PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Despite a record-breaking performance from goaltender Alise Riedel, the No. 6-ranked St. Thomas women’s hockey team was eliminated from national championship contention after losing 1-0 in overtime to No.1-ranked Plattsburgh State Friday in Plattsburgh, N.Y.

The Tommies (20-6-3) took three penalties in overtime, including forward Lauren Mumm’s tripping penalty, which led to Plattsburgh’s game-winning power play goal from defender Allison Era. Coach Tom Palkowksi said both teams played a great game, and he’s proud of his team.

“One heck of a hockey game,” Palkowksi said. “Both teams played hard, and they had a little better on the offensive play, but from a defensive aspect, we did what we wanted. When we counter punched, we had some chances, and obviously their kid’s awfully tough in the net too.

Palkowski credited goalie performances on both sides of the ice.

“The game showed why the two goalies were the two All-Americans from the East and West,” Palkowski said. “I’m awful proud of my kids.”

With that goal being the only blemish, goaltender Alise Riedel was the Tommies’ backbone during the game. Riedel stopped 63 of 64 shots, setting an NCAA record for most saves in a playoff game. Riedel said her teammates helped her out through the whole game.

“I have a team in front of me that really helps out,” Riedel said. “There were a couple times my (defense) ended up playing goalie a little bit. It felt good; it felt like a I had a good team in front of me. I practice all year to stop pucks, I take hundreds a day, so 60 doesn’t seem like that many after knowing that.”

A defensive showcase was anticipated with All-American goalies in net for both the Cardinals and Tommies. Riedel came into the game with a 1.25 goals against average and .949 save percentage. Plattsburgh’s goaltender and D-III Player-of-the-Year, Sydney Aveson, sported a 20-1-1 record, 0.54 goals against average and a .971 save percentage before this game.

From the game’s outset, the Cardinals came out firing, with most shots coming from outside the slot. The Tommies responded on the counterattack and used odd-man rushes to generate most of their chances. Defender Megan Juricko moved the puck well for the St. Thomas throughout the game and said the forwards were finding weak spots in the Cardinal defense on the rush.

“We were finding openings, and we had Alise behind us making great stops. So they’d have a lot of their girls down there, and it opened up the ice,” Juricko said.

After the first period, Plattsburgh outshot St. Thomas 19-5, with most of the Tommies’ shots getting blocked by Cardinal defenders. As the game moved forward though, St. Thomas got the puck deeper in the Plattsburgh zone by working it through the neutral zone and stretching the Cardinal defense with long passes.

St. Thomas had multiple chances in the second and third periods, including a power play nearly three minutes into the second. But St. Thomas squandered the advantage when Jenny Saxon took a penalty just 35 seconds into the power play. With twenty seconds left in regulation, the Tommies had a two-on-one break, but a Cardinal defender was able to break up the play.

Just more than a minute into overtime, St. Thomas forward Christina Rozeske took a tripping penalty, but the Tommies survived that. The Tommies were assessed two more penalties in overtime, a rarity for a team that had taken the seventh fewest penalty minutes in the nation before this game. Palkowski said his team shouldn’t have been penalized that many times in overtime.

“I don’t think a team should ever get three, unless there’s some obvious, blatant stuff; but they call the game, and we play,” Palkowski said. “We had chances to end it earlier, and we take care of business, and it doesn’t get to that point.”

St. Thomas killed its first two penalties in overtime, but with just under five minutes to play in overtime, defender Andrea Ziesmann got the puck on the lower right faceoff circle, then dished it to defender Allison Era, who was waiting at the point. Era unloaded a slap shot that just missed a couple players in front of the net and scored top shelf, stick side.

This loss ended nine seniors’ dreams of becoming national champions. Palkowski said this class of Tommies changed the foundation of Tommie hockey.

“They’ve taken Tommie hockey to a new level on the ice, off the ice, in the classroom,” Palkowski said. “I’m just glad we got one more game with them. They’re going to be greatly missed, tough to replace, but I’m just so glad the way they lead by example.”

St. Thomas faces Wis.-River Falls. at 2:30 p.m. CDT Saturday in the consolation final. This will be St. Thomas’ third game against River Falls this season. The Tommies lost to the Falcons 9-3 on Nov. 9 and defeated the Falcons 2-1 on Jan. 29. The national championship game is scheduled to be played at 6 p.m. CDT between Norwich and Plattsburgh State.

Jesse Krull can be reached at krul7386@stthomas.edu.