Video Highlights by Tanner Acebo, NU Sports Information

NORTHFIELD, Vt. – Freshman Erin Joyce (Manchester, N.H.) scored with 25 seconds left to help the Norwich University women's ice hockey team salvage a 1-1 tie with top-ranked and defending NCAA Division III National Champion Plattsburgh State on Sunday night at Kreitzberg Arena.

With an extra attacker on the ice, NU won a faceoff back to Taylor Cross (Saugus, Mass.) at the blue line. Cross fired the puck over to the other point to Kaycie Anderson (Maple Plain, Minn.), who let go a slap shot that bounced off traffic in front of the net. Joyce was the first to find the puck off the scramble and she shoveled it into the net from the right side of the crease to send the home crowd into a frenzy.

The goal was Joyce's first of her career and it couldn't have come at a better time to help the Cadets (0-1-1, 0-0-0 ECAC East) begin to the ease the pain of four straight losses to their Lake Champlain rivals, including in last year's National Championship.

Norwich sophomore goalie Celeste Robert (Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec) was magnificent, facing the toughest opponent of her young career, stopping 29 shots, including a penalty shot to keep the Cadets in the game.

Robert denied Plattsburgh freshman Kayla Meneghin on a penalty shot in the second period with a swift poke check to knock the puck off the Cardinal rookie's stick and deny the bid. Earlier in the second period she made an incredible post-to-post pad save to rob Plattsburgh's Melissa Sheeran at point-blank range and keep it a one-goal game.

Plattsburgh (1-0-1, 0-0-0 ECAC West) took the lead at the 13:56 mark of the first period when Jordan Lipson notched her second goal of the year on a rebound in front of the net. Lipson slipped the puck past Robert on the weak side after Melissa Ames got a stick on the puck to pick up the assist.

Plattsburgh held the lead for nearly the entire rest of the game before Joyce's heroics helped Norwich salvage a point. Plattsburgh outshot Norwich 30-22.

Plattsburgh extended its unbeaten streak against Norwich to six straight. The Cardinals are 4-0-2 over the last six games, including three wins last season. Norwich's last win over Plattsburgh came on Feb. 8, 2012 at Plattsburgh in a wild 8-7 affair.

Robert and Joyce represented Norwich on the East/West Hockey Classic All-Tournament squad. Plattsburgh's Lipson and Shannon Stewart also were named to the squad. Elmira's Ashton Hogan was named the Tournament MVP after scoring two goals and two assists to help the Soaring Eagles to a 6-0 win over Manhattanville and a 3-2 win over Norwich on the weekend. Elmira's Cassidy Delainey and Phoebe Piku rounded out the All-Tournament selections.

Norwich will look for its first victory of 2014-15 on Friday, Nov. 7 when it hosts the University of New England at 4 p.m. at Kreitzberg Arena. It will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools as UNE is a new member to the ECAC East this season.

-CADETS-