2008 Woodie Awards
Women's hockey team can clinch ECAC West with win
Matt Rosenberg
Issue date: 2/15/08 Section: Sports
Originally published: 2/14/08 at 4:10 PM EST
Last update: 2/14/08 at 6:35 PM EST
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The match-up is a rematch of the 2007 ECAC-West championship game - a game the Lady Cards won 3-2 en route to a national championship.
The Soaring Eagles are second in the conference, six points behind the top-ranked Lady Cards, but still have a chance to earn the top spot with two more ECAC-West games against Oswego next weekend.
With one win in the two-game series, the Lady Cards will clinch the top seed in the conference tournament.
The all-time series stands at an even 10-10-2, with the Lady Cards going unbeaten in the last seven games, including one tie last season.
The Soaring Eagles last defeated the Lady Cards in the 2005 NCAA semifinals.
The Soaring Eagles (16-4-0, 10-2-0 ECAC-West) own the nation's third-ranked offense at 4.25 goals per game, led by junior Kayla Coady (15 G, 13 A) and sophomore Jenna McCall (11 G, 14 A).
The Lady Cards (20-2-0, 13-1-0 ECAC-West) will counter with the top-ranked offense in Division III at 4.95 goals per game, led by Division III leading scorer, junior Danielle Blanchard (22 G, 17 A), and sophomore Steph Moberg (12 G, 17 A).
"We have to play with energy and get shots to the net and be able to counter some of the things Plattsburgh does well," Elmira Head Coach Paul Nemetz-Carlson said. "We just have to keep them in a position where the game is close throughout."
Keeping the game close is par for the course in the history of these two teams. In the all-time series, 15 games between the Soaring Eagles and Lady Cards have been decided by two goals or less, not including two ties.
The play of the defense of both teams figures to play a big role in the game.
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