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Re: Cardinal/Panther Classic '11
January 2, 2011
Cardinals' schedule ranks high
PSU to face 5 top-10 teams in January
COURTNEY LEWIS
Press-Republican Plattsburgh Press Republican Sun Jan 02, 2011, 02:23 AM EST
PLATTSBURGH — Three of the elite teams in NCAA Division III women's hockey will invade Stafford Ice Arena today and Monday.
And ranked teams are going to become a familiar sight for the Cardinals.
The two-day Cardinal/Panther Classic at Stafford Ice Arena kicks off a series of games against top-tier teams to start the second semester.
No. 3 Plattsburgh State meets No. 6 Amherst today at 3:30 p.m., and No. 4 Middlebury and No. 9 Elmira will play the second game of the annual tournament, which alternates yearly between Stafford and Middlebury's Kenyon Arena. The winners are set to meet Monday night, following the third-place game.
The Cardinals (8-1) are scheduled to play five teams this month that are currently ranked in the top 10, plus a Manhattanville squad that has hovered just outside the rankings all season.
"We have a lot of big games coming up here within the next two to three weeks," co-captain Steph Moon said. "So a pretty big stretch coming up. It will definitely put us a little higher up (confidence-wise), I think, if we can have a good weekend."
Elmira beat Amherst to win last year's Classic, and Plattsburgh State won the previous three. The championship game has never been decided by more than one goal, two went into overtime and one required a shootout.
The four teams in the field have combined to win all nine Division III championships.
"I think it's wide open," Plattsburgh State coach Kevin Houle said. "Middlebury's had a great first half. And Amherst is Amherst. They've got a couple of losses, but they've also probably played the toughest schedule so far, and on the road as well. Two-time defending (national) champs — they've gotta be the favorite in my opinion.
"But it's a great field, and I think anybody can beat anybody."
Amherst (3-3-1) was swept by RIT in late November, earned three points against Trinity the next weekend and closed the first semester with a 5-2 loss to Norwich. The Jeffs will play their seventh straight road game today.
Courtney Hanlon and Stephanie Clegg lead the team with eight points each.
Amherst played in the Classic for the first time last year and beat Plattsburgh State 2-1 in the first round.
Amherst's style of play has sometimes given the Cardinals trouble breaking out of their defensive zone.
"They do a great job once they have possession of the puck," Houle said. "Sometimes I think you spend too much time worrying about that, and it becomes too much of a focus. Obviously working on it, but it's not going to be the main focus of our game."
Houle added that the Cardinals need to avoid turnovers, noting that they committed two costly ones in a Dec. 11 loss to Elmira.
That was Plattsburgh State's first defeat of the season, and it bounced back the next day to close the semester with a win. The Cardinals had about two weeks off before resuming practice Tuesday, and both Moon and Houle said the team returned from the break in good shape.
"I thought we finished on a strong note — probably our best game of the year against Elmira the second night after playing our worst game of the year the first night," Houle said. "So the girls felt good about themselves leaving and came back with a good work ethic."
Middlebury (6-0) enters the tournament as one of three Division III teams with an unblemished record. Elmira (8-3-1) has losses to Norwich and Manhattanville and had won five straight before falling to the Cardinals.
Notes: Plattsburgh State has added a third goaltender to the roster. Sophomore Kelsey Neumann came from Clarkson, giving the Cardinals six Division I transfers
January 2, 2011
Cardinals' schedule ranks high
PSU to face 5 top-10 teams in January
COURTNEY LEWIS
Press-Republican Plattsburgh Press Republican Sun Jan 02, 2011, 02:23 AM EST
PLATTSBURGH — Three of the elite teams in NCAA Division III women's hockey will invade Stafford Ice Arena today and Monday.
And ranked teams are going to become a familiar sight for the Cardinals.
The two-day Cardinal/Panther Classic at Stafford Ice Arena kicks off a series of games against top-tier teams to start the second semester.
No. 3 Plattsburgh State meets No. 6 Amherst today at 3:30 p.m., and No. 4 Middlebury and No. 9 Elmira will play the second game of the annual tournament, which alternates yearly between Stafford and Middlebury's Kenyon Arena. The winners are set to meet Monday night, following the third-place game.
The Cardinals (8-1) are scheduled to play five teams this month that are currently ranked in the top 10, plus a Manhattanville squad that has hovered just outside the rankings all season.
"We have a lot of big games coming up here within the next two to three weeks," co-captain Steph Moon said. "So a pretty big stretch coming up. It will definitely put us a little higher up (confidence-wise), I think, if we can have a good weekend."
Elmira beat Amherst to win last year's Classic, and Plattsburgh State won the previous three. The championship game has never been decided by more than one goal, two went into overtime and one required a shootout.
The four teams in the field have combined to win all nine Division III championships.
"I think it's wide open," Plattsburgh State coach Kevin Houle said. "Middlebury's had a great first half. And Amherst is Amherst. They've got a couple of losses, but they've also probably played the toughest schedule so far, and on the road as well. Two-time defending (national) champs — they've gotta be the favorite in my opinion.
"But it's a great field, and I think anybody can beat anybody."
Amherst (3-3-1) was swept by RIT in late November, earned three points against Trinity the next weekend and closed the first semester with a 5-2 loss to Norwich. The Jeffs will play their seventh straight road game today.
Courtney Hanlon and Stephanie Clegg lead the team with eight points each.
Amherst played in the Classic for the first time last year and beat Plattsburgh State 2-1 in the first round.
Amherst's style of play has sometimes given the Cardinals trouble breaking out of their defensive zone.
"They do a great job once they have possession of the puck," Houle said. "Sometimes I think you spend too much time worrying about that, and it becomes too much of a focus. Obviously working on it, but it's not going to be the main focus of our game."
Houle added that the Cardinals need to avoid turnovers, noting that they committed two costly ones in a Dec. 11 loss to Elmira.
That was Plattsburgh State's first defeat of the season, and it bounced back the next day to close the semester with a win. The Cardinals had about two weeks off before resuming practice Tuesday, and both Moon and Houle said the team returned from the break in good shape.
"I thought we finished on a strong note — probably our best game of the year against Elmira the second night after playing our worst game of the year the first night," Houle said. "So the girls felt good about themselves leaving and came back with a good work ethic."
Middlebury (6-0) enters the tournament as one of three Division III teams with an unblemished record. Elmira (8-3-1) has losses to Norwich and Manhattanville and had won five straight before falling to the Cardinals.
Notes: Plattsburgh State has added a third goaltender to the roster. Sophomore Kelsey Neumann came from Clarkson, giving the Cardinals six Division I transfers
