Release and photo courtesy of Elmira College Athletics Communications. 

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – A 40-save effort from first-year goaltender Sara Sevcikova propelled the Elmira College women's hockey team to a 1-0 victory against No. 6 Plattsburgh State on Saturday in the First Round of the NCAA Division III Women's Ice Hockey Championship.

With the win, the Soaring Eagles snapped a four-game losing streak against the Cardinals and notched its first win in the NCAA Tournament against Plattsburgh State since a 3-2 double overtime triumph in the 2017-18 Semifinals.

JUST THE BASICS:
SCORE: Elmira 1, No. 6 Plattsburgh State 0
LOCATION: Plattsburgh, New York | Stafford Ice Arena
TEAM RECORDS: Elmira (21-7-1), No. 6 Plattsburgh State (20-7-1)

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Cardinals applied pressure from the opening drop of the puck, as Plattsburgh recorded the first seven shots on goal, with Elmira goaltender Sara Sevcikova standing up to the test each time.
• Plattsburgh followed with the first power-play opportunity of the game at the 11:14 mark but would be unable to find the back of the net.
• Elmira looked to string together some offense with its first power-play of the contest at the 13:25 mark of the first period.
• Senior Erika Goleniak found herself open in the slot to the blocker side of Cardinals' goaltender Chloe Lewis and powered a shot past her to give the Soaring Eagles a 1-0 lead at the 13:57 mark.
• The power-play goal for Elmira was only the fourth such goal allowed by the Cardinals in 72 short-handed situations this season. The goal with the extra skater was Goleniak's team-leading sixth this season for the Purple & Gold.
• Elmira killed off a pair of short-handed situations in the second period as Sevcikova recorded 29 saves through 40 minutes of action between the pipes for the Soaring Eagles.
• The Cardinals had two power-play opportunities in the third period and created several good scoring chances but could not get the puck past Sevcikova. Elmira also had a chance on the power play as the Soaring Eagles sought an insurance goal.
• Plattsburgh would pull its goalie for the extra skater for the final 58 seconds of the contest, and, despite a flurry of closes, chances would be denied again by the Soaring Eagles.
• In goal for Elmira, Sevcikova recorded her second consecutive shutout and seventh of the season, stopping 40 shots for the Purple & Gold. Defensively, the Soaring Eagles did what they had to do to clog the shooting lanes for the Cardinals, as Elmira recorded 16 blocked shots.

UP NEXT: The Soaring Eagles will travel to River Falls, Wisconsin, on Saturday, March 22, for a rematch of the 2024 NCAA Division III Women's Ice Hockey Championship. The quarterfinal contest between the Soaring Eagles and the Falcons is set for 3:00 p.m. Central (4:00 p.m. Eastern) at Hunt Arena.