Wow, what a weekend in the women’s Division III circles!
As has become the norm, I suppose, upsets have been happening and individual stats are going from fantastic one week to just average the next.
Case in point, Endicott goalie Vendela Jonsson went into last weekend’s games with a perfect 4-0-0 record with four shutouts. Yes, she had yet to see a puck get past her.
Stevenson came to town and beat Endicott 2-0 Friday and then Saturday, the two teams played to a scoreless tie. Jonsson stopped 20 shots each game.
Jonsson’s new line (which still is hardly shabby): 4-1-1, 0.33 GAA and a .978 save percentage.
As far as ranked teams go, No. 1 Plattsburgh was idle last weekend.
No. 2 Elmira swept Utica in a home-and-home set with a 4-1 win Saturday and then a tough 2-1 win on Sunday. Meghan Fonfara scored at 14:58 and 18:56 of the third period Sunday to snatch the win for the Soaring Eagles.
Third-ranked St. Thomas played to a stunning 2-2 tie with Bethel Friday, but rebounded for a 1-0 win on a Karina Marette goal and Mackenzie Torpy’s 23 saves Saturday. That wasn’t enough to keep the Tommies at No. 3, though, as they dropped to No. 6 in the Women’s D-III USCHO.com Poll.
No. 4 Adrian handled St. Scholastica with a 3-0 shutout Friday night (Brooke Gibson 22 saves) and then blasted Finlandia 9-1 on Saturday, as Brooke Lupi tallied the hat trick.
Middlebury entered the weekend ranked fifth and swept Trinity by scores of 5-1 and 2-1 to open the NESCAC season for both teams. Anna Van Kula scored with 47 seconds left in regulation to eke out the 2-1 win Saturday. Middlebury moved up to third in the this week’s poll.
Michelle Greeneway scored twice to pace No. 6 Lake Forest to a 4-1 win over St. Norbert on Saturday. Keep an eye on the Foresters!
No. 7 Norwich played solid defense (an understatement) in blanking Salve Regina 3-0 Friday and Manhattanville 4-0 Saturday. Celeste Robert stopped 19 shots Friday and then Laurie King turned aside all 12 Saturday through 40 minutes before not seeing a shot in the third period. Adelle Murphy recorded a pair of goals for the Cadets.
Gustavus Adolphus tied Augsburg 2-2 Friday night before looking like (one of) the No. 8 team(s) in the country with a 4-1 win Saturday to complete the home-and-home. Allison Eder-Zdechlik went for a hat trick in the win for GAC on Saturday afternoon.
Wisconsin-River Falls, also ranked eighth heading into the weekend, took both ends of a home-and-home with Wisconsin-Eau Claire, winning 4-1 on Friday and 3-1 on Saturday. UWRF goalie Angie Hall made 22 saves Friday, 16 on Saturday.
Wisconsin-Stevens Point dropped out of the top 10 this week after taking just one of four points against Wisconsin-Superior on home ice. The Pointers lost 2-1 Friday and then battled to a 2-2 tie Saturday. Natasha Singer was brilliant in stopping 38 shots for Superior in the first game and came back with 33 more saves in the rematch.
Katie Tang was the OT hero Saturday night as Colby beat Bowdoin 4-3 and Rachel Vigliano pulled the same heroics the same day as New England College edged Plymouth State 2-1.
Morrisville outscored Daniel Webster 21-0 in their two-game set last weekend.
