PLATTSBURGH, N.Y.– Graduate student forward Elena Eichmann (Rochester/Syracuse Nationals 19UAAA) scored 2:33 into overtime as the nationally ninth-ranked Cortland women's ice hockey team defeated host and fourth-ranked Plattsburgh, 2-1, to win the 2024 State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) tournament championship game.
 
Cortland (20-5-2), the second seed, won the title in the SUNYAC's inaugural year sponsoring women's hockey and has earned an automatic bid into the 11-team NCAA Division III playoffs. The Red Dragons will be making their first-ever NCAA tournament appearance. The NCAA field will be announced Sunday at 8:30 p.m. on NCAA.com and first-round action begins on Wednesday.
 
Cortland tied the school record with its 20th win of the season, matching the mark of last year's 20-7 Red Dragon squad. Plattsburgh (22-4-1), the tournament's top seed, will await a possible NCAA at-large berth. The Cardinals had their streak of 10 straight conference titles snapped; Plattsburgh won five ECAC West crowns from 2013-17 and five Northeast Women's Hockey League (NEWHL) crowns from 2018-20 and 2022-23. Three of those NEWHL championship-game wins came at home versus Cortland (2-0 last year, 4-3 in overtime in 2022 and 5-0 in 2019).
 
Cortland junior goalie Molly Goergen (Eden Prairie, MN/Eden Prairie H.S.) was named the SUNYAC Tournament MVP after stopping 26 of 27 shots on goal, including some point-blank saves in the third period. She was joined on the all-tournament team by Eichmann and graduate student forward Dany Donegan (Cicero/Syracuse Nationals 19UAAA). Donegan assisted on both goals to improve her career totals to 33 goals and 68 assists for 101 points, making her just the second Red Dragon to reach the career 100-point mark.
 
Plattsburgh was represented on the all-tournament team by goalie Lilla Nease, who finished with 19 saves, along with defenseman Kendall Wasik and forward Julia Masotta.
 
After a scoreless first period, Plattsburgh took the lead on a power-play goal from Mae Olshansky, assisted by Ciara Wall and Masotta, with 9:47 left in the second. Cortland answered about three and a half minutes later on its own power-play tally when junior forward Mia Hlasnick (Olean/Niagara Jr. Purple Eagles U19) controlled a deflected puck and buried a shot from just inside the left faceoff circle. Donegan and sophomore defenseman Kayla Persinger (Lewiston/Newark Ironbound 19UAAA) earned assists on the play.
 
Cortland's overtime game winner came on the only shot on goal by either team during the extra session. Donegan won a faceoff to Nease's left, with the puck trickling just a few feet in front of her. Eichmann swooped in and deposited a shot that found its way through Nease and into the left side of the net to set off a Red Dragon celebration.

Score by periods:
Cortland                    0-1-0-1       2
Plattsburgh                0-1-0-0      1

Scoring Summary (Goals-Assists):
Cortland: Mia Hlasnick 1-0, Elena Eichmann 1-0, Dany Donegan 0-2, Kayla Persinger 0-1
Plattsburgh: Mae Olshansky 1-0, Ciara Wall 0-1, Julia Masotta 0-1

Saves: Molly Goergen (Cortland) 26 saves (1 GA in 62:33); Lilla Nease (Plattsburgh) 19 saves (2 GA in 62:33)

Shots on goal: Plattsburgh 27 (7-12-8-0), Cortland 21 (8-10-2-1)
Penalties: Plattsburgh 2-4:00, Cortland 1-2:00
Power Play: Plattsburgh 1-1, Cortland 1-2

Records after game: Cortland (Red Dragons) 20-5-2 (ranked 9th in Div. III), Plattsburgh (Cardinals) 22-4-1 (ranked 4th in Div. III)