Celebration, Parade Set to Honor Fourth Straight National Championship for Women's Hockey

March 24, 2017

SUNY Plattsburgh is holding a special celebration and parade on Sunday, April 9 to honor the women's hockey team's fourth straight national championship

A celebration and ceremony is set for the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena at the Field House beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Ahead of the inside event, pending approval by the Plattsburgh City Common Council, will be a parade beginning at 4:30 p.m. and starting in the parking lot of Kehoe Administration Building. The parade will proceed west on Ruger Street, past residence halls and Plattsburgh High School, and turn left at the intersection with Adirondack Lane. Vehicles and participants would then go right at Bowman Lane and conclude at the Field House.

SUNY Plattsburgh's women's ice hockey team captured its fourth straight NCAA Division III national championship with a 4-3 win over Adrian College on Saturday, Mar. 18. Senior Erin Brand scored the winning goal a little over 10 minutes into overtime -- just the second title game to go beyond regulation.

The Cardinals ended the season with a record of 28-1-1, winning their last 22 games and gaining their sixth overall national title.

The championship-game turned in the final minute of regulation. With the Cardinals skating short handed and with senior Camille Leonard on her way to the bench for an extra attacker, senior Julia Duquette picked up the puck in the neutral zone and skated past a Bulldog defender before wristing a shot into the right side with 21.7 seconds remaining to tie the game at 3-3.

That set the stage for sudden-victory overtime. SUNY Plattsburgh had 11 shots compared to Adrian's five in the extra session. Junior Megan Crandell was on the top of the right circle and fed cross ice to Brand, who deked past a defender before firing a shot through Adrian goalie Brooke Gibson's legs for the winner.

The team was welcomed back to campus from Michigan on the Sunday evening following the win at the Field House, with the bus arriving outside the front of the building.