PANTHERS AVERY MCINERNY, #15, and Cat Appleyard, #8, celebrate the goal scored by Kate Flynn, right, late in Sunday’s game in Kenyon Arena vs. Plattsburgh.
Independent photo/Steve James

MIDDLEBURY — The Middlebury College women’s hockey outplayed and outshot — by 38-17 — visiting Plattsburgh in Sunday’s final of the annual Panther-Cardinal Classic.

But the Panthers did not outscore the Cardinals, who cashed in on two loose pucks in the final 7:16 and added an empty-net goal to prevail, 3-1.

The Cardinals, who entered the game ranked No. 4 in NCAA Division III, escaped with a 6-0-1 record, while the No. 5 Panthers dropped to 4-1.

Coach Bill Mandigo’s career record early in his 36th year leading the Panthers fell to 646-167-51. He said he was pleased with his team’s effort and play against their New York rivals.

“They played hard. I thought they battled. We outshot Plattsburgh two-to-one. That doesn’t happen,” Mandigo said.

Then came the caveat. Mandigo is concerned by the Panthers’ lack of offensive production — 10 goals in five games this season.

“We’ve got to figure out a way to score. I just told the kids you’ve got to bury some pucks. You’ve got to work really hard and stick your nose in and battle, and you’ve got to find a way to put the puck in the net,” he said.

PANTHER SOPHOMORES Avery McInerny, left and Britt Nawrocki hunt the puck in front of the Plattsburgh goal on Sunday in the final of the Panther-Cardinal Classic in Kenyon Arena.
Independent photo/Steve James

Particularly, he would like the Panthers to get their sticks on loose pucks near the crease, something they also struggled to do in a 1-0 victory over Endicott in Saturday’s first-round tournament game.

“There’s rebounds galore. You don’t win pucks in front of the net,” he said. “Everybody packs in it, and you’ve just got to get garbage goals.”

On the plus side, sophomore goalie Sophia Will, playing fulltime while senior captain and mainstay Sophia Merageas is out after a preseason injury, has been playing well.

“She’s had five good games,” Mandigo said.

First-year players like defender Callia Ferraris and forwards Kate Flynn and Liv Fernandez have also made impacts. Mandigo noted Merageas and forwards Delanie Goniwiecha and Audrey Lazar are the team’s only seniors.

The defense, led by juniors Sabrina Kim and Cece Ziegler, has also played well.

“You play them and give up 17 shots, that means you’re doing something right,” Mandigo said.

PANTHER SOPHOMORE DEFENDER Rachel Newman blocks a Plattsburgh shot in front of goalie Sophia Will, while freshman forward Liv Fernandez (#7) protects the crease during Sunday’s game in Kenyon Arena.
Independent photo/Steve James

The Panthers started fast on Sunday. Flynn bolted in off the opening faceoff and forced Cardinal goalie Lilla Nease to make the first of her 37 saves. Soon afterward Nease stopped a Ferraris screened point shot.

The Panthers threatened again in the eighth minute. Nease denied Raia Schluter, and Jordan Hower and Cat Appleyard couldn’t find the puck in the ensuing scramble — a recurring theme.

Midway through the period, Nease denied Avery McInerny’s tip of a Ferraris shot. Later in the period with the teams skating four-on-four, Flynn dropped a pass to Ferraris, but Nease stoned her one-timer from the slot.

In the second period, play evened out until the Panthers earned a power play at 6:11. Another scrum after Nease stopped a Britt Nawrocki shot failed to produce a goal, and Nease stopped Nawrocki again and denied Flynn on the rebound.

The Cardinals’ first good chance came midway through the period, when Will stopped Ava Mattaliano’s slapper from between the circles.

With 7:19 left in the period, Flynn broke in on Nease, but Plattsburgh’s Taya Balfour hauled her down at the last second.

MIDDLEBURY FRESHMAN FORWARD Kate Flynn tucks the puck inside the right post late in Sunday’s game against Plattsburgh at Kenyon Arena.
Independent photo/Steve James

Middlebury nearly scored on the ensuing power play, but Nease stopped Kim’s blast from between top of the circles.

The Cardinals had a power play late in the period, but Kim cleared the puck four times to help kill it off.

The Cardinals had another failed power play five minutes into the third period. Will saved a Kendall Wasik bid late in it to end the threat.

In the eighth minute, Nease stopped a Kim bid, and Nawrocki and Hower stormed the net for the rebound to no avail.

Soon afterward the Panthers had another fruitless power play, and then the Cardinals broke through when Julia Masotta took advantage of a rare Middlebury failure to clear effectively. She picked up a loose puck in the left circle and fired into the upper left corner with 8:16 to go.

Almost immediately the Panthers broke in, two-on-one on Nease, but she stopped McInerny’s one-timer from the slot on a pass from Appleyard.

Plattsburgh made it 2-0 with 4:22 remaining. Mattaliano picked up the puck on the right side and fed Emily Kasprzak, whose one-timer from the slot found the five-hole.

After pulling Will for an extra skater, Middlebury made it 2-1 at 1:58. Flynn picked up the rebound of a Nawrocki shot at the top of the crease, spun and stuffed the puck inside the right post.

In the final 1:15, Kim tipped a shot wide, and the Cardinals blocked two shots before Zsofia Pazmandi won the puck and tossed it into the empty net at 0.8.

The Panthers don’t have a lot of time to iron out their offensive wrinkles before their next challenge: They visit defending NESCAC champion Amherst (4-0) this coming weekend for a two-game series.

SATURDAY GAME

On Saturday, the Panthers overcame strong defense by 15th-ranked Endicott to win, 1-0. Will made 16 saves for the shutout, and Nawrocki’s goal at 16:02 of the first period was the game-winner. The Gulls dropped to 6-3 heading into Sunday’s consolation game vs. No. 9 Wisconsin Eau-Claire, which lost to Plattsburgh, 6-1, on Saturday. Wisconsin Eau-Claire edged Endicott on Sunday, 3-2.

The Panthers dominated the first period, outshooting the Gulls by 12-1 on the way to their final edge of 23-16.

Gull goalie Casey Moritz made the first of her 22 saves three minutes in, denying Appleyard’s one-timer from the left circle. In the ninth minute Moritz also stoned Kylie Quinlan’s point-blank tip of a Kim shot.

SCRAMBLES IN FRONT of the Plattsburgh goal were common in Sunday’s women’s hockey game in Kenyon Arena. Here, front to back, Panthers Avery McInerny, Jordan Hower and Kylie Quinlan go after the puck.
Independent photo/Steve James

The Panthers buzzed the net during a power play later in the period, but the Gulls blocked several shots, while Hower’s tip of another Kim shot bounced off the crossbar.

Nawrocki broke the ice at 16:02. Quinlan chipped the puck up the right side, and it bad-hopped past a defender at the blue line. Nawrocki steamed by, picked up the puck and went in alone on Moritz, beating the goalie between the pads.

Early in the middle period, Hower’s one-timer on a centering pass from Quinlan hit the left pipe.

The Gulls got offensive traction in that period’s fifth minute, when Will denied two bids from the slot, sprawling to save the second shot. Later in the period Will sticked away a solo bid by Gull MacKenzie Graham.

Meanwhile, the Gulls’ tight defensive zone coverage and reliance on icing the puck slowed the Panther attack in the final two periods.

In the third period, Will made two saves early on, one from the slot, but Endicott’s best chance came in the seventh minute. Teaghan Hall’s shot from the left trickled off Will and across the crease, and Ziegler cleared the puck off the goal line.

With 8:36 to go Quinlan sent a pass from behind the goal to Nawrocki, but Moritz smothered her bid from the doorstep.

The Gulls pulled their netminder and had two chances with less than a minute remaining, but Will stopped them to seal the win.

PANTHER FRESHMAN KATE Flynn goes to her knees to launch this shot, but Plattsburgh goalie Lilla Nease makes the save during Sunday’s game in Kenyon Arena.
Independent photo/Steve James