2025 NCAA Division III Women's Ice Hockey Tournament First Round Preview: Elmira at Plattsburgh State
PLATTSBURGH N.Y. – The sixth-ranked and State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Champion Plattsburgh State Cardinals will begin their journey for a chance at their eighth national championship and first since 2019 as they take on Elmira College on Saturday, March 15 at 3 p.m. at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena in an NCAA Division III Women's Ice Hockey Tournament First Round matchup.
TICKET PRICING: Admission into the game on Saturday is free for all fans, courtesy of SUNY Plattsburgh.
ABOUT THE SERIES: Plattsburgh State leads the all-time series with a record of 37-23-3, as the teams have had several matchups over the years as old conference foes in the ECAC. Currently, the Cardinals are on a four-game win streak against the Soaring Eagles, with their last win coming on Dec. 10, 2022, when the Cards won in overtime in a Norwich East/West Classic matchup. The last time the two teams met in the NCAA Tournament was on Mar. 19, 2022, as the Cardinals defeated Elmira 3-2 in the NCAA Tournament Third-Place game.
ABOUT THE CARDINALS: After Plattsburgh State (20-6-1, 14-3-1) had their streak of ten straight national semifinal appearances snapped last year, the Cardinals are hungry to restart that trend against Elmira this Saturday, needing two wins to punch their ticket to their 16th national semifinal in program history.
Plattsburgh State captured their first SUNYAC Title and 13th conference championship in program history last Saturday, defeating previously No. 5 ranked Oswego State 2-0 in Oswego, New York. Chloe Lewis (Monson, Mass./Northwood School) was named SUNYAC Tournament MVP with her second shutout of the tournament, while Tessa Morris (Grand Island, N.Y./Rome Girl's Hockey), Mattie Norton (Glen Carbon, Ill./St. Louis Lady Blues), and Molly Riggi (Farmingdale, N.J./New Jersey Titans) were each named to the All-Tournament Team. Riggi notched the game-winning goal in the championship game, while Morris tallied her second goal of the tournament to seal the win late in the third period against Oswego.
The Cards advanced to the championship game by defeating third-seeded and then tenth-ranked Cortland 2-0 at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena on March 1. Ciara Wall (Somerville, N.Y./New Hampshire) tallied the game-winning goal late in the first period, as the defense was excellent throughout. Lewis shutout the Red Dragons, making 20 saves while Morris sealed the win with an empty net goal late in the final period.
Plattsburgh State is currently ranked No. 6 in the USCHO.com Women's Division III Top-15 Poll. The Cardinals average 2.59 goals per game, while defense has been their calling card this year, as they have a goals-against average of .96 as a team.
The Cardinals have a balanced offense this year, with 10 players with 11 or more points. Second team all-conference selection Ciara Wall is currently the team leader in points with 17 in her fifth-year season, as she has six goals and a team-high 11 assists. Graduate student Mae Olshansky (Las Vegas, Nev./North American Hockey Academy) has also produced a strong year, tallying seven goals and eight assists, along with three power play goals. First-years Kayson Ruegge (Edmond, Okla./Philadelphia Jr. Flyers) and Tessa Morris have been excellent additions to the team this season, as Ruegge has five goals, nine assists, and three game-winning goals, while Morris leads the team with 11 goals and a +17 plus-minus. They were each named to the All-Rookie team along with Kate Conlon (New Hudson, Mich./Little Caesars), who has five goals and four assists this year. Junior Molly Riggi has had a breakout season, putting together a 16-point campaign, while sophomore Emily Kasprzak (Niagara Falls, N.Y./Pittsburgh Penguins Elite) and senior Bridget Orr (Excelsior, Minn./North American Hockey Academy), who have seven and five goals respectively, have been consistent sources of offense this season for Plattsburgh.
The Cardinal's stout defense outside the net is led by senior captain Mattie Norton who was an All-SUNYAC First Team selection for the second straight season. Norton has tallied 12 points this year over 27 games and leads the team and SUNYAC with five power play goals. She is joined on the defensive unit by sophomore Adriana Urban (Monroe, N.J./Hoosac School) who leads the team with 60 blocked shots, also adding three goals and eight assists. Taya Balfour (Moorestown, N.J./Philadelphia Jr. Flyers), who is second on the team with 33 blocked shots, has formed an excellent pairing this year with sophomore Maeghan Forsyth (Billings, Mont./Notre Dame Hounds) while junior Su-An Cho (Madison, Ala./Florida Alliance) and first-year Seoyoung Yoo (Yongin, Republic of Korea/Ontario Hockey Academy) round out a defense that is third in the country in goals-against average as a team.
In goal, Plattsburgh State has watched sophomore Chloe Lewis step up to the challenge of everyday goaltender, with a .89 goals-against average in 27 starts, a mark that is the best in the SUNYAC and third in the country. She is also second in the SUNYAC and 8th in the country in save percentage with a .953 mark, while boasting a 20-6-1 record and 11 shutouts this year, a mark that leads the NCAA.
As a team, Plattsburgh State claims the league's top defense by goals-against with their .96 mark and is also running an absurd, league-leading 95.7% penalty kill rate, allowing just three goals when down a skater, a number that is fourth nationally. The team ranks third in the league in both goals per game (2.59) and power play percentage (14.9%).
Head coach Kevin Houle holds a 517-68-28 and is searching for his eighth national championship in his illustrious career.
ABOUT THE SOARING EAGLES: The Soaring Eagles, last year's national runner-up, are looking for another trip to the championship match after coming up just short last year. The team currently is the first team outside the USCHO.com Division III Top-15 Poll, receiving 20 votes.
Elmira earned the New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) auto-bid to the NCAA Tournament, taking down Norwich 1-0 in the championship game. Bri Conger tallied the game-winning goal for the Soaring Eagles, while first-year goaltender Sara Sevcikova was named Tournament MVP recording a shutout over the Cadets in the championship game.
The team boasts a strong offense that ranks sixth in the country in goals per game, with a mark of 3.96. They also have a strong power play as well, converting 21.82% of their chances.
Offensively, the team has three players with 30 or more points led by senior forward and NEHC Player of the Year Erika Goleniak who has 38 points in 28 games this year. She leads the team in goals (16) and assists (22) and is +25 on the season. NEHC Second Team selection and sophomore Anna Lugge leads the team with a +31 plus-minus and has 30 points this season on 13 goals and 17 assists, as she leads the team with 158 shots. Also tallying 30 points this year is senior McKenzie Schmidt, who has recorded 14 goals and 16 assists this season. Graduate student Emily Lenzen was a second team NEHC selection and has tallied eight goals and 14 assists to round out a strong offensive unit for Elmira.
Outside the net, the Soaring Eagles are led by junior and First Team All-NEHC selection Gabby Dougherty who has 15 points this season along with a +27 plus-minus that ranks second on the team. She also tallied four power-play goals, tops on the team amongst defenders. All-NEHC Second Teamer Annie Audet also had a strong season for Elmira, posting 12 points and a +24 plus-minus. Junior Sophie Gregory had a strong season for the Soaring Eagles, finishing second on the team in blocks and posting three goals and seven assists.
In the net, Sevcikova has seen the lion's share of playing time this season, earning 15 starts. She has a goals-against average of just 1.01 in nearly 900 minutes of action, also posting a .938 save percentage. On the year, she is 13-2 and has six shutouts. Leonie-Louise Kuehberger has started seven games this year and has a 1.99 goals-against average and a 3-3-1 record with two shutouts, while Emily Finach has seen action in nine games with a 1.64 goals-against average.
Head coach Greg Haney is in his second season with the Soaring Eagles and is looking to continue his early success after his team's run to the National Championship game last year and his second NEHC title in two seasons. He previously coached at SUNY Potsdam for three seasons, where he amassed a 20-29-1 record.
WHAT'S NEXT: The winner of this game will travel to River Falls, Wisconsin to face defending National Champions Wisconsin-River Falls in the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals.
