Women’s Division I College Hockey: Weekend Wrap February 26, 2024

(1) Ohio State at (2) Wisconsin

The top two teams in the country did not disappoint as they split their weekend series, both coming from behind to overcome a slow start and take down their opponent. Read my full game recap of Ohio State’s 3-1 on Friday and my full recap of Wisconsin’s 4-2 win on Saturday. 

(8) Minnesota Duluth at (5) Minnesota

The two teams showed they could not be more even on Friday night as they each put 27 shots on goal and could not find a winner after 65 minutes of play. Minnesota had more shots on goal to start the game, but UMD took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission thanks to a snipe from Clara Van Wieren. The Gophers equalized near the midpoint of the game when Abbey Murphy snapped the UMD penalty kill streak at 19 straight with an extra-attacker goal. It was her nation-leading 30th goal of the season and 50th point. Minnesota also took the additional conference point by winning the shootout as Ella Huber was the only player to score in the six tries. On Saturday,  the Gophers took a 2-0 lead into the final frame thanks to a power play goal from Madison Kaiser and a quick shot from Payton Hemp. Manon McMahon cut the lead in half just more than a minute into the third and UMD ramped up the pressure as the period progressed, but Emma Kreisz scored the Gophers’ third power play goal of the weekend to extend the lead to 3-1. The Bulldogs closed the gap one more time with 1:15 to go thanks to a goal from Mary Kate O’Brien, but Murphy’s empty-netter secured the 4-2 win for Minnesota. 

(10) St. Cloud State at Bemidji State

Freshman Greta Henderson tallied a hat trick while Katie Kaufman and Emma Gentry each added a goal and an assist to lead the Huskies to a 5-1 win on Friday. Shelby Breiland was the goal-scorer for the Beavers. On Saturday, Sofianna Sundelin scored late in the first first, but Bemidji State opened the second with goals from Talya Hendrickson and Olivia Dronen to take a 2-1 lead. SCSU regained the lead with two goals in the waning minutes of the second from Taylor Larson and Gentry. In the third, Annick, Gentry and Kaufman each scored as St. Cloud State took a 6-2 win and the weekend sweep. Grace Bowlby also had three assists in the win.

(11) Connecticut vs. Boston University

Connecticut earned their first-ever Hockey East regular season title with a 4-0 win on Friday. Kyla Josifovic, Brianna Ware, Jada Habisch and Megan Woodworth each scored in the win. On Saturday, Camryn Wong’s power play goal was the only tally as the Huskies took a 1-0 win and weekend sweep.

Vermont vs. (12) Northeastern

Jessie McPherson made 29 saves while Lily Humphrey scored on the power play and Kaylee Lewis added an empty-netter to give Vermont a 2-0 victory on Friday. On Saturday, the teams were scoreless until midway through the third when Megan Carter scored on the power play to put Northeastern up 1-0. But Humphrey scored her second of the weekend, also on the player advantage, to tie the game and force overtime. The extra frame wasn’t enough to find a winner. In the shootout, Krista Parkkonen scored the only goal to give Vermont the win and extra point.

CHA Tournament

RIT vs. (15) Penn State

Mya Vaslet and Maggie MacEachern each scored in the second for Penn State to give them a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Lindsay Maloney scored in the final minute of regulation, but RIT ran out of time and the Nittany Lions took a 2-1 win. On Saturday, Tessa Janecke became the fastest skater in program history to 100 career points when she scored what would serve as the game winner to open the game. Julie Gough, Lyndie Lobdell and Maddie Christian also added goals to lead Penn State to the 4-0 win and sweep, which sends them to the CHA title game. 

Robert Morris vs. Mercyhurst

The Colonials came out firing on Friday, rocketing past Mercyhurst with a 5-0 win. Shailynn Snow, Jersey Phillips, Courtney Hall, Alaina Giampietro and Laura Eustace each scored for Robert Morris in the win. In the second game, Mercyhurst took a 2-0 lead in the first with goals from Thea Johansson and Sara Boucher, but RMU pushed back in the second, tying it on goals from Giampietro and Lindsey Smolen. Vanessa Upson put her team ahead for good midway through the third and she and Johansson each added empty netters to give their team a 5-2 win. The Lakers did not leave anything up for discussion in the deciding game, earning a 6-1 win thanks to two goals from Chantal Ste-Croix. Kylee Mahoney, Sofia Nuutinen, Johansson, Snow and Upson all scored in the victory. Mercyhurst will face Penn State for the CHA Championship. 

NEWHA Tournament

Franklin Pierce vs. Sacred Heart

In game one, Sacred Heart outshot the Ravens 39-25, but Jill Hertl made 38 saves while Anna Caumo, Claire Casey and Emilie Prive each scored to lift Franklin Pierce over the home team. Paige McNeil scored for Sacred Heart in the 3-1 loss. The Ravens won the series on Saturday thanks to Grace Schuck’s goal in the final minute of the first. Caumo added an insurance goal late to give Franklin Pierce the 2-0 win. 

Assumption vs. Stonehill

Bailey Feeney’s goal midway through the game on Friday had Stonehill up 1-0, but an active third period tested the Skyhawks. Lily Geist extended the lead to 2-0 42 seconds into the frame, but Assumption immediately pushed back. Sheridan Terrazzano scored 36 seconds later to cut the lead in half and then Teagan Vaughan added a power play tally three minutes later to tie the game 2-2. Alexis Petford won the game for Stonehill with a power play tally of her own to give her team the 3-2 victory. Maddison Achtyl and Petford scored in the first and that was enough to power Stonehill to the win and weekend sweep. Ava McGaffigan got a power play goal for Assumption in the second, but Feeney’s empty-netter ensured the 3-1 win. 

Post vs. Saint Anselm

The Hawks eked out a 2-1 win in the first game thanks to a goal in the final minute by Abigail Blair. Brooklyn Schneiderhan had Saint Anselm up 1-0, but Post responded with a power play goal by Macy Peterson in the second to tie it 1-1. In the second game, Tristan Currie and Tymmarie Grom scored for Post and Hannah Saunders made a staggering 62 saves to power Post to the 2-1 win. The Hawks found their scoring in the final game with a 6-1 win that sent them to the NEWHA semifinals where they’ll face Stonehill. Saint Anselm put 163 shots on net in the three game series. 

St. Michael’s vs LIU

Ryane Kearns had LIU up 1-0 early, but Mikaela Langbacka responded quickly for St. Michael’s to tie the game 1-1. Late in the second, Ashley Morrow and Jeannie Wallner scored 2 minutes, 23 seconds apart to push LIU ahead 3-2. Alizée LeBlanc cut the lead to 3-2 midway through the third, but St. Michael’s couldn’t find the equalizer and LIU took the win. On Saturday, Jeannie Wallner scored twice and Mary Rachel Lenaeus also lit the lamp to carry LIU to a 3-0 win that sent them to the NEWHA semifinals, where they’ll face Franklin Pierce.

ECAC Tournament

Union at (14) Yale

Anna Bargman and Naomi Boucher each scored twice and Elle Hartje broke the Yale record for career points with an assist on the first goal while also scoring herself later in the game as the Bulldogs took a 5-2 win to advance to the quarterfinals. Meredith Killian and Maddie Keaney scored for Union in the loss. Yale will travel to St. Lawrence to face the Saints in the conference quarterfinals.

Dartmouth at (13) Princeton

Sarah Fillier netted her third hat trick of the season to power Princeton past Dartmouth in a 5-1 win. Sarah Paul and Emma Kee each scored for the Tigers in the win, as well. Hamilton Doster scored for the Big Green. Princeton will face Clarkson in a best of three series next weekend. 

Harvard at (9) Quinnipiac

Alexa Hoskin had two goals and an assist, Kahlen Lamarche had a goal and two assists, Zoe Uens had three assists and Madison Chantler had two goals to lead the Bobcats to a decisive 9-0 win over Harvard. They will face Cornell in the ECAC quarterfinals. 

RPI at Brown

A hard-fought and close game was decided nearly ten minutes into overtime when Jess Ciarrocchi’s goal gave Brown the 1-0 win. The goal was reviewed and eventually called good, sending the Bears to the tournament quarterfinals where they’ll face Colgate.