CASTLETON, Vt. – Senior
Katie Porrello (Milford, Conn.) tipped in a shot five minutes into the third period, and the Plymouth State University defense made it stand as the Panthers edged Vermont State University Castleton, 3-2, to split a Little East Conference (LEC) women's ice hockey weekend series at Spartan Arena on Saturday.
In a back-and-forth contest, freshman
Olivia Robbins (Poolesville, Md.) gave the Panthers a first-period lead, but the Spartans responded midway through the frame. Junior
Lilli Warnock (Bernardsville, N.J.) put Plymouth State back in front in the opening seconds of the second period, but once again the hosts had the answer.
The Panthers went on the power play early in the third, and Porrello redirected Robbins' shot for the eventual game-winner. Plymouth State tightened up defensively the rest of the way, blocking several shots and killing off a penalty to secure the key conference victory.
Plymouth State improves to 9-10-0 (3-9-0 LEC), while the Spartans slip to 10-11-0 (6-8-0 LEC).
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 3, VTSU Castleton 2
- Plymouth State (9-10-0, 3-9-0 LEC)
- VTSU Castleton (10-11-0, 6-8-0 LEC)
How it Happened:
- Robbins opened the scoring 2:50 into the contest when she stole a pass in the offensive zone and beat the Castleton goalie stick side from the high slot.
- The Spartans pulled even at the 8:18 mark after finishing a 2-on-1 break, and the score remained 1-1 into intermission.
- Porrello won the opening faceoff and found Warnock at the blue line, who skated through the defense and went top shelf to put the Panthers back in front, 2-1.
- Castleton answered late in the period when a shot from the left circle snuck through to make it 2-2 heading into the third.
- Plymouth State cashed in on a power-play chance early in the third when Porrello redirected Robbins' shot from the left circle.
- PSU's defense made the one-goal margin hold, as the Panthers killed off a penalty, blocked four shots, and junior Karlee Lehner (Prince Albert, Saskatchewan) made five saves to seal the win.
By the Numbers:
- Porrello, Robbins and Warnock each recorded a goal and an assist.
- With her goal, Porrello moved into a tie for third with 18 career tallies. Her 50 career points are six shy of the program record.
- Lehner finished with 23 saves.
- Plymouth State owned a 35-25 shot advantage.
- The Panthers went 1-for-4 on the power play, while holding Castleton to 0-for-4.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State hosts New England College for a weekend series starting Friday (Feb. 6) at 6 p.m.
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