POTSDAM, N.Y.—No. 1/2 Plattsburgh State (18-2-2/12-0-1 NEWHL) scored three first period goals en route to a 4-0 win over the SUNY Potsdam women's hockey team (11-9-2, 3-8-2) on Saturday afternoon. Junior forward Courtney Moriarty (Estero, Fla/Northfield Mount Hermon) scored twice for the Cardinals.

Plattsburgh jumped in front just 2:40 into the contest. Junior forward Mackenzie Millen (Anchorage, Alaska/North American Hockey Academy) won the draw to the left of the Bears goal and Moriarty picked up the puck. She then looped from the corner all the way around to the high slot and fired a wrist shot past a screened Potsdam freshman goalie Samantha White (Oceanside, Calif./Anaheim Lady Ducks) for a 1-0 lead. Less than five minutes later, Plattsburgh struck again. After a quick breakout, freshman forward Annie Katonka (Pittsburgh, Pa./Pittsburgh Penguins Elite) got free on the right side and rang the crossbar over the White's left shoulder. The Cardinals tacked on a third marker with just 25 seconds left on a very similar play to their first goal. Millen picked up a loose puck in the left corner and fed Moriarty again. She skated around the left faceoff circle and fired the puck into the left corner of the goal.

Plattsburgh struck quickly into the second period as well. At 2:04, freshman forward Abby Brush (Mount Prospect, Ill./Chicago Young Americans) knocked home a deflected shot from the left point at the right side of the net. After the goal, sophomore Kayla McCabe (Watertown, N.Y./Syracuse Nationals) relieved White in net. The Bears were able to kill off a questionable boarding major midway through the period. McCabe stopped all 11 shots she faced in the stanza to keep the deficit at four.

The Bears killed off a third Plattsburgh power play in the opening minutes of the third period. McCabe and the Bears' defense were strong the rest of the way and didn't allow another goal. McCabe stopped 13 more shots in the final period.

White finished with four goals allowed and 16 saves in the first 22:04. McCabe stopped all 24 shots she faced in the last 37:56. Plattsburgh junior goalie Kassi Abbott (Medford, Mass./Boston Shamrocks Elite) made 12 saves for the shutout.

The Bears clinched a spot in the inaugural NEWHL Playoffs yesterday care of a 4-0 SUNY Cortland loss to Oswego State.

The teams go at it again tomorrow at 3 p.m. in Plattsburgh.