Women’s D-I weekend wrap March 17: Cornell joins favorites in Frozen Four as two ECAC, two WCHA teams advance

Gillis Frechette celebrates the game-winner against Northeastern (Cornell Athletics)
Gillis Frechette celebrates the game-winner against Northeastern (Cornell Athletics)

Syracuse at No. 1 Wisconsin
The Orange held the game close in the first, but Annie Pankowski scored twice in the second to open the game up for the Badgers. Abby Roque and Presley Norby tacked on goals in the third to give Wisconsin the 4-0 win. Syracuse goalie Ady Cohen made a career-high 43 saves in the loss. The Badgers advanced to their record-tying sixth-straight Frozen Four.

No. 7 Princeton at No. 2 Minnesota
Sarah Fillier scored on Princeton’s first shot of the game to put the Tigers up 1-0, but Minnesota responded less than two minutes later with a goal by Sarah Potomak to tie it. Amy Potomak scored just before the end of the period to make it 2-1 Minnesota after the first period. Fillier scored again in the opening minutes of the second period to tie the game, and it was 2-2 after two. Kelly Pannek’s goal midway through the third would be the game-winner, and Sarah Potomak and Nicole Schammel added empty-netters to secure the 5-2 win for the Gophers.

No. 6 Cornell at No. 3 Northeastern
Huskies leading-scorer Alina Mueller did not play in this one, and that may have been the difference-maker. Cornell opened up the scoring with goals from Amy Curlew and Grace Graham six minutes apart in the first period to give the Big Red the 2-0 lead. That held until Veronika Pettey scored for Northeastern midway through the third. Skylar Fontaine’s goal with five minutes left tied the game and forced overtime. Gills Frechette’s breakaway goal won it for Cornell in overtime as they won, 3-2, and advanced to their first Frozen Four since 2012.

No. 5 Boston College vs No. 4 Clarkson
Daryl Watts scored midway through the first period, and that would be the only tally for more than 40 minutes. Josiane Pozzebon tied the game with 3:03 left on the clock to force overtime. In the extra frame, Elizabeth Giguère pounced on a loose puck in front of the net to win the game and send the two-time defending national champion Golden Knights to their fifth-straight Frozen Four.