The women’s Division III schedule was chock-full this past weekend, and with less than a month left in the regular season, every game matters at this point.
Still, even with the action from this weekend, don’t expect Monday’s USCHO.com Division III Women’s Poll to change much, save for a possible tweak in spots 8-10.
All of the country’s 10 ranked teams were in action, including top-ranked Plattsburgh on the road at Oswego.
The Cardinals blanked the Lakers in two straight, 7-0 and 5-0. In the opener Saturday night, Melissa Sheeran scored two goals and Camille Leonard earned the 14-save shutout. Sunday afternoon, Sheeran and Melissa Ames notched two goals apiece and Leonard pitched an 11-save shutout to gain her NCAA-best 11th shutout in just 16 games.
No. 2 Elmira swept Chatham by identical 4-1 scores Friday and Saturday. Olivia Nystrom had two goals and an assist in the first game, while Kelcey Crawford made 13 saves. Saturday, Meghan Fonfara posted two goals and a helper and Maddie Evangelous popped two goals. Kyle Nelson finished with nine saves.
Third-ranked Adrian again won the battle of Michigan with Finlandia, taking an 11-0 win Friday and then a 15-2 victory on Saturday. On Friday, Kristin Lewicki and Michelle Jones posted hat tricks, Brooke Lupi two goals and an assist, Kaylyn Schroka a goal and three assists, and Logan Taylor four assists. Jade Walsh stopped all nine shots as the Bulldogs outshot the Lions 81-9. The Saturday rout saw Adrian outshoot Finlandia 75-18, as Brooke Gibson made 16 saves for the win in net. Sarah Shureb had a hat trick, Schroka three goals plus a helper, Audrey Noles and Lexie Tzafaroglou two goals each, Lupi and Lewicki a goal and three assists each, and Kristi Zink four assists.
St. Thomas entered the weekend at No. 4 and took both ends of the home-and-home series with St. Catherine with 2-1 scores each game. In Friday’s win, Mackenzie Torpy made 20 saves and Allison Borgstrom and Leah Schwartzman scored. Saturday’s victory had Kaylee Druk and Megan Juricko scoring and Torpy making 24 saves to stay unbeaten on the year at 13-0-1.
No. 5 Lake Forest swept Concordia (Wis.) at home. Michelle Greeneway scored two goals and added an assist and Kayla Griffith recorded a goal and two assists in Friday’s 5-2 win that also saw Allie Carter stop 14 shots in goal. In the finale, Concordia scored the game’s first and last goals, but Lake Forest scored the four in between to take the 4-2 win. Olivia Spellmire scored twice and Greeneway scored again to add to her nation-best 26 goals. Jacqueline Audet stopped 12 shots for her second win of the season.
Sixth-ranked Amherst took four points from Colby, winning 4-1 Friday and 3-1 Saturday. Four different players scored for the Lord Jeffs and Bailey Plaman stopped 22 shots Friday, while Alex Toupal had a goal and an assist and Sabrina Dobbins fashioned a 24-save outing in Saturday’s win.
Middlebury will stay No. 7 after winning both from Bowdoin, 2-0 Friday on Maddie Winslow’s two goals (and Jessica Young’s two assists) and Julie Neuburger’s 13-save shutout. The finale saw Young score two, Winslow pick up a goal and an assist, Janka Hlinka two assists, and Marisa Dreher make 12 saves in goal.
At No. 8, Wisconsin-River Falls split with Wisconsin-Stevens Point. The Falcons won 4-3 Friday as Chloe Kinsel snapped a 3-3 tie at 19:32 of the third period after Ali Biagini tied the game for UWSP at 18:53. Saturday, Cara Lemirande’s goal 12:09 into the second stood as the winner as the Pointers took a 2-1 win. Sydney Conley made 30 saves in goal for Stevens Point.
Castleton may not occupy No. 9 any longer, especially after an 8-0 drubbing against St. Anselm on Friday. Alex Starzyk scored four goals for St. Anselm, while Ashley Moran scored two goals and Sara McNamara and Alison Butler had a goal and an assist. Martha Findley added three assists and Hannah Synnott stopped all 14 shots fired her way. Saturday, the Spartans had to go to overtime with Massachusetts-Boston, but came away with a 2-1 win on Aimee Briand’s winner 34 seconds into extra time. Jess Cameron made 36 saves in the win.
No. 10 Norwich shut out St. Michael’s 5-0 Friday and Nichols 6-0 on Saturday. Madison Gallagher scored twice Friday and Laurie King picked up the goose egg in net with 11 saves. Celeste Robert made all eight saves Saturday and Bryn Labbe went for four goals and an assist for the Cadets. Rachel Bellio and Adelle Murphy each had a goal and an assist to boot.
In a unique stat, all the games last weekend that went to overtime came away with winners. Besides Briand scoring for Castleton, other heroes were Melissa Boudreau for University of New England Friday (beat Nichols 2-1), St. Norbert’s Jillian Kosteck Friday (beat St. Scholastica 3-2), and Brede Postier for Hamline (beat St. Mary’s 2-1 Saturday).
