In the final game of the 2017-18 season, Plattsburgh State goaltender Kassi Abbott put together a performance that landed her in the record books. She made 47 saves against Hamline University, setting the program record for saves in a single game.
While that might be cause for celebration, the performance did not come in the game or with the result Abbott was hoping for. Plattsburgh was playing in the third-place game — the first time it hadn’t been in the championship game since 2013 — and ended up losing to Hamline, 5-4 in overtime.
Abbott (Medford, Mass.) made sure the failures of the end of the 2018 season — missing the championship game and losing the final game — did not repeat themselves in 2019. Plattsburgh won its final 18 games of the season, including a 4-0 victory over Hamline in the championship game.
“This has probably been the best season that I’ve had at Plattsburgh,” she said, “because of my teammates and the coaches.”
Abbott knew nothing but success after her first two seasons at Plattsburgh. Both teams her freshman and sophomore seasons won the national championship.
As a junior, she appeared in 17 games, playing a team-high 1,028 minutes in goal. She was a second-team All-NEWHL selection thanks to finishing in the top seven in the nation in winning percentage (second, .853), goals-against average (fifth, 1.17), save percentage (seventh, .950) and shutouts (tied for seventh, seven).
Despite the individual success, however, she was not pleased with the loss to Hamline, and she used that as motivation in preparation for her senior season.
“In the offseason I spent a lot of time preparing mentally more than physically,” she said. “Mental toughness is something you have to have 110 percent of because you never know what’s going to come for you next.
“Something I did was I read a couple books on mental toughness,” she added. “Some (books) were just for the goaltending position. I would sit down and watch a clock for 60 seconds and watch the timer go around to be prepared with my eyes. I would keep a notebook I would write in daily about the thoughts I had about the season, the upcoming season. Any negative thoughts, I’d write them down so they wouldn’t fester. It’s nice and simple.”
The new season brought about a lot of responsibility for Abbott. Not only did she want to change the ending of the previous season, but also she was a leader on the defense and had to help bring along a very young roster. The 2019 roster included nine freshmen, including two defenders and one goalie, as opposed to the five seniors, including Abbott.
It was a role she welcomed with open arms. “Definitely one of the roles I wanted to take on was to be in a fun atmosphere,” she said. “That’s what hockey is about. You have to have fun every day. I wanted to make the younger kids feel comfortable and welcome. If you’re not comfortable in the space you’re in, you’re not going to perform well. I wanted to make sure everyone was comfortable, especially the freshmen. I knew they were going to be a big part of our team this season. That was definitely one of the roles I wanted to take on.”
Freshman defender Hanna Rose said that not only did Abbott succeed in being welcoming, her stellar play between the pipes also made everyone feel more at ease.
“Having her always at her best level allowed the defense to step up and allow us to make the plays we needed to,” Rose said. “The forwards backchecked. We really executed playing defense first, and that’s what wins games. Kassi would come up big in penalty kills. Having Kassi there would give everyone the confidence to play how everyone should play.
“She comes up big,” Rose added. “If there’s a breakaway or a situation the defense can’t cover, she’s there. She’s the start. She’s at the top and everything else comes down.”
Plattsburgh started the season with five consecutive victories and the defense was particularly strong, as each win was a shutout.
Abbott started each game, including a 32-save effort in a 2-0 victory over Norwich, which was ranked second in the nation and the defending national champion.
“When we finally played Norwich, it really showed our abilities,” Rose said. “It showed our opponents we were ready, but it kept us confident moving forward. When you play so well, the love of the game comes into play, and you have fun. I personally think it moved us forward in the best direction.”
The season continued to be memorable for Abbott.
She was named to the NCAA All-Tournament Team and second-team All-USCHO. She was featured in Sports Illustrated’s “Faces in the Crowd.” She finished her career as the NCAA Division 3 all-time save percentage leader (.950) and set the program’s career save percentage record.
For the 2018-19 year specifically, Abbott’s 1,758 minutes played (all but nearly 102 minutes) set a single-season program record. Her .935 goalie winning percentage was the best among goalies who won more than five games on the season. She led the nation in save percentage (.956) and goals-against average (.785).
Abbott also was first in the nation in shutouts with 14. Two of those came with championships on the line. She made 22 saves in the 5-0 NEWHL championship victory over Cortland and made 29 saves in the NCAA championship game against Hamline, a 4-0 victory.
With the team’s goal complete, Abbott couldn’t help but reflect on how surreal the end of her collegiate career was.
“I was in disbelief in the last six minutes,” she said. “Coach called a timeout with 1:30 left in the game. We were in our zone for five minutes. I was talking to my goalie partner and saying, ‘I can’t believe we’re going to do this.’ Once the buzzer hit, I couldn’t believe it. It’s honestly the best way to end a career, exactly how we ended.”
