Women’s Division III Top-10 Poll and the D3hockey.com Women’s Top-10 Poll.
The Cardinals doubled up the Lakers in shots, 48-24, and they went 1-for-6 on the power play. While Plattsburgh State sustained five penalties for the afternoon, it surrendered just two power-play opportunities and killed off both penalties.
Plattsburgh State rises to 4-1-0 overall (3-0-0 NEWHL) with the win, while Oswego drops to 3-3-0 overall (1-2-0 NEWHL) with the loss. The two teams will wrap up the weekend series tomorrow at 3 p.m. at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena.
After a scoreless opening period of play, the Cardinals got on the board 4:16 into the second stanza. Sophomore forward Meghan Kraus (Bellingham, Wash./Northern Cyclones) took control of the puck in the neutral zone and played it forward to junior forward Mackenzie Millen (Anchorage, Alaska/North American Hockey Academy). Millen passed it back to Moriarty, who went top shelf from the high slot.
Abbott kept the Lakers from tying the score late in the second period, as she denied a shot from the low slot by senior forward Andrea Noss with a sprawling pad save. Plattsburgh State wound up extending its lead less than a minute later, as Millen scored with 14:34 gone in the period. Millen picked up the puck from the Oswego defense along the left boards and used some nifty stick work to get space in the slot. She took a shot that got blocked by a Laker defenseman before gathering the rebound and going top shelf.
Junior forward Ashley Songin (Springville, N.Y./Nichols School) pushed the lead out to 3-0 8:36 into the third period with her first goal of the season, as she knocked in the puck from just outside the crease. Freshman defenseman Kerri Corcoran (Rockville, Md./Washington Pride) took the initial shot from just inside the blue line that got deflected by senior forward Melissa Sheeran (Schaghticoke, N.Y./Millbrook School). Songin then hammered home the loose puck for the goal.
Finally, Moriarty rounded out scoring with her second goal of the game on the power play with 5:57 remaining in regulation. Sheeran passed the puck to Moriarty along the goal line under pressure, and Moriarty skated to the top of the right face-off circle before turning around and ripping a shot past the Laker goalie. Sophomore defenseman Hannah Kiraly (Glendale, Ariz./Northern Cyclones) also earned an assist on the goal.
Abbott made 24 saves in the shutout win, while sophomore goaltender Amber Samonek turned aside 31 shots in the loss for Oswego.
