CARDS_rule_the_Burgh
Nate LePage, Siena '13
I stand by the word clash. When they met earlier in the season the Cards had a but a one goal edge until the last 45 seconds of the game in their 3 to 1 win over NU. The SOG were about even. And no question the PSU Women have a winning tradition and a great club. But given the heart the NU women put into that Middlebury win last weekend tells me PSU will view this game as a one that could upset their plans for a fourth consecutive NCAA title. They're savvy enough to know that there are no "weak sister" opponents (pardon the pun) when your down to the final four. I look for a close game albeit acknowledging that PSU has an edge. Go Cadets.
From the Plattsburgh perspective: the Cardinals have a significant edge on all opponents, but I for one am not looking past anybody. Norwich has kept it relatively close against Plattsburgh twice this season. In the match at Kreitzberg, who knows how that game goes if Celeste Robert doesn't give up 2 goals on the first 2 shots she sees and was then promptly yanked in favor of King.
The Cards may have beaten Adrian 5-0 at Middlebury in November, but in January at Norwich they required a D losing her balance on a 2v1 in OT to get past the Bulldogs... those were Adrian's only 2 losses of the year (and they have a W over Utica and 2 Ws over Elmira), and they were both on neutral Ice. If it's Cardinals v Bulldogs, this one is on Adrian's home turf.
Gustavus seemed to be having a down year until this playoff run. They just upset last year's NCAA runner-up (who returned **** near everybody) on the road. Last year, they had a 3-1 3rd period lead in Plattsburgh before a lengthy delay as a GAC player fractured her neck (by the way, she scored their game winner last week). The year before, they made a great late comeback against Plattsburgh (at Stafford Ice Arena) to force their Thanksgiving Tournament game to a shootout (which Plattsburgh won). That was the game that sealed Allie Ross's fate and gave Camille Leonard the starter role in net, which she has not let up since.
As you can see, the Cardinals will have no easy opponents this weekend.