(4) Penn State at (2) Ohio State
Ohio State struck four minutes into the first on Friday as Sloane Matthews gave the Buckeyes the 1-0 lead. OSU broke things open in the second as Joy Dunne scored just 16 seconds in to double the lead. Maxine Cimoroni made it 3-0 three minutes later and Hilda Svensson scored a short-handed goal at the midpoint to give Ohio State a 4-0 lead. Maddy Christian’s power play goal on the same infraction ended the shutout, but Cimoroni’s goal before the end of the second secured the 5-1 win. On Saturday, OSU’s special teams made the difference as all three first period goals came on the power play and the penalty kill went 4-for-4, including a 5-on-3 kill in the third period. Kaia Malachino and Matthews put the Buckeyes up 2-0 before Tessa Janecke lit the lamp for Penn State to cut the lead to 2-1. But Mira Jungåker’s goal in the final two minutes of the first frame sent Ohio State to the locker rooms up 3-1. Jocelyn Amos’ second-period goal gave OSU a 4-1 lead they would not relinquish as they took the win and weekend sweep.
(3) Minnesota at Sacred Heart
Kendra Distad, Abbey Murphy, Nelli Laitinen and Chloe Primerano each scored on Friday to lead the Gophers to a 4-0 win. In the second game, Murphy scored three goals and had four assists while Laitinen had three goals and two assists to lead Minnesota to a 14-2 win and weekend sweep. Ella Holm scored twice on the power play for Sacred Heart.
Harvard vs. (5) Minnesota Duluth
Ainsley Tuffy made a career high 55 saves for Harvard as Minnesota Duluth peppered the net and hit the posts at least three times, but could not find their rhythm until it was too late. Harvard took the lead in the first after a great play on the penalty kill by Kate Kasica allowed her to take the puck the length of the ice and score short-handed. Late in the second, after having managed just four shots on goal all frame, Ella Lucia tipped a puck into the net on a pass from Angelica Megdanis and Carla McSweeney. UMD continued to shoot, but it wasn’t until the middle of the third period that they looked like the team that had climbed to #5 in the rankings. The Bulldogs got on the board thanks to a beautiful series of passes by Caitlin Kraemer, Danielle Burgen and Thea Johansson that Johansson put in the back of the net. Madison Burr won the puck on the back boards and found Grace Sadura alone in the slot a few minutes later and the game was tied. In overtime, UMD had a 3-on-1 chance they couldn’t convert and Harvard scored with just 21 seconds left in the extra frame. Emi Biotti placed a perfect pass to McSweeney in stride and McSweeney
(8) Quinnipiac vs. Harvard
Laurence Frenette scored at the midpoint of the first frame to give the Bobcats a 1-0 lead. She carried the puck to the net front from the back boards and forced it into the net. Early in the second, Taylor Brueske extended the lead after stealing the puck in the zone to make it 2-0. But BU fought back. Sydney Healey cleaned up a rebound near the half point to cut into the lead. At nearly the exact same point of the next period, Healey ripped a shot from the point that tied the game 2-2. Neither team could find a winner in the overtime frame. Mari Pietersen made 36 saves in the game and denied all three Quinnipiac skaters in the shootout. Lilli Welcke was the hero, scoring the only goal of the shootout to send BU to the championship game.
(8) Quinnipiac vs. (5) Minnesota Duluth
Caitlin Kramer scored a short-handed goal early for Duluth, but the Bulldogs’ scoring struggles continued and Quinnipiac scored three straight to take a 3-1 win in the consolation game. Taylor Brueske, Emerson Jarvis and Kahlen Lamarche each lit the lamp for the Bobcats in the win.
Providence at (6) Connecticut
Goals from UConn’s Brooke Campbell and Providence’s Kiara Kraft each scored in the first to send the teams to the intermission tied 1-1. Julia Pellerin’s power play goal put UConn ahead 2-1 after two. Sadie Hotles extended the lead to 3-1 and Claire Murdoch added an empty-netter to secure the 4-1 win for the Huskies. On Saturday, Tia Chan had her 10th game this season posting 30+ saves and UConn rode a three-goal first frame to the win. Hotles, Kyla Josifovic and Megan Woodworth each scored in the first to make it 3-0. Woodworth scored on the empty net in the third and Murdoch scored a few seconds later to secure a 5-0 win and weekend sweep for the Huskies.
Stonehill at (9) Princeton
In the first game, Jane Kuehl scored her second career hat trick and Riley Sorokan added four assists to power Princeton to an 8-1 win. Mackenzie Alexander added two goals to aid in the win. Bailey Feeney was the goal scorer for Stonehill in the loss. In the second game, Issy Wunder scored four goals and had three assists while Alexander had three goals and three assists to lead the Tigers to a 10-0 win and weekend sweep.
St. Michael’s at (11) Clarkson
The Golden Knights took a 15-0 win on Friday, setting a new program record for goals in a game. Sara Manness had her first career hat trick while Andrea Trnková had five assists and Janelle Evans and Jenna Smellie each added a goal and three assists. On Saturday, Sena Catterall and Shelby Laidlaw each scored twice to lead Clarkson to a 9-0 win and weekend sweep.
(14) Colgate at Boston College
The Raiders started the year with a win thanks to an Elyssa Biederman hat trick and a 29-save shutout from Farah Walker. Biederman tipped in a shot midway through the second and then scored on a breakaway a few minutes later to extend the lead to 2-0. Her shot from the slot in the third closed out the hat trick and game, giving Colgate a 3-0 win.
Union at (15) Yale
It was a tale of two games on Friday. Union stormed out to a 3-0 lead in the first on just five shots on goal. Maddie Leaney opened the scoring in the sixth minute. Jill Willis scored on the power play just before the midpoint and Karianne Engelbert pushed the lead with an extra-attacker goal of her own in the closing minutes of the frame. Yale made a goalie change and came out with a push of their own in the second as Carina DiAntonio scored on the power play in the opening minute. It took the Bulldogs a little more time to find their footing, but DiAntonio added a second goal to make it a 3-2 game at the second intermission. A pair of goals 30 seconds apart midway through the third gave Yale the lead for good as Gracie Gilkyson and Sophia Levering lit the lamp to make it a 4-3 game. Hannah Weyerhaeuser and DiAntonio each scored on the empty net to secure a 6-3 win for the Bulldogs.
RPI at (15) Yale
Things looked different for Yale on Saturday as they scored early and often in the first. Jordan Ray’s goal less than three minutes in set the tone. Mariya Rauf and Carina DiAntonio each scored before the middle of the frame to make it 3-0. Molly Boyle extended the lead to 4-0, but RPI responded immediately as Nina Christof got them on the board nine seconds later to make it 4-1. Sophia Levering and Stephanie Stainton responded for Yale to push the lead to 6-1 at the next intermission. Boyle scored on the powerplay in the third to make it 7-1 and RPI’s Mia Montanari added an extra-attacker goal of her own to make it a 7-2 game and eventual Yale win.