PLATTSBURGH — Sometimes the better team doesn’t win. Sometimes you throw everything but the kitchen sink at the goal, and it doesn’t go in. Sometimes you’re left wondering what else you can do?
That’s the Plattsburgh State women’s hockey team after their 1-0 defeat to Elmira College, Saturday in a NCAA Division III First Round game.
The Cardinals routinely put shots on net, hit the crossbar, banged on the post and hit everything on or near the net without scoring a goal.
“Yeah, I mean we were all over them,” Ciara Wall said. “I really thought it was going to go in for us. We never let up. It is frustrating that it wouldn’t go in for us, because we just earned it to go in for us, but I was proud of everyone’s effort and to keep going even when it wasn’t bouncing our way.
“No one let up. It was just unfortunate that we didn’t get at least one in.”
It started quickly when Wall launched a puck past Elmira’s Sara Sevcikova, but it bounced away after hitting the lower part of the crossbar. The pressure continued throughout the period as the Cardinals just couldn’t get one in.
“We knew when you’re in this building we’re gonna have to weather storms,” Soaring Eagle head coach Greg Haney said. “It’s gonna come in at some point. They can score a lot of goals.
“They have four strong lines, but we were taking pride in the little details. Such as clearing the front of the net. We just needed to weather that and know they’re going to get chances on special teams too. We just have to be ready for it.”
It would be Elmira that would capitalize on the power play to be exact. With just over six minutes to play, Erika Goleniak took a pass from teammate McKenzie Schmidt and beat PSU netminder Chloe Lewis to put in the winning goal.
“I feel like it just kind of came down to relying on each other and keep pushing through until then,” Schmidt said. “When we had that power play, it was the chance for us to calm down and really get our feet back under us.
“To score the goal, just felt so much better. Much more confident, more calm after we tend to go. I think we did all the little things right.”
Plattsburgh on the other hand had opportunities galore, even on the power play, but the Elmira defense collapsed — sometimes defenders falling in beside Sevcikova — to not allow the Cards any opportunity.
“We’ve kind of struggled with our power play all year in terms of our numbers and percentages, but we’ve always been very good on the kill, probably one of the top teams in the country against the kill.
“It’s really the bounce of the puck that goes to the right person at the wrong time for us. On the other hand, I thought our power play was as good as it has been. We had lots of chances and lots of pucks around the net and we just couldn’t finish.”
It wasn’t for effort either, as any player that touched the ice gave it their all to win the game. Even pulling Lewis with just over a minute to play, Plattsburgh couldn’t find the equalizer.
“Maybe we were too hungry,” Houle said. We have two girls going for the puck instead of one.
“There was certainly no lack of effort and execution was 100% there. It’s just one of those things where they were lying in front of the net sometimes, like it was street hockey. Just four kids lined up in front of the net and we just couldn’t find an answer.”
This marks the second time the Cards ended the season before reaching the Final Four. But they did get revenge on Cortland, which won the SUNYAC last season at Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena. They also grabbed the championship this year, defeating Oswego.
“We always have high expectations here at Plattsburgh,” Houle said. “Obviously, from last year — losing to Cortland in the championship, and out early in the playoffs — we had a lot to build on.
“And these girls, these leaders, the senior captain, 8-10 first year playing in the lineup all the time, they’re the reason we were able to really finish strong this year. Bringing the (SUNYAC) championship back home to Plattsburgh is a huge accomplishment for our team, our program and certainly our seniors.”
And those seniors are: Wall, Mattie Norton, Bridget Orr and Mae Olshansky. They finished their careers in the red and white of Plattsburgh. While they shed tears, Wall and Norton expressed their gratitude to the program, the team, and the bonds they will carry forever.
Norton for one was excited for the future of the women’s hockey team.
“The game gives experience is just something that goes a lot harder than just being and going through practices,” she said. “They have the experience into their belts. They stepped up to the challenge when they needed to.
“Honestly, it’s just going to give them a great way to the future, and they’re gonna lead the team even better, which is gonna create a big community throughout the team that’s had experiences from NCAA to the SUNYAC tournament and playing top teams in the country. So I think it’s just going to be a great leadership group all around from top to bottom on the team from here on out.”
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Elmira 1, Plattsburgh State 0
EC 1 0 0 – 1
PSU 0 0 0 – 1
First Period- 1. EC, Goleniak, PP (Scmidt, Dougherty) 13:57.
Shots on goal- Plattsburgh State, 40-16
Saves- Sevcikova, EC, 40. Lewis, PSU, 15