By COURTNEY LEWIS
PLATTSBURGH — Coach Kevin Houle would like to see Plattsburgh State come out with more energy in today's game against Manhattanville. Which is also what he had said about Saturday's contest against the Valiants.
It's been a familiar refrain recently. But slow starts haven't hurt the Cardinals — they still took a first-period lead Saturday and finished with a 4-0 win at Stafford Ice Arena.
Stephanie Moberg scored twice and Mandy Mackrell made 23 saves to earn the shutout. The win was the program's 200th.
Plattsburgh State is hoping to draw a large crowd today, when it will collect donations to benefit Camp Ta-Kum-Ta, a camp for children affected by cancer.
Houle said once the Cardinals (18-1-2) shook off their early sluggishness Saturday, they played a good game.
"I thought the second and third period we played very well," Houle said. "The second period was one of our best periods in a while. I thought we played real well in the second, and I thought we played extremely smart in the third, which was good to see."
Mackrell made a couple of good saves early in the first to keep the Valiants off the board. Then Brittany Meade brought the puck in on a 2-on-1 and, at the last second, sent it across to Moberg, who one-timed it in the left side for a 1-0 lead.
Early in a power play, Moberg's shot from the left point hit a stick and bounced up and into the back of the net to make it 2-0 less than two minutes into the second.
Laurie Bowler later banged in a crossing pass from Steph Moon, and late in the third, Jordan Caldwell came around from behind the net and chipped the puck into the top left corner.
"I think they're terrific in transition, and they have some real killers on that team," Manhattanville coach Eric Lang said. "And when they get opportunities, they go over our goal line. And I thought we had some opportunities and they didn't go over their goal line.
"They obviously played better than us. But I think that their girls are real finishers and super dangerous in transition. We'll have to manage the puck better (today)."
Lang added he was pleased to see that his young team didn't back down against the top-ranked squad in Division III.
Emy Cote had 33 saves for the ninth-ranked Valiants (16-5-1), whose seven-game winning streak was snapped.
Plattsburgh State outshot Manhattanville 12-7 in the first, but Houle said the Cardinals struggled in the defensive zone.
"I think early in the year we came out in a lot of games (with) lots of energy and took the game to the opponent," Houle said. "And I don't think we've done that in the last several games.
"I just think for whatever reason we're not completely ready to play in that first period, and we have a tough time playing in our own end early on in games."
So far, the Cardinals have been able to overcome that without digging themselves a hole on the scoreboard — they also took an early lead Wednesday against Middlebury.
"But, you know, it's going to bite us sooner or later," Houle said. "We have to come out and just be mentally focused and ready to go. I don't know what I have to do. We talk about it every game."
—
Plattsburgh State 4,
Manhattanville 0
Manhattanville000—0
Plattsburgh State121—4
First period- 1, PS, Moberg (Meade), 6:15.
Second period- 2, PS, Moberg (Shaubel, DiJulio), 1:38 (pp). 3, PS, Bowler (Moon, Buehler), 13:28.
Third period- 4, PS, Caldwell (Gove), 18:05.
Shots on goal:
Manhattanville779—23
Plattsburgh State121510—37
Goaltenders (shots-saves): Cote, M, 37-33. Mackrell, PS, 23-23.
Power plays (goals-opportunities): Manhattanville 0-3; Plattsburgh State 1-4.
Attendance: 227
E-mail Courtney Lewis at: clewis@pressrepublican.com
