NORTHFIELD, VT – Overtime would be needed to decide the winner between the eighth-ranked Elmira College women’s ice hockey program and the fourth-ranked Plattsburgh State Cardinals on Saturday inside Kreitzberg Arena. Despite getting goals from Alayna Toole ’26 and Elizabeth LePage ’25, the Soaring Eagles dropped a 3-2 decision to the Cardinals in the extra session.
JUST THE BASICS:
SCORE: Elmira 2, Plattsburgh State 3 (OT)
LOCATION: Northfield, Vermont | Kreitzberg Arena
TEAM RECORDS: Elmira (9-3-0, 8-0-0 NEHC), Plattsburgh State (10-2-0, 7-1-0 NEWHL)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Elmira opened the scoring in the contest as the Soaring Eagles started a rush up the ice before taking the puck behind the net. A loose puck out front would find Toole, who beat the Plattsburgh goalkeeper to make it 1-0 in favor of Elmira at the 14:37 mark. The tally was Toole’s third of the season as LePage and Erika Goleniak ’25 would both notch assists for the Purple & Gold.
Both sides would turn up the offensive pressure in the second period as Elmira took a total of 10 shots that would be turned away by the Cardinals. At the other end of the ice, Leonie-Louise Kuehberger ’25 would face just as much pressure in the crease for Elmira. The Soaring Eagles would kill a pair of Plattsburgh power-play opportunities to keep their 1-0 lead.
The Soaring Eagles would take an early penalty in the third period and the Cardinals would capitalize as a shot just 28 seconds into the extra-skater advantage would find the back of the net to even the score 1-1 at the 2:46 mark. Another power-play chance for the Cardinals just over four minutes into the period also converted as Plattsburgh needed just 46 seconds to light the lamp and make it 2-1.
Trailing 2-1 with time winding down on the clock, EC continued to bring pressure offensively looking for the equalizer. LePage would answer the call for the Purple & Gold as her second goal of the season at the 16:41 mark would knot the score 2-2. Madi Morton ’24 and Katie Manning ’25 would be credited with the assists on LePage’s tally.
Elmira would have its opportunities in overtime against the Cardinals as the Soaring Eagles recorded six shots that would all be turned away by Plattsburgh. With less than 10 seconds left on the clock in the 3-on-3 session, the Cardinals would gather a loose puck in the neutral zone and take a shot from the right point that beat Kuehberger to secure the 3-2 victory and Plattsburgh’s second win in the last two weeks against EC.
Kuehberger finished with 26 saves in the contest for the Soaring Eagles and is 8-3-0 between the pipes this season. Morton and McKenzie Schmidt ’25 each finished with five shots in the contest for the Soaring Eagles.
UP NEXT:
The Purple & Gold return to the ice for the consolation match at the East-West Classic hosted by Norwich on Sunday at 1:00 P.M. The Soaring Eagles will face either Norwich or Adrian following their matchup on Saturday night.
