NCAA Regional Semifinals
(9) Princeton vs. (6) Connecticut
Tia Chan made 16 of her 41 saves in the first period on Thursday as Princeton controlled the puck. But against the run of play, Connecticut got on the board late as Emma Eryou scored to give them a 1-0 lead on one of just five shots in the frame. Princeton evened the score midway through the second on a goal from Riley Sorokan. But UConn took more control in the second, finding their stride and Kyla Josifovic scored what would prove to be the game-winner with about eight to play in the second. She added a second goal midway through the third and Julia Pellerin’s empty-netter secured the 4-1 win for the Huskies. It was Connecticut’s first-ever NCAA Tournament win.
Franklin Pierce vs. (7) Quinnipiac
Jill Hertl made 49 saves and Franklin Pierce kept Quinnipiac at bay for 35 minutes, but the seventh-ranked Bobcats started to find their way around the tough Ravens defense late in the second. Emerson Jarvis dangled her way through several FPU defenders to open the scoring and give Quinnipiac the 1-0 lead. Bryn Prier’s tip-in in the final minute of the period made it 2-0 and seemed to deflate the Ravens a bit. They came out strong on defense in the second, but couldn’t break through on offense. Peyton Cormier put the game out of reach with about eight to play and Laurence Frenette’s goal a few minutes later closed out the 4-0 win. Bobcat goalie Felicia Frank made 29 saves in the game, giving her 990 on the season and breaking Quinnipiac’s single-season saves record that was set during the 2001-02 season.
(10) Minnesota Duluth vs. (8) Yale
Both teams had plenty of opportunities on net, ending with 37 shots apiece. But Minnesota Duluth’s scoring woes continued. They were strong on defense, killing four penalties. But it was freshman Molly Boyle with a seeing-eye shot from the blue line that scored the only goal of the game to give Yale the victory.
NCAA Quarterfinals
(8) Yale vs. (1) Ohio State
The teams headed to the first intermission tied 1-1 despite Ohio State holding a 20-5 advantage in shots. Jocelyn Amos backhanded a rebound in to give OSU the early lead, but Yale responded midway through as freshman Molly Boyle came through again. But the Buckeyes came out renewed in the second and would go on to score five unanswered goals. Kaia Malachino scored early, capitalizing right as a power play expired. Sloane Matthews added on a few minutes later off a faceoff. Jordan Baxter’s wraparound extended the lead to 4-1 at the second break. Matthews and Amos each scored in the third to secure the 6-1 win and send Ohio State to their sixth straight Frozen Four.
(7) Quinnipiac vs. (2) Wisconsin
Read the full game recap here.
(6) Connecticut vs. (3) Penn State
Matilde Fantin scored just 1:40 into the game and that scoreline held for more than 50 minutes. The teams fought back and forth throughout the game as Connecticut tried to find an equalizer. A mistake later in the third by goalie Tia Chan ended up with the puck on Tessa Janecke’s stick and an empty net in front of her. She made the game 2-0 and then Abby Stonehouse potted an empty-netter to secure the 3-0 win for the Nittany Lions. It was Penn State’s first NCAA Tournament win.
(5) Northeastern vs. (4) Minnesota
The Gophers outshot the Huskies 47-24, including 35-10 over the second two periods, but Northeastern scored twice in the opening ten minutes and that set the tone. First Éloïse Caron sniped a goal past Hannah Clark and then Stryker Zablocki scored a near identical goal to make it 2-0. Later in the frame, Mia Langlois put back a loose puck on the power play to extend the lead to 3-0. Minnesota pulled Clark and put in Layla Hemp at that point. Morgan Jackson’s goal midway through the game extended the lead to 4-0. Minnesota fought back in the third as Abbey Murphy scored twice on the power play. But they ran out of time and the Huskies took the 4-2 win and advanced to their fourth Frozen Four. Lisa Jönsson made 45 saves for Northeastern in the win.