(1) Wisconsin at (10) St. Cloud State
Emma Venusio’s goal less than two minutes into the game was the only action of the first, sending Wisconsin into the intermission up 1-0. A pair of goals from KK Harvey tripled the Badgers’ lead in the second before Avery Farrell got St. Cloud on the board making it 3-1. In the final frame, Claire Enright and Kirsten Simms each scored to secure a 5-1 win for UW. The second game featured three different ties and a winner could not be found until the seventh round of the shootout. Things got started with Laura Zimmerman’s tight-angle goal to give St. Cloud their first lead of the weekend. Charlotte Pieckenhagen completed a Badger breakaway to tie the game 1-1 late in the first. In the second, Maggie Scannell and Kirsten Simms each scored to put Wisconsin up 3-1, but Maria Mikaelyan completed a pretty play on the breakaway to cut the lead to 3-2. A major penalty was set to put Wisconsin on a long power play, but they took a minor themselves seconds into the advantage, leading to a 4-on-4 and Sydney Lamb took advantage, tying the game 3-3. Kelly Gorbatenko put Wisconsin up 4-3 with under six to play with a power play goal, but Mikaelyan responded less than two minutes later to tie the game again and force overtime. The Huskies had several opportunities late in the game and in the extra frame, but Ava McNaughton was strong in net as her defense struggled around her. The goalies stopped all eight shots in the first four rounds of the shootout and it was Laney Potter in the seventh round that earned Wisconsin an extra conference point, giving them five of six on the weekend.
Bemidji State at (2) Minnesota
The Gophers’ ability to break things wide open struck again on Friday. Bemidji State had scored just 14 seconds into the game to go up 1-0 thanks to Morgan Smith. Emma Kreisz responded a few minutes later to make it 1-1. That score carried the teams into the second where Sydney Morrow’s shorty put the Gophers up 2-1 at the midpoint. But the Beaver power play struck gold on a goal from Isa Goettl to make it 2-2 at the second intermission. Then the Gophers kicked it in gear, scoring four times in the final frame to pull away and make it a runaway win. Ava Thomas, Jamie Nelson, Josefin Bouveng (short-handed) and Abbey Murphy each added a goal in the final frame to make it a 6-2 Minnesota win. On Saturday, the Gophers were still amped and they hit the back of the net early and often. Goals from Kreisz, Chloe Primerano and Tereza Plosová had UM up 3-0 after one. Bella Fanale added a power play goal in the opening minutes of the second to extend the lead to 4-0. Bemidji responded with goals from Maddie Kaiser and Morgan Smith just more than a minute apart to cut into the lead and make it 4-2 with about half the game to play. Jamie Nelson made it 5-2 before the end of the second and in the final frame, the Gophers didn’t take their foot off the gas as Fanale Lindsay, Morrow and Sydney Bailey each scored in the opening nine minutes of the third to demoralize Bemidji and take a 9-2 win and weekend sweep.
Minnesota State at (3) Ohio State
Emma Peschel scored on the very first possession, 13 seconds in to the game on Friday, to put Ohio State up 1-0. Ava Guillemette responded for the Mavericks to tie the game about five minutes later. Sloane Matthews put OSU ahead 2-1 before the end of the first and then a goal 33 seconds into the second by Hilda Svensson helped the Buckeyes pull away. Svensson scored again midway through the frame and Sanni Vanhanen ended a goal before the second intermission to put Ohio State up 5-1. Kamryn Van Batavia scored on the power play in the third, but MSU couldn’t complete a comeback and Ohio State took the 5-2 win. On Saturday, Joy Dunne opened the scoring and the Mavericks responded with a goal from Makayla Moran to tie the game 1-1. That lasted just 37 seconds before Sara Swiderski found the back of the net to make it 2-1. The goals kept coming in bunches in the second as Emma Peschel and Jocelyn Amos scored 25 seconds apart in the opening three minutes and Maxine Cimoroni added a goal midway through the game to extend the lead to 5-1. Mankato came out with a big push in the third as Van Batavia scored 42 seconds into the frame and Lauren Zawoyski followed her just 43 seconds later to cut the lead to 5-3. That pushed Ohio State back a bit, but MSU couldn’t break through and the Ohio State offense took back over as Jordan Baxter and Matthews each scored to secure the 7-3 win and weekend sweep.
(14) Colgate vs. (4) Cornell
Colgate had the pressure on Cornell early on Friday, peppering the net with 17 shots though they weren’t able to get through before the break. But they carried that momentum into the second and took a 2-0 lead before 71 seconds had passed as first Alexis Petford and then Emma Gervais Beauchamp scored. Alexia Aubin’s empty-netter secured the 3-0 win for the Raiders, who outshot Cornell 44-20 in the win. In the second game, Cornell relied on their very strong special teams, scoring three times on the power play and adding a short-handed goal to earn a 4-3 OT win. The first period was scoreless, but the second period was chaotic and started with a missed Cornell penalty shot. Colgate took a 1-0 lead about five minutes into the second with a goal from Alexia Aubin. The Raiders then had a power play, but Cornell struck short-handed with Avi Adam tying the game 1-1. That lasted less than a minute as Colgate was still on the power play and Avery Pickering took advantage to make it 2-1. Emma Pais extended the lead to 3-1 a few minutes later, but Adam’s powre play goal with under two to play in the period made it 3-2 at the second intermission. Piper Grober’s power play goal late in the third tied the game and forced overtime. Karel Prefontaine’s goal won it in overtime to give Cornell the 4-3 victory and weekend split.
(5) Minnesota Duluth at (15) St. Thomas
After a scoreless first, UMD built a quick 2-0 lead to start the second on a goal from Tova Henderson followed by a breakaway goal from Grace Sadura. Rylee Bartz scored on the power play late in the third for St. Thomas, but the Tommies were short on time for a comeback and Caitlin Kraemer’s goal a few minutes later secured the 3-1 win for the Bulldogs. In the second game, Minnesota Duluth again struck in quick succession to build up a lead. This time it was Ida Karlsson on the power play midway through the first followed by Sadura 32 seconds later to make it 2-0. Ella Boerger scored on the power play for St. Thomas before period’s end to make it 2-1 at the intermission. UMD padded their lead 1:02 into the second with a goal from Madison Burr to make it 3-1. Ellah Hause’s power play goal in the opening minute of the third closed the game for the Tommies but they couldn’t bring it even and Mary Kate O’Brien’s empty-netter secured the 4-2 win for the Bulldogs.
Syracuse at (6) Penn State
Katelyn Roberts put back a rebound on a Tessa Janecke shot 24 seconds into the first game of this series and that really seemed to set the tone. Seven different Nittany Lions scored as PSU cruised to a 7-0 win Friday. Things looked to start well for Syracuse in the second game as Rylee McLeod intercepted a pass in the opening minutes and took it down for a goal to give the Orange a 1-0 lead. The lapse seemed to spur the Nittany Lions on as they went off for 11 goals – tied for the most in program history. Janecke’s two assists give her 101 for her career and she became the first player in program history to reach 100 assists. Roberts lead PSU with two goals and two assists, Kendall Butze had three assists and Maddie Christian and Mikah Keller each added two goals in the rout.
Merrimack vs. (8) Northeastern (home and home)
Stryker Zablocki’s first career hat trick led the Huskies to a 4-1 win at home on Friday. She scored twice in the first, including a power play goal midway through the frame. Merrimack added a power play goal of their own in the final minute of the first to make it a 2-1 game at the break. Zablocki scored her third goal five minutes into the second and Ellie Mabardy added a goal of her own to close out the win. On Saturday, five different Northeastern players scored to carry the team to a 5-0 win. Ella Blackmore, Mia Langlois, Lily Brazis, Eloise Caron and Lily Shannon each lit the lamp to close out the weekend sweep.
Harvard at (10) Yale
Yale put the pressure on early. Emily Davidson made 18 saves for Harvard to keep her team in it and then a pair of freshmen – Morgan McGathey and Annie Sun – scored their first career goals to give the Crimson a 2-0 lead at the first break. Gracie Gilkyson cut the lead in half early in the second, but the Bulldogs could not pull the game any closer. Emi Biotti extended Harvard’s lead 1:24 into the third and then Emily Hamann iced the game with an empty netter ot give Harvard the 4-1 win. Davidson set a new career high with 43 saves in the win.
Dartmouth at (10) Yale
Stephanie Stainton and Jordan Ray each scored twice while Carina DiAntonio added three assists to help Yale to a 5-0 win over the Big Green on Saturday. The Bulldogs have won 16 straight games against Dartmouth, dating back to 2017
Dartmouth at (13) Brown
Sophomore goaltender Anya Zupkofska made 26 saves for her third consecutive shutout to start the season as Monique Lyons, Margot Norehead, Martina Accardi and Isabella Gratzl each scored for the Bears to lead them to a 4-0 win.
Harvard at (13) Brown
The Crimson took the lead three different times in this game, but couldn’t seem to pull away from Brown, who responded each time. Morgan McGathey gave Crimson the 1-0 lead early in the first, but Monique Lyons scored on the power play two minutes later to tie the game 1-1. That lasted just 27 seconds before McGathey scored her second of the game to put her Harvard team on top 2-1. But Brown still wouldn’t go away as they won a turnover in the zone and Lyons found Gratzl in the high slot and her snipe made it 2-2 at intermission. Things settled a bit in the second until Zoe Boosamra took advantage of a turnover and got the Crimson on the board again, making it 3-2 at the second break. It was late in the third and Brown was on the penalty kill, but India McDadi made sure the game went to overtime, winning the puck on defense and taking off with Jade Iginla to score short-handed to force the extra frame. It was Lyons in overtime who wristed home the game-winner to give the Bears a 4-3 win.