CASTLETON, Vt. – Freshman
Teagan Wilson (Salisbury, Mass.) made a career-high 45saves to post her first career shutout and three different Panthers scored as Plymouth State University skated past Vermont State University Castleton, 3-0, in a New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) women's ice hockey game at Spartan Arena on Saturday afternoon.
Sophomore
Morgan Cunningham (Wrentham, Mass.) got the Panthers out to an early start with her first career goal just over a minute into the game. Wilson was tested regularly in the opening frame but kept the Spartans off the board and junior
Libby Carter (Franklin, Mass.) doubled the lead with a power play goal seven minutes later.
Wilson remained steady between the pipes and senior
Sophie Streed (Surry, N.H.) put the game away with a third-period insurance goal.
Plymouth State improves to 4-14-0 (4-8-0 NEHC), while the Spartans slide to 6-11-2 and 4-6-2 in conference play.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 3, VTSU Castleton 0
- Plymouth State (4-14-0, 4-8-0 NEHC)
- VTSU Castleton (6-11-2, 4-6-2 NEHC)
How it Happened:
- Cunningham got the Panthers out to a quick start when she gloved down a Spartans' pass in the offensive zone and fired a wrist shot from the top of the right circle past the VTSU Castleton for the early lead.
- Plymouth State doubled the lead at the 8:31 mark during the Panthers' lone power play chance of the day. Freshman Emily Gerrie (Littleton, Colo.) blasted a shot from the right circle that deflected off a defenseman's skate to Carter on the weakside and she dumped the loose puck into the net to make it 2-0.
- Wilson made a key kick save in the final minute to preserve the lead heading into the first intermission.
- The Panthers successfully killed off a pair of Spartans' power plays in the middle stanza, with Wilson coming up big time and again. She recorded 16 saves in the period alone, with half of them coming on the penalty kill.
- VTSU Castleton kept the pressure on throughout the third period but Wilson was up to the task. Junior Emily Biggin (Didsbury, Alberta) stole the puck along the wall and hit Streed in stride through the neutral zone. Streed outskated the defense and made a move around the Spartans' goalie before finishing at the nearside post to add an insurance tally with 11:47 left to play.
- The three-goal lead was more than enough for Wilson and the Panthers as the team held on for the shutout win.
By the Numbers:
- Streed's goal was her team-leading sixth of the year, while Carter's marker was her third of the season.
- Biggin, Gerrie and sophomore Sanna Augustsson (Satila, Sweden) all recorded assists.
- PSU's last shutout over the Spartans was a 1-0 overtime win in March 2021.
- Plymouth State converted its lone power play chance, while the Panthers held VTSU Castleton scoreless in three opportunities.
- VTSU Castleton had swept the season series each of the last two seasons.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State heads to #8 Colby on Tuesday (Jan. 23) for a 4:00 p.m. clash with the Mules.
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