In the NCAA quarterfinals, the No. 6 ranked Middlebury women's ice hockey team dominated No. 4 Plattsburgh State University, shutting out the Cardinals 2-0. With the win, the Panthers advanced to the Frozen 4 for the 10th time in school history.
highlight
- Middlebury had a chance to play with 3:28 left. Avery McInerney and Lia Schurter McInerney entered the offensive zone on a 2-on-1, but McInerney's attempt from the right side of the goal was blocked by Cardinal goaltender Lila Nies.
- The Panthers faced a scoring crisis at the 7:39 mark. Audrey Lazar Great feed submitted from the right board cat apple orchard But Nice made a wide-legged save to thwart Appleyard.
- Middlebury broke the scoreless draw just after midway through the period. Lazar carried the puck from the right side and fired a shot from the point, which sailed over Nice's left shoulder for a 1-0 lead with 11:20 remaining.
- Plattsburgh State had it all but over with less than two minutes left on the power play.Matty Norton sends a pass from the top of the left faceoff circle to Giulia Masotta in the low slot, but Masotta's one-timer is denied by a great save from the netminder. sophia will.
- The Cardinals looked like they might tie the game with 2:23 left on the extra skater, but Kendall Wasik's chance from the top of the circle was thwarted by Will's stick save.
- The Panthers doubled their advantage at the 7:32 mark. Kalia Ferraris He took the puck from the middle, around the defender and to the top of the left faceoff circle. Ferrari sent the pass to Kate Flynn He skated with force to the right dot and hoisted the puck into the top right corner to make it 2-0.
- Plattsburgh State looked to cut the deficit to one midway through Game 3. Mazzotta grabbed the loose puck in the slot and tried to flick it past Will, but Will was ready and blocked the chance.
- At 2 minutes, 54 seconds into the third period, Middlebury tried to score another point with the same combination as Ferraris and Flynn from the second period, but Nice repelled Flynn's attempt.
- The Cardinals almost cut the deficit in half at the 3:56 mark when Ivy Borich dropped a pass to Dani Longmare, who took a shot from in front of her and Will caught it with his glove.
- Plattsburgh State had a great chance to ruin the shutout in the 15th minute on the power play. Will's split save denies Boric's first bid. Orr was in the right pipe and tried to shovel the puck past Will. Sabrina Kim I was there to thwart the attempt.
- The Cardinals drew Neath with 3:23 left in the game, inspiring Will, but Middlebury withstood the challenge and came away unscathed with a 2-0 shutout to advance to the national semifinals.
Note
- Will finished with 30 saves, marking his fourth consecutive shutout. She posted eight shutouts this winter, tied for second on the Panther's single-season record.
- Lazar scored his second goal in the NCAA Tournament, scoring once against Western New England and scoring the game-winning goal against the Cardinals.
- Kim recorded an assist on each goal and had five helpers in this year's NCAA Tournament.
- Flynn scored in both NCAA contests, had an assist and two points in the first-round win, and had a goal in Saturday's game.
- It was the 43rd time the two programs met and the ninth time in the NCAA Tournament, with Plattsburgh State close behind at 5-4. Saturday's game will be the second consecutive year the program will play in the quarterfinals and fourth overall.
- The Panthers earned their first win over the Cardinals since Middlebury won a 2-1 decision in the championship game of the Panther/Cardinal Classic on December 1, 2019.
- head coach bill mandigo He achieved his 660th victory in total, leaving a record of 660 wins, 172 losses, and 55 draws.
Press conference
The Panthers will face #14 Elmira in the national semifinals as the Soaring Eagles defeated #5 Amherst 2-1 in overtime. The two teams met in the 2022 NCAA semifinals, with Middlebury recording a 3-2 victory.