NCAA third-place notes & quotes

• Teal Gove scored two goals in Plattsburgh State’s 4-0 win over Gustavus Adolphus in the NCAA Division III Women’s Ice Hockey Championship third-place game, giving her eight in the Cardinals’ five playoff games this season. The senior finished the year with 29 goals and 50 points. No one else in Division III had more than 44 points.

• Gustavus Adolphus has reached the final four the last four seasons and finished fourth each time. Plattsburgh has beaten the Golden Gusties in the third-place game two straight years.

• Elmira beat Middlebury 1-0 to win its third national championship and first since 2003. Middlebury lost in the final for the first time; it had been 3-0 in title games going into Saturday.

 

All-Tournament team

Lindsey Hjelm, F/D, Gustavus Adolphus

Jenny Kistner, F, Plattsburgh

Heather Marrison, D, Middlebury

Ashley Ryan, F, Elmira

Taylor Steadman, F, Elmira

Lauren Sullivan, G, Elmira

 

 

Plattsburgh senior Jenny Kistner:  “Coach preached that we wanted to be in the national championship, but similar to last year, we wanted to end the season on a win and go out on a positive note for Teal (Gove). So it was good to end with a win.”

 

Plattsburgh coach Kevin Houle:  “I think they carried the play for a great deal of the game. I thought we had some good opportunities and finished.”

 

Gustavus Adolphus captain Lindsey Hjelm:  “I’m really proud of the effort that the girls put out. I mean, all three periods, I don’t think that you could ask much more from your teammates, and I guess you just really have to relish in that.”

NCAA semifinal notes & quotes

• Plattsburgh State outshot Middlebury 19-9 over the last two periods of Friday’s 4-1 loss in the NCAA Division III Women’s Ice Hockey Championship semifinals but was outscored 3-1 in that span, including an empty-netter.

• Middlebury was able to hold Teal Gove, Division III’s leading scorer, without a point. Gove had a combined six goals in Plattsburgh’s previous three playoff games.

• Gustavus Adolphus must hate 4-3 overtime games. That was the score in the Golden Gusties’ loss to Elmira in Friday’s second semifinal. They also lost 4-3 in overtime in last year’s national semifinals and in the third-place game against Plattsburgh.

 

Middlebury coach Bill Mandigo:  “I thought the kids played hard. I thought they battled all over the ice. I thought our goalie played pretty well; she made some key saves and held her ground in front of the net. That’s a big win for our team and our program.”

 

Teal Gove on going down 2-0 early in the second:  “Yeah, it was definitely frustrating, but the whole game we just kept telling ourselves, ‘We’ve been down two goals before; we’ve always been able to come back.’ So regardless of the score, we were going to just keep playing our best, do what we normally do. And we stayed positive the entire time.”

 

Plattsburgh coach Kevin Houle:  “I thought the second period we started to generate some more offense. We were still giving up too many quality chances, I thought, but we were starting to spend some time in their zone and create some chances, and, I thought, wear them down a bit.”

 

Houle:  “I feel bad for all of our kids, obviously, but especially for Teal. She’s been a phenomenal player, phenomenal person. I’m honored to have had the opportunity to coach her for four years. Kids like Teal don’t come along every day.”

Women’s hockey notes & quotes

• After beating St. Norbert 5-2 in the NCAA quarterfinals Saturday, Plattsburgh State has won seven straight games and is unbeaten in 28 this season. The Green Knights lost for just the second time in their last 15 games and had a nine-game streak snapped.

• Teal Gove scored twice Saturday, giving her at least a point in each of the last eight games. She has totaled six goals in Plattsburgh’s three playoff contests.

• The Cardinals will now play Middlebury, which outlasted Norwich 3-2 in overtime. Elmira and Gustavus Adolphus round out the final four.

 

St. Norbert coach Rob Morgan on the third period:  “I thought we competed a lot harder and started winning some battles both on and off the puck. Started putting pucks to the net. They’re an outstanding hockey team, and they’re No. 1 in the country for a reason. Our kids came out and they played hard. They wanted to learn from this, and they had a great third period.”

 

Plattsburgh goalie Sydney Aveson:  “Not a lot of teams get the opportunity to play in a quarterfinal game let alone get back to the final four. And I’m stoked about it, and I’m excited with our chances. I think our team is ready to go.”

 

Plattsburgh coach Kevin Houle:  “Certainly our goal is to win a national championship, and it would be a disappointment not to win.”

 

Teal Gove on not facing Norwich— and her younger sister, Tyne— in the semis:  “I’m disappointed because I really wanted to see her. I haven’t seen her in a month. But I’m relieved for my mom, first and foremost. I know she really feels so bad for my sister, but I know she could not have handled it.”

SUNYAC Championship notes & quotes

• Plattsburgh State and Oswego met in the SUNYAC final for the fifth time in six years Saturday. With their 4-0 victory, the Lakers have now claimed two of those games; their last title was in 2010.

 

• The Cardinals were shut out for just the second time this season, and it was just the third time they were held under two goals. They were also blanked by Norwich on Dec. 1, and Fredonia kept them to one goal Feb. 2.

 

• The Cardinals’ penalty kill was a perfect 6-for-6, although Plattsburgh coach Bob Emery said his team gave Oswego momentum by taking an uncharacteristic seven penalties. The Lakers went 7-for-7 on the kill.

 

All-Tournament Team
D- Mike Grace, Plattsburgh
D- Bobby Gertsakis, Oswego
F- Jared Docking, Plattsburgh
F- Chris Muise, Oswego
F- Matt Singleton, Oswego
MVP- Andrew Hare, G, Oswego.

 

Oswego coach Ed Gosek on the Lakers’ defensive play:  ”I thought we got some bounces through hard work. They had the one that was ready to roll in, and our D were working hard to support our goaltender. I thought he played well, but I also thought tonight we made our breaks and kept them off the board.”

 

Gosek on Plattsburgh: “They’ve got a great team. Bobby and his staff does a great job, and with the young team that they have, I’m sure they’re going to be right there again next year.”

 

Bob Emery: “I thought Oswego played pretty good defensively. I thought 5-on-5, especially in the second period, we had some great looks. And they did a good job in front of the net. I thought (Andrew) Hare was fighting the puck in the second period. For as much as he was fighting in the second though, he played great in the third. By then it was probably too late. We were down 3-0, and he made some great saves.”

 

Emery on pulling the goalie in the middle of the third period:  ”It was 3-0. I know the first goal’s the hardest one. We weren’t able to get the first goal. I tried anything to get that first goal.”

 

Jared Docking:  ”We just made a lot of mistakes. We didn’t play smart. We didn’t play well. So, one of those nights, I guess. Bad time for it.”

 

Docking on his senior season:  ”It was a blast, you know. It was a fun time.”

Cardinal Q&A: Alex Brenton & Paul Puglisi