MANCHESTER, N.H. - The Saint Anselm women's ice hockey team hosted the Plattsburgh State University of New York Cardinals this evening in a non-conference game at Sullivan Arena.  The Cardinals, who sit atop the ECAC West standings with an undefeated conference record, picked up their 10th win of the season, skating to a 5-0 victory over the Hawks.  The win lifts the Cardinals to 10-1-1 (9-0-1 ECAC West), while the Hawks fall to 8-4-1 (6-2-1 ECAC East).

The Cardinals scored early and often, netting five goals in the first 26 minutes of the game.  The team opened the scoring at 1:33 in the first, when Kate Fairfield (Toronto, Ont.) knocked in her first goal of the season.  Midway through the first, Brittany Meade (Saranac Lake, N.Y.) drove the puck all the way down the ice from behind the blue line, netting an open shot from out front for a 2-0 lead.  Jordan Caldwell (Arvada, Colo.) tacked on a third goal for the Cardinals at 17:03.  Early in the second period, Helen Giroux (Chazy, N.Y.) and Teal Gove (Berwick, Ont.) each knocked in another for the Cardinals, running the score to 5-0.

At that point, sophomore goaltender Amy Zappen (Huntington Beach, Calif.) headed into the net for Saint Anselm, replacing starter Carley Berry (Danvers, Mass.).  Over the next 33 minutes, the Cardinals took 27 more shots, and Zappen stopped every one of them, to hold the Cardinals at five, but the Hawks' offense was unable to produce any sort of a comeback, as they fell to the Cardinals, 5-0.  Carley Berry made 11 saves and allowed all five goals, and Cardinal goalie Anne Loewen (Winnipeg, Man.) stopped 17 shots in the complete-game shutout.

The Hawks return to action tomorrow afternoon, when they host the Ephs of Williams College in their final non-conference game in January.  The game will be held at 3:00 pm in Sullivan Arena.