The third-ranked Middlebury women's ice hockey team made a statement on Sunday night, shutting out #6 Plattsburgh State 4-0 in the Cardinal/Panther Classic title tilt. With the win, Middlebury has now claimed back-to-back games against Plattsburgh State for the first time in 13 years. 

HIGHLIGHTS

• The Cardinals tested netminder Sophia Will immediately after the opening puck drop, firing six shots over 57 seconds. Will stood her ground, stopping each attempt to keep the game scoreless.
• Middlebury lit the lamp at the 12:07 mark. Raia Schluter forced a Cardinal turnover and sent a pass toward the left post. Britt Nawrocki poked the loose puck past goalie Chloe Lewis for the 1-0 edge.
• Plattsburgh State had a quality chance with 3:36 remaining in the first period. Kayson Ruegge fired a one-timer from the middle of the top left faceoff circle off a nifty spin-around pass from Emma Holmes. Will tracked the puck and snagged the rising chance with her glove.
• The Panthers added another tally less than a minute later. A Cardinal pass bounced off the skate of Olivia McManus to Maeve McAdams. Racing toward the Plattsburgh State defensive zone, McAdams tapped a pass to Kate Flynn, who finished lower right to make it 2-0.
• The home team cooked up a strong opportunity with 5:13 remaining in the second period. Adriana Urban sliced an attempt shaded just left of the goal that was knocked in front by Will. Tessa Morris tried her luck on a point-blank rebound, but Will deflected the bid aside.
• Middlebury scored its third goal with 14:13 elapsed. Alison Giebler fired a pass from just inside the blue line to Kylie Quinlan. A tap pass came to the stick of Olivia Gordon, allowing her to spin around and rifle a shot that tucked in the right post past goalie Ava Varecka for a 3-0 advantage. 
• The Panther defense rose to the occasion over the final six minutes and change of the period, not allowing a Cardinal shot on goal.
• Middlebury increased the lead to 4-0 with an extra skater at the 6:52 mark. Flynn sent a pass to McManus, who fired a screamer that was redirected by Cat Appleyard underneath the pads of Plattsburgh netminder Maddy Stetson. 
• The Cardinals looked for a power-play goal of its own with 11:01 remaining. Seoyoung Yoo sent a one-timer that bounced off the chest of Will and toward the right post, but the rebound was cleared away by Middlebury.
• Urban had the final chance to put the home team on the board at the 18:46 mark with a rising attempt that Will snagged to secure the 4-0 shutout.

NOTES

• Flynn earned her sixth multi-point game in a Panther uniform with her goal and assist in Sunday's victory.
• McManus handed out two assists for the second-consecutive game. 
• Will tallied 23 saves to earn her 11th career shutout.
• Flynn was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament while McManus and Will joined her on the all-tournament team.
• The squad claimed its fourth Panther/Cardinal Classic title.
• Middlebury and Plattsburgh State played for the 44th time. It is just the seventh instance that either side recorded a shutout. It is also the first time since the 2002-03 season that the squad beat the Cardinals by four goals. 

The Panthers return home for a midweek matchup against eighth-ranked Utica on Wednesday at 4:00 p.m.