Plattsburgh junior goaltender Lilla Nease prepares to dive on the loose puck at the top of her crease. The Plattsburgh State women's ice hockey team claimed third place at the 2022 NCAA Division III Women's Ice Hockey National Championships with a 3-2 victory over Elmira College Saturday at Chip Kenyon Arena in Middlebury, VT
With both teams coming off semifinal losses the night prior, it was Elmira who jumped on the scoreboard first in the consolation game.
Freshman forward McKenzie Schmidt carried the puck into the offensive zone, but quickly lost possession to Plattsburgh defenseman Sierra Benjamin. Benjamin was unable to clear the puck out of the zone, instead finding the stick of Elmira freshman forward Claire Elfring, who sent a wrist shot from the top of the left faceoff circle to beat Plattsburgh goaltender Lilla Nease on the blocker side.
Despite a 12-8 advantage in shots in the opening period, the Cardinals went to intermission with a 1-0 deficit.
Plattsburgh tied things up early in the second period, with a goal from senior forward Nicole Unsworth. Elmira goaltender Leonie-Louise Kuehberger made the save on a shot from junior forward Ivy Boric, and Unsworth – fresh off the bench – picked up the rebound, moved the puck to her backhand as she skated across the slot, and deposited it into the open net.
A bit more than four-minute later, the Soaring Eagles regained the lead. Junior forward Kelly Millins forced a turnover in the neutral zone and carried the puck into the offensive zone, where she left a no-look drop pass to senior defenseman Brianna Haviland. Haviland passed the puck to senior forward Brooke McArdle, whose shot from the left hash marks was tipped by Millins for the goal.
Down 2-1, the Cardinals were intent on drawing level before the second intermission, and the powerplay unit did it in final minute of the second period.
Benjamin sent in a wrist shot from the top of the right faceoff circle toward the far post. Boric had her stick tied up with Elmira senior forward Morgan Mordini at the top of the crease, but managed to get just enough contact with the puck to redirect it through Kuehberger's five-hole.
Plattsburgh thought they had the lead at the 11:58 mark of the third period with a Boric wrap-around into an open net, but after video review, the goal was disallowed due to goaltender interference by Katinka.
The Cardinals took the lead for real just three minutes later, this time scored by Katonka off an assist by Boric. Katonka found Boric in the neutral zone, who skated it in and left the drop pass to return it to Katinka. The shot from the high slot beat Kuehberger high on the glove side.
Elmira pulled Kuehberger late in the period to try to come back and got a reprieve when a Plattsburgh shot at the empty net hit the post and settled in the crease, but the Cardinals held on for the 3-2 win.
Kuehberger made 30 saves on the 33 shots she faced in the Elmira net, while Nease stopped 18 of 20.
With the final result, Plattsburgh finished the season in third place with a record of 26-3-1, while fourth-placed Elmira finished with a record of 25-4-1. Gallery

Plattsburgh freshman forward Lily Stumm chips the puck into the corner from the half-boards under pressure from Elmira freshman defenseman Elizabeth LePage. Gallery