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November 22, 2009

Cardinals sweep Elmira



PLATTSBURGH — In a role reversal from Saturday, Plattsburgh State spent the third period desperately trying to get the tying goal Sunday.

The difference was the Cardinals came up with it. And then they added the winner in overtime.

Brittany Meade tied the game late in the third and Steph Moon lifted Plattsburgh State to a 4-3 win over Elmira at Stafford Ice Arena.

The Cardinals (4-0) went into the third trailing 3-2.

"I thought we played better (Sunday) than (Saturday). So I just felt confident if we just kept playing the way we were playing and grinding it out and working hard, that we'd get opportunities," Plattsburgh State coach Kevin Houle said.

"I'm not going to say I knew we'd win the game or we'd tie it up, but I felt good about the way we were playing from start to finish. I think we deserved to win, and the girls worked hard."

Moon also earned an assist, and Megan DiJulio tallied two goals. Mandy Mackrell was in net for the second straight game and stopped 18 shots.

Plattsburgh State completed the weekend sweep after holding off Elmira in the third period Saturday night.

Houle said taking four points from the defending ECAC West champs was "huge," and that the Cardinals showed "that we can win and that we can win the big games and that we certainly can play with what we have, who we have. They proved that to me, they proved that to themselves this weekend.

"So it's certainly a big boost for the rest of the season."

The Cardinals looked to be running out of time in the third.

Then Kate Fairfield fed the puck out front to Meade, who was barreling in through the slot and slammed the puck past Samantha Maguire with just over three minutes left.

"We were just really trying to put pressure on and get possession," Moon said of the third period. "(Saturday), Coach told us we ran around a little bit, so we were just trying to stay calm. We knew we didn't have much time, but we were just trying to not panic and start running around the whole ice."

Just 1:03 into the extra period, Kristin Maton sent the puck to the net from the right point. The rebound bounced to Moon at the left post, and she poked it in.

Elmira coach Greg Fargo said the Soaring Eagles (3-2) still hadn't shaken off the third-period goal.

"We're up, we're feeling good, we're playing well with three minutes to go. And then all of sudden they get one," Fargo said. "Obviously, we weren't over it by the time overtime started. Even though those are hard things to do, to let that go, we gotta find a way to compete a little bit more in overtime."

Meade's equalizer was her first goal of the season. She had a good chance earlier in third that went over the crossbar, she got taken down hard behind the net in the middle of the period and she drew a penalty a few minutes before she scored.

"She just played so hard," Houle said. "And so did Moon. I think all our kids did. But Brittany just played so hard and tough and gritty out there, and it was good to see her get that one."

Jill DeBus poked in a rebound on the power play to give Elmira a 3-2 lead in the second, and Alex Bresler and Tiffany Hart scored in the first. Maguire had 32 saves on the day.

DiJulio netted her goals in the last five-and-a-half minutes of the first.

Plattsburgh State vaulted to the top of the ECAC West standings, and Moon said the Cardinals showed the rest of the conference that they're still contenders.

"I think a lot of people doubted us with a lot of our seniors leaving (after last year)," Moon said. "We were voted third in the conference. A lot of people, I think, just didn't think we had much in us, but we actually have a lot of depth left."



Plattsburgh State 4, Elmira 3 (OT)

Elmira2100—3

Plattsburgh State2011—4

First period- 1, Elm, Bresler (Metcalf), 2:20. 2, PS, DiJulio (Moon), 14:33. 3, Elm, Hart (McCall, Colehour), 18:00 (pp). 4, PS, DiJulio (Buehler), 18:45 (pp).

Second period- 5, Elm, DeBus (Johnston), 16:17 (pp).

Third period- 6, PS, Meade (Fairfield), 16:46.

Overtime: 7, PS, Moon (Maton) 1:03.

Shots on goal:

Elmira11550—21

Plattsburgh State111681—36

Goaltenders (shots-saves): Maguire, Elm, 32-36. Mackrell, PS, 18-21.

Power plays (goals-opportunities): Elmira 2-6; Plattsburgh State 1-6.

Attendance: 250.

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

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