Submitted by Plattsburgh Sports Information Department
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Following a 2025-26 campaign that saw the Cardinals capture consecutive State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) championship, the Plattsburgh State women’s ice hockey team enters the 2026-27 season looking to defend its conference title and make another run at a national championship. The Cardinals finished last season with a 20-7-1 overall record and a 12-1-1 mark in SUNYAC play. Head coach Kevin Houle and the Cardinals will look to build on that success as they pursue another conference title and their eighth national championship in program history.
2025-26 CARDINAL SNAPSHOT:
Record: 20-7-1 (12-1-1 SUNYAC)
Head coach Kevin Houle returns for his 24th season behind the bench, joined by assistant coach Mattie Norton, who played for the Cardinals from 2021-24. Houle enters the season with a career record of 537-76-29, continuing to rank among the most successful coaches in NCAA Division III women’s ice hockey history.
Player’s Insights:
“As a team, we want to build on the success we had last year. Our goals are to win another SUNYAC Championship, compete in the NCAA Tournament, and hopefully win another NCAA Championship on our home ice. We have a great mix of returning players and new players, and I am excited to see how everyone comes together and builds team chemistry on and off the ice,” said senior captain Sydnee Francis.
“I’m really excited for this upcoming season. It will be fun to see how the team develops over the course of the year, and we have a big recruiting class coming in that we’re super excited about! We know playing for Plattsburgh is a privilege, and we love that it’s not just about winning for our own team goals but also for the community that supports us. We have the privilege of hosting the NCAA Tournament this year and have high expectations as a team to be able to play at home for a title. The small things add up, and we’re just going to take it game by game, shift by shift, to accomplish the end goal,” said junior Kayson Ruegge.
Team Outlook:
The Cardinals return a strong core of veteran players from last season’s SUNYAC championship squad while welcoming 11 newcomers to the roster. With a combination of experienced leadership and new talent, Plattsburgh State will look to maintain its standing among the nation’s top programs and make another postseason push in 2026-27.
Inside the Nest:
Goaltenders
The Cardinals return a strong goaltending tandem led by junior Maddy Stetson (Wasilla, Alaska), who emerged as the team’s primary starter last season. Stetson appeared in 16 games, making 14 starts and posting an 11-3-1 record. She recorded a 0.88 goals-against average and a .950 save percentage, both ranking among the top 10 in the SUNYAC and NCAA Division III. Her standout season earned her Second Team All-SUNYAC recognition and a spot on the SUNYAC All-Tournament Team. She also recorded seven shutouts, ranking 10th nationally.
Senior Chloe Lewis (Monson, Mass.) also returns after appearing in 14 games last season, earning nine wins while recording a 1.79 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage. First-year Ellie Beigel (Natick, Mass.) joins the group to round out the goaltending corps. With Stetson leading the way after a standout season and Lewis bringing additional experience, the Cardinals enter 2026-27 with depth and talent between the pipes.
Defense
An experienced defensive corps will remain a strength for the Cardinals in 2026-27, led by seniors Adriana Urban (Monroe, N.J.) and Maeghan Forsyth (Billings, Mont.). Urban led the team with 36 blocked shots last season while posting a plus-12 rating and contributing one goal and four assists. Forsyth recorded 11 assists and finished second on the team with 32 blocked shots.
Junior Seoyoung Yoo (Republic of Korea) and sophomore Lauren Farris (Northville, Mich.) also return to the defensive unit. Yoo contributed two goals and six assists for eight points while ranking second on the team in shots taken. Farris added one goal and four assists, providing additional offensive support from the blue line.
The Cardinals also welcome senior transfer McKenzie Brown (Peru, N.Y.), who joins Plattsburgh State from Cortland, sophomore transfer Lauren Waldo, who joins the program from Saint Anselm College, and first-years Ella Fairman (Troy, Mich.), Sarah Hensel (Macedon, N.Y.) and Jennifer Wild (Clarence, N.Y.). The newcomers add depth to an experienced defensive group as Plattsburgh State looks to remain strong in its own zone.
Forwards
The Cardinals return a productive group of forwards, with eight players having recorded double-digit point totals last season. Leading the way is senior Emily Kasprzak (Niagara Falls, N.Y.), who more than doubled her point total from the previous season, finishing with seven goals and 19 assists for 26 points. She also led the Cardinals with three game-winning goals and earned First Team All-SUNYAC honors.
Sophomore Bailey MacKellar (Hamburg, N.Y.) led Plattsburgh State in goal scoring last season with 14 goals and finished with 22 points. Her performance earned her SUNYAC Rookie of the Year and First Team All-SUNYAC honors, along with a selection to the SUNYAC All-Rookie Team.
Sophomore Zoe Puc (West Palm Beach, Fla.) ranked third on the team in scoring after recording eight goals and 15 assists for 23 points. Puc recorded her first career hat trick against Oswego on Jan. 5, 2026, and earned SUNYAC All-Rookie Team honors.
Junior Tessa Morris, senior Sydnee Francis, and juniors Kate Conlon and Kayson Ruegge provide additional experience and production up front. Morris ranked sixth on the team in scoring last season, recording eight goals and seven assists for 15 points. Francis finished with 12 points while contributing at both ends of the ice. She led all Cardinal forwards with 25 blocked shots and was named SUNYAC Tournament Most Valuable Player following the team’s championship run.
Conlon recorded four points during the SUNYAC Tournament and will look to continue providing an advantage in the faceoff circle. She won 189 of her 314 faceoffs last season, good for a 60.2 percent success rate. Ruegge contributed seven goals and five assists while recording two game-winning goals and one of the team’s two shorthanded goals.
Rounding out the returning forwards are sophomores Riley Keller (Cuba, N.Y.), who recorded five goals and five assists, Piper Smith (Newnan, Ga.), who contributed five goals and three assists, and Parker Riley (London, Ontario), who added two assists.
The Cardinals also welcome first-years Audrey Agbay (Beverly Hills, Mich.), Jeays Matz (Fern Beach, Fla.), Kathleen McGee (Frederick, Md.), Tess Mulkerron (Concord, N.H.) and Kendall Schultz (Gates Mills, Ohio). The newcomers add depth and competition to the forward group as Plattsburgh State looks to maintain its offensive production and continue its championship tradition in 2026-27.–
