(1) Ohio State at (3) Minnesota
The Gophers stunned the Buckeyes on Friday as Adrianna Milani scored 14 seconds into the game and Madison Kaiser added to the lead three minutes later. Chloe Primerano’s power play goal with 5.5 seconds left in the first put Minnesota up 3-0 at the first break. Milani added another extra attacker goal under three minutes into the second to push the lead to 4-0. Joy Dunne’s power play goal late got Ohio State on the board and Jenna Raunio scored in the final minute of the second to cut the lead to 4-2, but that was as close as things got. Ashley Allard and Kaiser scored in the third to give the Gophers a 6-2 upset win over OSU. Saturday’s game looked like it was going to go very differently when Ohio State stormed out to a 3-0 lead by the opening seconds of the second period. Mira Jungåker opened the scoring and then Dunne added two more power play tallies to her weekend. But Minnesota responded quickly. Maddie McCullough scored less than three minutes later and Avery Hovland and Emma Kreisz each lit the lamp and suddenly it was a whole new game with under five to play in the second. But neither team was done. Rylee Bartz scored for Ohio State before Sarah Paul found the back of the net with 24 seconds left in the period to make it 4-4 at the second intermission. Paul scored another early in the third but Dunne completed a hat trick to tie things one more time and Hilda Svensson’s goal 42 seconds later would prove to be the game-winner as the two teams split the weekend series.
Minnesota State at (2) Wisconsin
Mavericks rookie goalie Jaya Schippel had a spectacular collegiate debut on Friday, making 46 saves to stymie Wisconsin. The Badgers managed just one goal through the first 40 minutes. Charlotte Pieckenhagen had UW on the board in the first but Lauren Zawoyski’s power play goal meant the teams were tied heading into the third. Ava Murphy made it 2-1 1:15 into the frame but it was power play tallies from Laney Potter and Cassie Hall that opened things up for Wisconsin. Nela Lopušanová’s goal with five to go secured the 5-1 win for UW. But the Badgers responded in a big way on Saturday led by rookie Rosalie Tremblay’s four goals and one assist as they took a 12-1 win to earn the sweep. Emma Venusio scored twice while Hall and Haley Box each added a goal and three assists. Ayla Puppe scored early in the third to ruin the shutout and get the Mavericks on the board.
(6) Northeastern at (4) Quinnipiac
On Friday, Allie Lalonde tapped in a goal early to give Northeastern a 1-0 lead, but Makayla Watson replied for Quinnipiac. Kahlen Lamarche scored early in the second after a turnover to give the Bobcats a 2-1 lead, but Ivana Wey’s first career-goal midway through the third tied the game and forced overtime where neither team could find a game-winner. Aynsley D’Ottavio was the only goal-scorer in the shootout for Quinnipiac. The Huskies fought back on Saturday, earning coach Dave Flint’s 400th career victory at Northeastern. Éloïse Caron, Stryker Zablocki, Wey, Lalonde and Morgan Jackson all scored for the NU to earn a 5-1 victory. Avery Bairos’ power play goal was the lone tally for the Bobcats.
Lindenwood at (5) Penn State
The Nittany Lions scored first in game one as McKenna Walsh came out of the penalty box to a pass from Sophie Morrow and took off on a breakaway to make it 1-0. Things would not stay so calm. Just 46 seconds into the second, Paige Cline tied things up for Lindenwood. Kylie Amelkovich’s power play rebound put PSU up 2-1, but the Lions got an extra attacker goal of their own from Silje Gundersen to tie things 2-2. Just over a minute later Krisztina Weiler gave Lindenwood the lead. Amelkovich scored her second of the game before the end of the second, sending the teams to the second intermission tied 3-3. Grace Outwater put the Nittany Lions up 4-3 before the midpoint of the third, but Cline responded a few minutes later to tie the game 4-4. Morrow scored what would prove to be the game-winner with just over five to play when she took an outlet pass from Mikah Keller near the center line and dashed into the zone, cutting to the net and beating Ebba Ridderstolpe, who made 46 saves in the loss. PSU escaped with the 5-4 win. On Saturday, Morgan Stickney earned her first career shutout as Danica Maynard, Outwater and Sofia Ismael scored to give Penn State a 3-0 win and the sweep.
(8) Connecticut at (7) Princeton
Connecticut outshot Princeton 37-25, but Uma Corniea made 36 saves while Catie Collins and Megan Healy each lit the lamp. The Huskies got a late goal from Maya Serdachny, but held on to take a 2-1 win. The second game of the weekend was a wild one with goals scored in bunches. It started with UConn taking a 2-0 lead on goals by Caileigh Tiller and Serdachny in the first. Princeton’s special teams picked things up in the second as Angelina DiGirolamo’s short-handed goal and Caroline Averill’s power play goal tied things 2-2. But Connecticut had another push in the final three minutes of the middle frame. Ellie Markakis made it 3-2 and then Laurie Aubin’s goal with 0.5 seconds left on the clock made it 4-2 UConn. Serdachny added a power play goal midway through the third to extend the Huskies’ lead to make it 5-2. Hannah Fetterolf’s close angle shot with under seven to go brought it to a two-goal game. Princeton pulled their goalie and Riley Sorokan closed the gap to one and Averill netted her second of the game with 49 seconds left on the clock That tied things at five and forced overtime. The Tigers earned a power play in the extra frame and Chloe Brinson ended things with her first career goal giving Princeton a weekend sweep.
(9) Colgate at Boston University
Linda Vocetková stick-handled through traffic early in the second and that’s all Colgate would need to take a win on Friday. Alexia Aubin’s empty-netter secured a 2-0 win. On Saturday, Linda Vocetková picked up a puck coming off the wall and found Chloe Goofers cutting to the net midway through the first. Goofers’ goal was the lone tally of the game and the Raiders took a 1-0 win and the sweep.
(10) St. Cloud State at St. Thomas
These two teams are fighting it out for the 5th spot in the WCHA and St. Cloud came out ahead this weekend. The Tommies came out quickly, building up a 2-0 lead by the middle of the one a goal by JuliAnna Gazdik and a short-handed tally from Whitney Horton. Late in the opening frame, Sofianna Sundelin was taken down and earned a penalty shot, but it was saved by Dani Strom. Myah Krueger’s redirect midway through the second cut the lead to 2-1. Maria Mikaelyan scored midway through the third to tie things at two. St. Cloud killed off a penalty to close regulation and for the first minute of overtime before Sundelin found the back of the net to win the game 3-2. On Saturday, neither team could break through until Siiri Yrjölä scored from the high slot. It turned out to be the only goal of the game as SCSU took a weekend sweep.
Franklin Pierce at (11) Clarkson
In the first game, Franklin Pierce goaltender Delaney Lawn made a career high 53 saves but the Ravens couldn’t muster much offense after taking a 1-0 lead early in the second thanks to a goal from Anna Caumo. Clarkson responded with a power play goal from Janelle Evans midway through the frame and Ciara Lang found the back of the net in the final two minutes of the period to make it 2-1 at the break. Lang added a late empty-netter to secure a 3-1 win for the Golden Knights. On Saturday, Rylee Eno made 48 saves for FPU, including 22 in the first, but Clarkson’s offense could not be contained. Layla Matthews, Sara Manness, Evans, Gabrielle Lalonde and Kate Manness each scored a goal and Jessie Pellerin closed out the night with a pair of tallies to give Clarkson the 7-0 win and weekend sweep.
(12) Minnesota Duluth at Bemidji State
Ève Gascon earned her fourth and fifth shutouts this season and the 24th and 25th in her career to set a new program record for Minnesota Duluth. The Bulldogs scored once in each period of Friday as Caitlin Kraemer, Ava MacLeod and Madi Burr lit the lamp to carry UMD to a 3-0 win. On Saturday, Kraemer and Molly Cole each scored twice and Ray Mayer added a late tally to give Minnesota Duluth a 5-0 win and weekend sweep.
(15) Vermont at (14) Cornell
The Big Red started their season on fire, outshooting Vermont 16-2 in the opening frame, though they managed just one goal – a power play tally from Piper Grober. Linnea Misner’s power play goal midway through the second tied the game for the Catamounts. Just 40 seconds later, Shannon Pearson restored Cornell’s lead to make it 2-1 at the second intermission. Grober tallied a second power play goal in the third to extend the lead to 3-1. Hilary Wilkin scored for Vermont with under six to play to cut the lead to 3-2. Cornell took a late penalty and UVM pulled their goalie for a six-on-four for the final 30 seconds, but Annelies Bergmann stood tall in net and Cornell took the win. On Saturday, Bergmann tied the program record for career shutouts with 22. Vermont pushed back in this game, nearly doubling their shots on goal from Friday. The teams were scoreless through two periods, but the Big Red found another gear in the third, putting half of their 38 shots on goal in the final frame. And it was once again Dwyer that came through, scoring on the power play to give Cornell at 1-0 win and weekend sweep.