Boston University at (1) Wisconsin
The Badgers dropped their national championship banner on Thursday and celebrated with a 7-0 win over BU. Freshman Nela Lopušanová led Wisconsin with two goals and an assist in her first home game at UW. Six other Badgers lit the lamp in the win as Finley McCarthy, Maggie Scannell, Ava Murphy, Cassie Hall and Rosalie Tremblay joined Lopušanová on the scoresheet. On Friday, the Terriers struck first with Lo Lachapelle’s power play goal that sent the teams to the first intermission with BU leading 1-0. Hall tied the game midway through the second with a power play goal of her own. She then gave Wisconsin the lead in the third. Lopušanová added to her impressive weekend with a goal and an assist in game two. Laney Potter added an empty better to secure the 4-1 win and weekend sweep.
(2) Ohio State at St. Thomas
The teams played an even, scoreless first on Friday but OSU blew the game open with a four-goal second. Joy Dunne had a hand in each of those goals. She scored the first under two minutes into the frame and then assisted on Hilda Svensson’s goal midway through the game to make it 2-0. Sydney Bryant cut into the lead for St. Thomas to make it a 2-1 game with five to play in the second. But the Buckeyes weren’t done as Kate Viel scored her first collegiate goal with a lone assist from Dunne. And Dunner herself closed out the frame with a goal with just 10.3 seconds left on the clock. Sanni Vanhannen’s third-period goal pushed the lead to 5-1. Cara Sajevic pulled one more back for the Tommies, but Ohio State took a 5-2 win. On Saturday, Jenna Raunio opened the scoring 72 seconds into the game to make it 1-0 OSU. Dunne added to her weekend with another final minute goal to make it 2-0 Buckeyes at the first break. Svensson added a power play goal to open the second and just 43 seconds later Maxine Cimoroni made it a 4-0 game. JuliAnna Gazdik put St. Thomas on the board midway through the game to make it 4-1. Whitney Horton added a power play goal to cut the lead to 4-2. Svensson’s empty-netter secured a 5-2 win and weekend sweep for Ohio State.
(3) Minnesota at Bemidji State
Maddie McCullough intercepted a pass and took it straight to the net to score her first collegiate goal to open the scoring in game one of this series. Adrianna Milani followed up shortly after to get her first goal and give the Gophers a 2-0 lead. Three second-period goals blew the game open as Molly Jordan, Gracie Graham and Milani each scored to make it 5-0 Minnesota. Olivia Dronen scored in the final minute to get Bemidji State on the board. Lola Macuiba scored the lone goal of the third period to make it 5-2, but Minnesota skated off with the win. In the second game, Bella Fanale opened the scoring on the power play. But Macuiba tired the game with a few minutes left in the first. Less than three minutes later, Sydney Bailey put the Gophers back on top 2-1.
Fanale scored again in the opening minutes of the second to make it 3-1 Minnesota. Carly Humphrey scored with a minute remaining in the second to push the lead to 4-1. Hailey Armstrong scored short-handed early in the third to cut the lead to 4-2. McCullough scored late to make it 5-2. Davina Davis’ late goal made it a 5-3 game, but the Beavers ran out of time and Minnesota took the 5-3 win and weekend sweep. The Gophers out shot the Beavers 83-35 on the weekend.
Robert Morris at (4) Penn State
The Colonials raced out to an early 2-0 lead on Friday as Alaina Giampietro and Rowyn Ringor each scored in the opening five minutes of the game. But Penn State rallied back. Nicole Hall’s rebound power play goal midway through the frame made it a 2-1 game and Sofia Ismael scored her first collegiate goal – a snipe from the left side – in the waning minutes of the first to tie the game 2-2. In the second period, Grace Outwater scored on a wraparound to give the Nittany Lions their first lead of the game. Lorelai Nelson took advantage of a 5-on-3 in the third to score her first collegiate goal to give PSU a 4-2 lead. Giampietro closed the gap when RMU had a five-on-three to make it 4-3, but Abby Stonehouse’s empty-netter secured the 5-3 win for Penn State. On Saturday, it was all Ismael as the rookie tallied a hat trick to lead the Nittany Lions to a 4-1 win. She also assisted on the only goal she didn’t score in that game, giving her a six point weekend. Ismael scored from just above the crease, from the right circle and on the breakaway, showing off her range as a scoring threat. Kylie Amelkovich also scored for PSU in the win. Jessica MacKinnon scored for Robert Morris in the loss.
(5) Northeastern at RPI
Sadie Bellissimo had 41 saves for the Engineers on Friday, frustrating Northeastern and allowing Barbora Černá Prošková to steal an overtime win. The Huskies outshot RPI 42-14, but the game was scoreless for more than 40 minutes thanks to Bellissimo. Grace Sadura got NU on the board after a nice buildup to make it 1-0. Just six minutes later, the Engineers struck on the power play, after good puck movement and a few shots on goal. Kaylynn Fisher finished the play to tie the game 1-1. In overtime, Černá Prošková took a long outlet pass from Mia Montanari in open ice and headed in on net. She beat the defender and picked her spot to win the game for RPI.
Providence vs. (6) Quinnipiac
Avery Bairos scored on the power play early on Friday and then Keara Parker and Peyton Cormier scored 19 seconds apart midway through the second and that would prove to be all the Bobcats needed. Hannah Clarke scored for Providence to ruin the shutout, but Quinnipiac took a 3-1 win. In the second game, Alex Law had two goals and an assist, Bryn Prier had three assists and Bairos added two goals of her own to lead the Bobcats to a 6-1 win and weekend sweep. It was QU’s largest-ever victory over Providence. Cassidy Lobisser got her first collegiate goal in the win. Bella Paolucci was the lone goal scorer for Providence.
(7) Minnesota Duluth at Vermont
UVM opened their season with a morning game featuring a crowd full of school kids and that helped power them to a 3-0 win over UMD. Tara Bach made 36 saves while the offense struck once per period to earn the victory. Morgann Skoda took advantage of a strong forecheck and turnover to make it 1-0 after one. Stella Retrum put back a rebound in the second and Kaylee Lewis sniped one top shelf on the power play to finish out the win. Things were close on Saturday as the two teams traded goals in the first and third. Natalie Zarcone put the Catamounts on the board first, but the Bulldogs responded a few minutes later with a goal from Josie St. Martin. She used some nice puck handling up the boards and when her initial shot was blocked, she picked up her own rebound to tie the game. Hilary Wilkin’s goal early in the third gave Vermont the 2-1 edge, but UMD responded quickly – this time with Caitlin Kraemer racing down the ice from her own defensive zone. It was one-on-three, but Kraemer found a lane and ripped her shot to tie the game 2-2. In OT, Molly Cole picked up the puck in her own end and drove to the net, drawing the goalie before dishing it across to St. Martin, who tapped it in to give Minnesota Duluth the 3-2 overtime win.
(9) Clarkson at (12) Connecticut
Clarkson seemed to have control of this game early on, outshooting Connecticut 11-6 in the first period and ending with a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from both Sara and Kate Manness. But UConn flipped the script in the second, outshooting the Golden Knights 17-7 in the frame and tying the game with goals from Claire Murdoch and Caileigh Tiller. The third period was hard fought but it was the Huskies that came out ahead as Julia Pellerin scored what would be the game-winner to give UConn a 3-2 win. In the second game, it was all Connecticut as the Huskies went four-for-four on the power play and Taylor Belchetz made a career-high 43 saves to earn the 4-0 shutout win. Murdoch, Sadie Hotles, Ellie Markakis and Tiller each scored in the win.
(13) St. Cloud State at (15) Minnesota State
St. Cloud continued their winning ways, earning their second-straight sweep over a ranked opponent thanks in part to a massive weekend from sophomore Maria Mikaelyan. Mikaelyan had a hat trick on Friday, scoring twice on the power play. She opened the scoring with a one-timer and was followed by rookie Anna Sviridova scoring her first career goal in a similar manner. Then Mikaelyan scored again with the advantage after Alice Sauriol’s steal behind the net found her alone in the slot to make it 3-0. Hannele Tarkiainen scored her first career goal in the second to extend the lead to 4-0. Mikaelyan completed her hat trick with a tip-in on a shot from Siiri Yrjölä. The Mavericks clawed back two goals in the second from Ayla Puppe and Bella Shipley, but the Huskies closed down on defense in the third and skated away with a 5-2 win. In game two, Alexis Ehrman earned a shutout in her first career start, making 33 saves to backstop SCSU to a 3-0 win. The win extended the program’s longest win streak against ranked opponents to four games. Mikaelyan stayed hot, scoring twice and assisting on Sauriol’s goal to cap off a six point weekend.
(14) Colgate vs. RIT
RIT lit the lamp first on Friday as Brac Kelley put the Tigers up 1-0 under five minutes into the game. But Colgate responded quickly as Chloe Goofers put back a rebound to tie the game 1-1. Kelley assisted Linda Rulle to give RIT the lead once again, but Emma Beauchamp deflected a puck into the net near the end of the first to send the teams to the locker rooms tied 2-2. Dorothy Copetti scored on the power play 1:58 into the second and then Madison Cronan scored her first career goal with a tip-in before the midpoint of the game to put the Raiders up 4-2. Alexia Aubin’s shot off the crossbar went into the net late in the second to make it 5-2 and Emma Pais scored on the power play early in the third to make it 6-2. Zoe Ziotas pulled one back for RIT, but it was not enough as Colgate took a 6-3 win. On Saturday, Addison Tremel scored her first career goal to open the scoring and give the Raiders an early 1-0 lead. Kailey Favro’s power play goal just before the break tied the game 1-1. Aubin scored early in the second and Aubrey Morrison scored her first career goal late in the frame to make it a 3-1 lead for Colgate. Ziotas cut the lead to one with seven minutes to go, but an Aubin empty-netter secured the 4-2 win and weekend sweep for the Raiders.