The nationally-ranked Oswego State women's ice hockey team defeated the No. 1/1 Plattsburgh Cardinals 3-2 on Sunday afternoon at the Ronald B. Stafford Arena. Oswego improves to 7-1 on the season, while snapping Plattsburgh's 13-game winning streak and dropping the Cardinals to 6-1 on the year.
After trailing for a majority of the game against the three-time defending national champion Cardinals, Oswego was able to channel some magic and score three unanswered goals. At 11:06 in the final period, Eryn Stewart notched the second score of her career on a put-back shot, which slipped past the Plattsburgh goalie to tie the contest at 2-2. Stewart was assisted by Julieann White and Jacquelin White.
Just 21 seconds, lighting struck for a second time as Olivia Ellis did the improbable. The junior assistant captain charged the goal and – with help from Alexa Aramburu and Andrea Noss – slapped the puck over the goalie's shoulder top shelf to give Oswego the 3-2 lead.
The Lakers would hold on over the final 8:33 to win, despite a ferocious Cardinal attack. Oswego ended another Plattsburgh streak of 27-straight victories over the Lakers in this 28th meeting since the restart of the women's ice hockey program in 2006-07. It was also the first loss for the Cardinals at home since Feb. 1, 2015 – a string of 24-consecutive wins at Stafford Arena that the Lakers snapped.
Jacquelin White tallied the first Laker goal on the day after Oswego fell behind 2-0. In the 16th minute of the second period, the freshman slipped away from the defense and capitalized on the opportunity in front of her, sending a backhand into the net. It was White's seventh goal of the season, which leads the team. Aramburu dealt out the helper on the goal and with the two assists on the day, she now has seven on the season.
In between the pipes, Mariah Madrigal was phenomenal, stopping a career-high 48 opposing shots. The Brownstown, Mich. native had only saved more than 40 shots once in her career before Sunday's performance — corralling 42 on Jan. 24, 2016 against eventual national champion Plattsburgh. Madrigal's goals-against-average now sits at 2.30 for the season, where she has played nearly 340 minutes.
Women's ice hockey returns to the ice at 7 p.m. on Saturday when it travels to Williamstown, Mass. to play the Williams College Ephs in a nonconference tilt.
