Courtesy Plattsburgh Sports Information

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The top ranked Plattsburgh State women’s hockey team opened the 2016 part of their season with a home contest against No. 7 Middlebury, defeating the Panthers by a 3-0 margin.

It wouldn’t be till the opening minute of the second period that the Cardinals would break the scoreless tie. Melissa Sheeran would convert on a rebound of an initial Erin Brand slap shot from the point to give Plattsburgh State a 1-0 advantage.

Brand would be on the receiving end of another primary assist to give Plattsburgh State a 2-0 edge at 11:27 in the second period. The Long Beach, N.Y. native would again take a slap shot from the point that bounced off Panthers goaltender Julia Neuburger over her shoulder and into the crease where Kayla Meneghin was able to smack the puck into the net before Neuburger could recover.

Meneghin would score her second of the game coming via the empty netter with 10 seconds left in regulation after Giovanna Senese’s shot clunked off the post bouncing right to Meneghin for the 3-0 victory.

Cardinals’ goaltender Camille Leonard finished with a 16 save shutout for her seventh clean sheet of the season to lead all of Division III in that category. Neuburger corralled 28 saves on 30 shots for the Panthers.

However, the bigger story of the night was head coach of the Cardinals, Kevin Houle, earning his 300th win in his 13th season at the helm of the Plattsburgh State women’s hockey team. Houle owns a .854 win percentage going 300-42-22 over that span.

Plattsburgh State remains unbeaten with a perfect 13-0-0 record while Middlebury drops to 5-3-3.

The Cardinals will return to the Stafford Ice Arena on Friday at 7 p.m. for the first of a two game series with ECAC West foe William Smith. The Panthers host Utica Friday afternoon at Kenyon Arena.