No fancy intro this week, just need to get right to the recaps for the start of the Division III women’s conference playoffs that started this past weekend.
One word, though: overtime.
Colonial Hockey
Just two quarterfinal games went down Saturday, and both were shutouts.
Morrisville downed Johnson and Wales 7-0 (and outshot J and W 55-9 in the process) and in a closer game, Becker beat Canton 1-0.
In the Morrisville game, Stephanie Strymecki posted a hat trick and Kahnekaró:roks McComber added a pair of goals. Renee Schmaltz and Taylor Pincheon shared the nine-save shutout.
Brittany Aiello’s power-play goal at 16:25 of the third period stood as the winner for Becker. Madison Rigsby was phenomenal in goal in making 43 saves.
Next Saturday for the semifinals, Becker plays at Stevenson and Morrisville travels to Endicott.
ECAC West
After Utica bounced Cortland 5-0 on Thursday, the second quarterfinal saw Oswego goalie Tori Trovato pitch a 32-save shutout over Buffalo State on Saturday afternoon.
Olivia Ellis posted two goals and an assist for the Lakers.
The semifinals next Saturday have Oswego at Plattsburgh and Utica at Elmira.
MIAC
The play-in game last Thursday saw Concordia (Minn.) eliminate St. Mary’s and the two semifinals Saturday had absolute drama.
First, St. Thomas beat Concordia, 2-1, and then Bethel defeated Augsburg 1-0 in overtime.
Courtney Umland scored both for St. Thomas and Mackenzie Torpy stopped 25 shots.
Bethel’s Hadley Cookson was the OT hero just 1:58 into the extra session. Both goalies were sharp as Michelle Klimstra made 33 saves for Bethel and Erika Allen turned aside 20 for the Auggies.
In the finals, Bethel plays at St. Thomas on Saturday.
NCHA
Adrian took care of business in sweeping St. Scholastica in two straight, but Lake Forest lost and tied to St. Norbert and will not play for the Slaats Cup.
The Bulldogs won 4-1 Saturday and 4-0 Sunday. Four different players scored Saturday and Jade Walsh made 19 saves. Sunday, Walsh stopped all 25 shots and Kristin Lewicki potted a pair of goals.
St. Norbert goalie Leigh Grall fashioned 21 saves in the 3-1 win Friday at Lake Forest and then the teams battled to a 0-0 tie Saturday. Sunday, Grall made 15 saves and Allie Carter 16 for Lake Forest.
Adrian will host the NCHA title game on Saturday.
NEHC
The four NEHC quarterfinal games all ended in shutouts and the top four seeds won each contest.
For Massachusetts-Boston, Jenny Currie popped the hat trick and Rachel Myette made 21 saves in a 4-0 over Manhattanville.
Emily Corrales scored twice for the University of New England and Sydney Helmbrecht made 27 saves before giving way to Samantha Scobee, who stopped the only shot she saw in the final 2:40, in 3-0 win over Salve Regina.
Jess Cameron made 14 saves in Castleton’s 3-0 win over Plymouth State, and Taylor Steadman recorded a pair of goals.
Sarah Schwenzfeier’s goal at 17:50 of the third period was the difference for Norwich in a 1-0 win over New England College. Celeste Robert made just 10 saves as the Cadets outshot NEC by a 56-10 margin.
Lindsey Powers was stellar in stopping 55 for NEC.
Friday, Mass.-Boston hosts Castleton and UNE will travel to Norwich in the semifinals.
NEHC Women’s Open
Holy Cross brought home the championship after a thrilling 4-3 overtime win over St. Anselm Sunday afternoon.
Elizabeth Scala was the hero 2:56 into the OT after Alison Butler scored all three for St. Anselm, including the tying goal at 9:52 of the third period.
Tessie Salatas stopped 24 shots in the win, while Hannah Synnott made 14 saves in suffering the defeat.
The consolation game saw Franklin Pierce goalie Shannon O’Neil nail down a 17-save shutout in a 6-0 win over St. Michael’s. Sarah Sheils and Karsyn Baker each scored two goals for Franklin Pierce.
The semifinals Saturday had Holy Cross beating St. Michael’s 9-2 and St. Anselm blanking Franklin Pierce 2-0.
NESCAC
Two NESCAC quarterfinals were decided in overtime Saturday.
First, Trinity toppled Williams 2-1 on a Shannon Farrell goal 8:23 into extra time and then Amherst knocked off Bowdoin 2-1 as Katelyn Pantera won it at 2:12 of overtime.
The other two quarters saw Connecticut College shut out Hamilton on a 23-save outing from Katherine Chester and two goals from Stephanie Izzi and then Middlebury edged Colby 4-3, as Middlebury took a 4-1 lead early in the third period and held on the rest of the way.
Maddie Winslow had two goals and a helper for Middlebury.
Trinity plays Middlebury Saturday and Connecticut College plays Amherst for the semis. Both games are at Middlebury.
WIAC
Both WIAC semifinal games on Saturday went to overtime to decide the series.
The first game had Wisconsin-Eau Claire and Wisconsin-River Falls skating to a 3-3 tie and then the late game saw Wisconsin-Stevens Point drop Wisconsin-Superior 2-1 as Emily Lester tallied at 4:18.
Stevens Point beat Superior 7-1 Friday on the strength of Ellie Punnett’s two goals and three assists.
River Falls advanced after the tie Saturday and a 4-1 win Friday. Dani Sibley went for two goals and an assist for the Falcons.
The WIAC championship is Saturday at UWRF.
