MENDOTA HEIGHTS, Minn. – The Adrian College women's hockey team lost to Plattsburgh State 4-1 in the NCAA Division III Women's Ice Hockey Semifinals on Friday, March 15. The loss ends the Bulldogs' quest for the first national championship in school history, but doesn't end their season as AC will play in the third-place game tomorrow.
THE BASICS
Final Score: #3 Plattsburgh State 4, #4 Adrian 1
Location: Mendota Heights, Minn. (St. Thomas Academy Ice Rink)
Records: Adrian 23-5-2, Plattsburgh State 28-2
HOW IT HAPPENED
Plattsburgh opened the game's scoring halfway through the first, scoring just as an Adrian penalty expired. The teams played four on four for a bit before the Cardinals got their player back for the power play. The puck was worked to the left point and a shot came in that was deflected in front. The Bulldogs' penalty expired on the original shot and the rebound bounced over to the far side where Plattsburgh's Courtney Moriarty was there to knock it home for the lead. AC killed off one more penalty before the period was over but neither team scored again, giving the Cardinals a 1-0 lead at the first intermission.
The Cardinals doubled their lead 5:57 into the second stanza when Moriarty got behind the Adrian defense for her second of the game. The Bulldogs got into some penalty trouble late in the second and had to kill penalties for 3:33 of consecutive playing time, with three players in the box at one time.
Adrian's best chance came during the first of the three penalties when seniors Kortney Diaz and Hannah Dalrymple had a two-on-one while shorthanded but couldn't get the puck past the Cardinals' goaltender. The Black and Gold had another prime scoring opportunity right after the penalties ended, when the puck squirted free after a shot, but junior forward Jacqueline White's rebound attempt was stopped by a diving Plattsburgh State goalie.
The Bulldogs got on the board just over five minutes into the third when freshman forward Jessica VonRuden scored her third goal of the NCAA Playoffs. White gave her the puck in the neutral zone and Barrett rushed towards the net and slipped the puck past the goalie on the far side to make it 2-1 with 14:57 remaining.
Adrian's comeback attempt ultimately came up short, as Plattsburgh scored two late in the third to put the game away, 4-1. The Bulldogs were outshot 15-28 and allowed more than three goals for just the third time this season – all losses. The four seniors have one final game left in their Bulldog careers, as the Black and Gold will play in the third-place game tomorrow.
TOP DOGS
• VonRuden scored Adrian's lone goal.
• White picked up an assist on VonRuden's tally.
• Freshman goaltender Denisa Jandova made 24 saves in the game.
THE OPPOSITION
• Moriarty scored twice for the Cardinals.
• Madison Walker and Annie Katonka scored Plattsburg's other two goals.
• Kassi Abbott made 14 stops.
UP NEXT
Adrian awaits the non-advancing team of the other semifinal, played tonight at 8 p.m. ET. No. 1 seed and host St. Thomas takes on rival No. 5 seed Hamline, with the winner playing Plattsburgh in the championship at 8 p.m. ET and the non-advancing team facing Adrian at 4 p.m.
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