POTSDAM, N.Y.—Third ranked Plattsburgh State (4-0-1, 4-0 SUNYAC) used its special teams to overcome a strong defensive performance by the SUNY Potsdam women's hockey team (3-1, 1-2) in a 4-1 victory on Friday evening. Graduate student captain Kaylee Merrill (Wasilla, Alaska/Anchorage North Stars) scored a power-play goal for the Bears. The goal is the 60th of her career, just one behind Hall of Famer Jordan Ott's NCAA-era program record.
 
Freshman forward Ava Mattaliano (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich./Belle Tire) put the Cardinals up 1-0 with a shot from the right side of the net at 4:32. Just 59 seconds later, a tripping call put Potsdam on the power play. At 6:25, Merrill struck, beating Plattsburgh freshman goalie Chloe Lewis (Monson, Mass/Northwood School) on a shot from the left faceoff circle. The goal came after perfect passes from graduate student forward Megan Teachout (Auburn, N.Y./Oswego State) and graduate student assistant captain Alex Quinn (Potsdam, N.Y./St. Lawrence Steel). Simultaneous penalties at 17:40 gave the Cardinals a 5-on-3 power play. With 1:09 left in the period, first year forward Zsofia Pazmandi (Kaposvar, Hungary/Ontario Hockey) scored to make it 2-1. The Bears killed the second penalty, but trailed after 20 minutes.
 
The second period was anticlimactic. Neither team was able to find the back of the net. Potsdam was called for a body-checking major at 16:10. The Bears penalty-kill unit held until they returned to even strength early in the third period.
 
At 7:35 of the final stanza, the Cardinals added another power play marker. Junior defenseman Mattie Norton (Glen Carbon, Ill./St. Louis Lady Blues) extended the lead. Potsdam continued to block shots the rest of the game and kept Plattsburgh from generating too many more strong chances. With 1:14 left, the Bears called timeout and pulled sophomore goalie Magalie Parent (Trois-Rivières, Quebec/Les Diablos – Cégep de Trois-Rivières) for an extra attacker. Seven seconds later Pazmandi fired a shot from the right faceoff circle for an empty-netter.
 
Parent was outstanding with a career-high 46 saves. Lewis made 18 stops for the win.
 
The Cardinals were 2-for-5 on the power play and Potsdam was 1-for-3.
 
The Bears are back in action tomorrow afternoon when they travel to SUNY Cortland for a 3 p.m. showdown with the No. 11 Red Dragons.