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January 22, 2010

Cardinals hold off RIT

By COURTNEY LEWIS



PLATTSBURGH — Teams don't usually have to survive a game after taking a three-goal lead in the third period.

But then, Plattsburgh State didn't have a three-goal lead by the end of the third Friday.

RIT scored twice in the final 1:22 as Plattsburgh State looked out of sorts. But the Cardinals managed to hold on for a crucial 4-3 ECAC West win at Stafford Ice Arena.

"Very frustrating," Plattsburgh State coach Kevin Houle said. "Very frustrating. But we survived. I think RIT was surprised to be back in it. Not that they weren't playing hard — they were. But we gave them those goals at the end.

"We gotta be better than that."

The Cardinals (11-1-1, 9-0-1 ECACW) still established themselves as the clear conference frontrunners. They moved seven points ahead of the Tigers (10-3-3, 5-2-2) and six in front of second-place Elmira, although those teams have played one less game.

Erika Shaubel was credited with the winner, and Megan DiJulio and Stephanie Moberg each tallied a goal and an assist.

Mandy Mackrell made 32 saves and was especially clutch in the first period, when she made a point-blank save on a power-play in the opening minutes. Mackrell also denied Sarah Dagg on a breakaway in the second and made a pad save with just a few seconds left in the game.

"We were lucky Mandy played great and kept us in there at the beginning," DiJulio said. "She can't stop them all. We all need to help her out a little bit here, and we didn't do that at the end of this game."

Laurie Bowler and Shaubel scored in the first 3:11 of the third to give the Cardinals a seemingly comfortable lead — maybe too comfortable.

Houle called a timeout with 5:37 left, while his team was still up 4-1, because he didn't like what he saw in the defensive zone. He said the Cardinals were turning it over and not putting pucks deep in the other end.

"I called timeout and tried to straighten that out, but we continued to do those things and gave them a chance to get back in the game," Houle said. "It was just simple little things — get the puck in deep. And we couldn't do it.

"If I had three timeouts I would've called all three of them right there in the last two-and-a-half minutes, but I don't know if it would have changed anything. We just did not play smart."

RIT sensed the opportunity. After the Tigers pulled their goalie, Melissa Hall scored with 1:22 to go. Then, with the goalie back in, Katie Stack walked in and buried an unassisted goal with 15 seconds left to bring the Tigers within one.

RIT coach Scott McDonald said the Tigers never quit but admitted he was surprised that the Cardinals let them back in it.

"We had that extra sense of urgency right at the end," he said. "I thought defensively both teams looked rattled at times.

"And all of a sudden it's a one-goal lead. And we're excited, so we're pressing now. I think we had them on their heels, we just couldn't take them out."

Kara Buehler had two assists for Plattsburgh State, and Bowler earned her 100th career point.

Plattsburgh State got off to a rough start, drawing a penalty for coming out of the locker room late, and Houle said the Cardinals didn't recover until the second period.

The Tigers held an 11-4 advantage in shots in the first, and McDonald said they were disappointed to head to intermission without a goal.

"Especially starting the game on a power play," he said. "Their goalie makes an outstanding save a minute into the game. If that puck goes in, maybe they're thinking a little more and we're sparked up a little.

"But she did her job, and their penalty kill and defense did the job and kept us off the board. You knew they were going to come out fired up for the second period."

Plattsburgh State did play well in the second, outshooting RIT and taking a 2-1 lead. Moberg ripped a high shot past goaltender Amy Torgerson just 13 seconds in, and DiJulio made it 2-0 during a power play.

RIT's Traci Galbraith netted a power-play goal late in the period.

—

Plattsburgh State 4, RIT 3

RIT012—3

Plattsburgh State022—4

Second period- 1, PS, Moberg (Bond, Buehler), 0:13. 2, PS, DiJulio (Buehler), 13:16 (pp). 3, RIT, Galbraith (Hall), 15:36 (pp).

Third period- 4, PS, Bowler (Moon, DiJulio), 1:31 (pp). 5, PS, Shaubel (Moberg), 3:11. 6, RIT, Hall (Yokoyama), 18:38. 7, RIT, Stack, 19:45.

Shots on goal:

RIT11915—35

Plattsburgh State4138—35

Goaltenders (shots-saves): Torgerson, RIT, 22-18. King, RIT, 2-2. Mackrell, PS, 35-32.

Power plays (goals-opportunities): RIT 1-7; Plattsburgh State 2-4.

Attendance: 201.

E-mail Courtney Lewis at: clewis@pressrepublican.com

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