In the face of its month-long winter break, the Plattsburgh Cardinals women’s hockey team was put to the test.
The Cards played its second bout of nationally ranked teams in the 13th Annual Norwich East-West Hockey Classic in Northfield, Vermont last weekend. It came away with illuminating results.
“We thought these games were going to come really easy for us,” forward Zsófia Pázmándi said. “I think we were a little bit cocky and not focused enough. I think we have to be better because other teams are going to go harder on us.”
The #4 Plattsburgh (9-1-1, 6-0) lost to the #8 Norwich Cadets (8-2-1) 1-2 in overtime in the semi final Saturday then beat the #13 Nazareth Golden Flyers (5-4-1) 1-0 in overtime in the consolation game Sunday, Dec.
The loss to Norwich is Plattsburgh’s first this season.
This is the first time the Cadets have beaten the Cardinals in more than six years. Norwich last defeated Plattsburgh Nov. 8, 2017, snapping the Cards’ 7-0-1 streak in the rivalry.
The #12 Elmira Soaring Eagles (8-3-0) beat Nazareth 2-1 in the semifinal game. Norwich then took down Elmira 2-1 in overtime to capture the Classic Championship Dec. 10.
This also marks the first time Norwich has won its own tournament and just the third time it has played in the championship game. Plattsburgh holds seven tournament titles, the most between participants.
SATURDAY
Plattsburgh went into the Classic looking to redeem itself after the 2-2 home tie with Norwich Nov. 14. Unless the teams face off in the NCAA tournament, the Cadets take the season advantage 1-0-1 for the first time since the 2011-12 season.
The Cards won the shots battle 26 to 20 and took 31 of 52 faceoffs. Plattsburgh wasn’t called for a single penalty, but failed to score on three power play opportunities.
The first period finished scoreless and was tightly contested with shots on goal falling 10 to nine in the Cardinals’ favor. Plattsburgh mustered one shot, by forward Julia Masotta, during the period’s only power play.
Plattsburgh shut Norwich down in the second period, allowing just three shots on goal. Plattsburgh’s defense was an overarching theme of the weekend, even if the offense couldn’t match it.
“You’ve got to have great goaltending and we’ve had that all weekend. That’s where it starts,” head coach Kevin Houle said. “We have to be more offensive and have the puck in their zone.”
Cardinals forward Ciara Wall scored the team’s lone goal at the 16:47 mark, assisted by Masotta and defenseman Adriana Urban.
Plattsburgh controlled the puck for most of the first five minutes of the third period. Norwich shot once, at 3:30, but Plattsburgh fired back.
The Cadets had enough and nailed its second shot of the period at the 4:53 mark. Forward Breanna Ricker scored the goal, assisted by defenseman Neris Archambault and forward Marja Linzbilcher.
The third period ended without incident, and Plattsburgh was headed to its second overtime period of the season, with both coming against Norwich.
Last time, the Cards escaped the Cadets with a tie. This time, it wasn’t so lucky. The Cadets’ Archambault, assisted by forwards Aimee Headland and Olivia Boyer, caught Plattsburgh running around and snuck a goal by Lilla Nease just 1:17 into the three-on-three extra period.
“We didn’t battle as hard as I’d like to see us battle,” Houle said.
With eight first-year skaters, Houle hopes the overtime elimination games give the rookies something to look back at come playoff time.
“I think any big game should serve as experience and certainly build in terms of your team culture and character,” Houle said. “But you’ve got to win those games too.”
Pázmándi, a first-year, is getting important games under her belt.
“I feel more comfortable against better teams. It makes us better,” Pázmándi said. “[The loss] had nothing to do with our talent or our play. It was all in our heads.”
SUNDAY
Plattsburgh went into the consolation with more than third place in a regular season tournament on the line. A win would stop a national ranking slide and end the first half of the season on a successful note.
Nazareth presented Plattsburgh a defensive challenge it hasn’t seen since Dec. 2, 2022 — a regulation shutout. Neither team scored during the first 60 minutes of play.
The Cardinals won the shots battle 31 to 25, but entered the second period down five to nine and the third down 15 to 19. Nease got her second start of the weekend.
Plattsburgh killed two penalties. On the other end, the Cards took just seven shots across its four power play opportunities.
Pázmándi scored the game winner 3:15 into overtime. Defenseman Kendall Wasik was trapped behind the net, but managed to sneak the puck out toward Pázmándi. Pázmándi took possession just outside the crease as a defender got her footing in front of her. She shot, and she scored.
“I was thinking if I should make a move and give it to [Masotta] or shoot it right away,” Pázmándi said. “What can happen? I score or I won’t score. I just did the shot and it went in and I was really happy.”
Defense played a major role in the play over the weekend. While the offense finds its shot, the blueliners are holding the team steady, starting with Wasik.
“Blocking shots, key goaltending, always looking to clear pucks in front of the net,” Wasik said. “Defense is a key component to the game.”
Plattsburgh won’t hit the ice again until Jan. 5, 2024, when it travels to Oswego to play the Lakers twice to kick off the second half of the season. Until then, the win over Nazareth is enough to tide the Cardinals over. Houle said it’s “huge,” and his players agree.
“It’s way better [than a loss], where you can keep continuing off that win and just progressing,” Wasik said.
Houle’s biggest advice? “Enjoy the break.”
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Saturday
Plattsburgh State 1, Norwich 2 OT
PSU 0 1 0 0 — 1
NOR 0 0 1 1 — 2
Second Period- 1, PSU, Wall (Masotta, Urban)
Third Period- 2, NOR, Ricker (Archambault, Linzbichler)
Fourth Period- 3, NOR, Archambault (Headland, Boyer)
Shots- Plattsburgh, 26. Norwich, 20.
Saves- Leocadia, NOR, 25. Nease, PSU, 18.
Sunday
Plattsburgh State 1, Nazareth 0 OT
PSU 0 0 0 1 — 1
NAZ 0 0 0 0 — 0
Fourth Period- 1, PSU, Pázmándi (Wasik, Masotta)
Shots- Plattsburgh, 31. Nazareth, 25.
Saves- Paquin, NAZ, 20. Nease, PSU, 25.