Badgers yield a goal but remain perfect
After an NCAA record shutout streak of more than nine games, or 624 minutes and 19 seconds, No. 1 Wisconsin finally had to watch an opponent celebrate. By the time Maria Lindh of Minnesota-Duluth scored in the third period on Saturday, the Badgers already led, 4-0, on their way to a 4-2 win and a series sweep. The win marks the first time in program history that Wisconsin has started by winning its first 12 games. Annie Pankowski had a goal and two assists to spark its offense.
Wisconsin took the series opener by a 3-0 verdict, with Ann-Renée Desbiens making 17 saves to record her NCAA-leading eighth shutout. Jenny Ryan assisted on all three goals, and Erika Sowchuk and Rachel Jones scored and added a helper.
Boston College keeps pace
No. 2 Boston College won three times on the week to stay perfect as well, although the Eagles flirted with the end of their winning streak when they needed overtime to down Boston University, 4-3. The Terriers came from behind twice to force the extra session, getting tying goals from Maddie Elia and Rebecca Russo. Alex Carpenter took advantage of Hockey East’s four-on-four overtime format to score her second goal of the game to decide the matter. Dana Trivigno and Kristyn Capizzano netted the other BC goals, and Haley Skarupa had a pair of assists.
BC was back to drama-free hockey as it swept a home-and-home series from New Hampshire, 6-1 and 3-0. Gabriella Switaj stopped 22 of 23 shots to win the opener. Skarupa and Andie Anastos scored twice, and Skarupa, Capizzano, and Trivigno all had three points. Katie Burt returned to the net on Saturday and thwarted all 24 UNH shots to notch her sixth shutout. Carpenter, Toni Ann Miano, and Skarupa provided the markers.
Brandt sets program career points mark
Hannah Brandt had been stuck on 99 goals for five games, but she broke out of her scoring drought with five goals on Saturday in No. 3 Minnesota’s 8-3 win over No. 5 Bemidji State. Besides getting her beyond the century mark in goals, that boosted her to 247 career points, surpassing Natalie Darwitz for the all-time high by a Gopher. Included in her outburst was a natural hat trick to start the scoring. Dani Cameranesi also had five points in the contest, and Taylor Williamson scored her first Minnesota goal. Nina Rogers found the net for the hosts, while Emma Terres, Ivana Bilic, and Bailey Wright fueled a third-period rally by the Beavers.
Amanda Leveille was the story in Minnesota’s 4-0 win on Friday, making several big stops to earn an 18-save shutout. The Gophers got a goal apiece from the line of Kelly Pannek between Cara Piazza and Kate Schipper, with Schipper’s three points leading the way.
Coyne stays hot
Kendall Coyne of No. 7 Northeastern, the country’s leader in points per game, had a six-point weekend to help the Huskies to a sweep of Merrimack. Coyne had a hat trick as Northeastern cruised to an 8-3 win in the opener. Baye Flanagan and Allison Sexton scored their first collegiate goals for the Warriors.
The Huskies completed the sweep by a 6-0 count. Brittany Bugalski turned in a 14-save shutout, and Denisa Krížová scored twice.
How the rest of the top 10 fared
No. 4 Clarkson won three times to improve to 13-1-2 on the year. Five different Golden Knights scored and Cayley Mercer had three assists in the 5-1 victory over Syracuse. Shannon MacAulay, Savannah Harmon, and Olivia Howe scored to rally Clarkson over Connecticut, 3-1. The Huskies had taken an early lead on a a Jordy Zacharias tally. After Mercer opened the scoring on Saturday, 43 saves by Elaine Chuli and goals by Margaret Zimmer and Zacharias had Connecticut poised for an upset, but Erin Ambrose and Howe scored goals in the final three minutes to push the Golden Knights to a 3-2 win and a series sweep.
No. 8 Quinnipiac took three of four ECAC points from No. 10 Princeton in a crucial home-and-home series. It took two periods, but the Tigers’ Karlie Lund answered a goal by Meghan Turner to produce a 1-1 tie on Friday in Hamden. Kimberly Newell was the busier of the two goaltenders with 30 saves, compared to 19 for Sydney Rossman. The Bobcats trailed entering the third period on Saturday, but scored three times in the frame to garner a 4-2 win. Cydney Roesler tied the game and sealed the triumph with an empty-net goal, and Nicole Brown furnished the game-winner. Taylar Cianfarano also scored for Quinnipiac, while the Molly Contini and Cassidy Tucker lit the lamp for the Tigers.
Ohio State got a split on the road at No. 6 North Dakota. After Amy Menke put UND on top at 11:43 of the third period on Saturday, Kendall Curtis tied it up 1:25 later and Maddy Field gave the Buckeyes a 3-2 win after another 55 seconds ticked away. Alex LaMere made 38 saves in the win. North Dakota bounced back with a 4-1 victory on Sunday behind two goals by Menke.
No. 9 Harvard defeated Union, 5-0, and Rensselaer, 2-1. The Crimson had five goal scorers and four players with two points as Brianna Laing and Molly Tissenbaum combined to shut out the Dutchwomen. Miye D’Oench scored the game-winner in the third period and Emerance Maschmeyer made 32 saves to hold off the Engineers. RPI’s Taylor Schwalbe and Jessica Harvey traded second-period goals.
Other action
Mercyhurst stayed unbeaten in CHA play with a sweep of Lindenwood, 3-2 and 2-1. After Sarah Bobrowski and Brittania Gillanders had given the Lions a 2-1 lead in the opener, Samantha Fieseler tied the game with her second goal of the game and her career. Megan Whiddon scored the winner 24 seconds into the third period. Molly Blasen and Whiddon gave the Lakers a quick lead on Saturday, and a short-handed goal by Shara Jasper was the only response the Lions could generate. Sarah McDonnel got the win with 14 saves.
Penn State got a series win at Robert Morris. The teams skated to a 2-2 tie on Friday. Amber Rennie and Brittany Howard gave the Colonials leads, only to have Hannah Bramm and Laura Bowman tie it up. Celine Whitlinger and Jessica Dodds finished with 29 and 31 saves, respectively. Senior Micayla Catanzariti broke loose with a hat trick to carry the Nittany Lions to a 5-1 victory on Saturday. Whitlinger turned away 36 of 37 shots.
Colgate swept a home-and-home series from RIT, 3-2 and 3-1. Jessie Eldridge and Shelby Perry scored six minutes apart in the second period to give the Raiders a lead they would not relinquish on Friday. Back home on Saturday, Eldridge scored the deciding goal at 12:36 of the middle stanza. Julia Vandyk saved 32 of 33 shots.
Brianna Veerman scored twice to spur Cornell’s 5-2 win over Syracuse.
Sam Donovan had a hat trick as Brown won for the first time this season, defeating Sacred Heart, 6-1.
Robyn Chemago and Dartmouth turned in a pair of shutouts, 4-0, over Rensselaer, and a 2-0 defeat of Union. Melissa Black stopped 38 of 39 shots for the Dutchwomen, but Lindsey Allen scored the winning goal 32 seconds into the middle period.
The Big Green started their week by dropping a 4-1 decision to Maine. Audra Richards netted a pair of goals and Maria Fujimagari saved 26 shots.
Maine also fell twice to BU, 5-3 and 3-2. Maddie Elia and Sarah Lefort scored twice in game one; Dakota Woodworth gave the Terriers a lasting lead on Sunday.
Providence split a series at Vermont, winning 4-1 on Friday when Alanna Serviss made 22 saves and Madison Sansone tallied twice. The Catamounts scored the final three goals to grab a 4-3 win on Saturday. Vermont got a power-play opportunity with just seven seconds left, and it was enough for Taylor Willard to score with 3.8 seconds showing on the clock.
St. Cloud State swept Minnesota State, 4-1 and 4-2. Molly Illikainen and Julia Tylke had three-goal weekends, and Katie Fitzgerald made 50 saves in the series.
