The weekend in women’s Division III has come and gone, and as always, you just never know with some of these teams.
Who could have predicted St. Benedict tying No. 9 Gustavus Adolphus 2-2 Friday night and then winning 3-2 in overtime Saturday, or even Connecticut College playing No. 3 Middlebury tight, only to lose 3-2 Friday and then play to a 1-1 tie Saturday?
There also seemed to be a large amount of shutouts over the weekend, too.
Top-ranked Plattsburgh continued its torrid pace with consecutive shutouts over Buffalo State, while No. 2 Elmira swept Potsdam.
Camille Leonard made 15 saves for Plattsburgh in the 2-0 win Saturday and then followed it up with a 10-save effort Sunday in a 5-0 win, a win that saw the Cardinals outshoot Buffalo State, 60-10.
Elmira and goalie Kelcey Crawford’s 15 saves blanked the Bears 5-0 on Saturday as five different players scored, and then Sunday, Amanda Peterson scored at 18:01 to bring Potsdam to within 3-2, but the Bears couldn’t get the equalizer. Kyle Nelson turned aside 20 shots for the Soaring Eagles.
For No. 3 Middlebury, does the Panthers’ weekend mean a drop in the national rankings? Carly Watson’s goal at 9:32 of the third period stood as the winner Friday. Katherine Chester made 30 saves for Connecticut College. Saturday, Chester stopped 31 as the two teams traded goals 2:05 apart in the second period.
Fourth-ranked Adrian handled Marian in a sweep with a 6-0 win Friday and a 5-2 victory Saturday. Brooke Gibson earned the 22-save shutout in the first game, while Kristin Lewicki posted a hat trick in the finale.
No. 5 Lake Forest tripped up Finlandia 6-1 and 11-0 over the weekend. Melissa Paluch and Amanda Brunges each scored twice Friday and LFC goalie made six saves, losing her shutout at 17:03 of the third period. Saturday, Michelle Greeneway scored four goals and Allie Carter stopped all 11 shots for the shutout.
St. Thomas, ranked sixth going into the weekend, won both ends of a home-and-home with Hamline, taking a 4-2 win on the road Friday and then coming home for a 3-0 shutout Saturday on the strength of Mackenzie Torpy’s 25 saves.
Seventh-ranked Norwich played just one game over the weekend, but made it count in a 6-0 win over Bowdoin on Friday. The goals came from six different players and Laurie King picked up the shutout with a 23-save outing.
No. 8 Wisconsin-River Falls won its home-and-home with Wisconsin-Superior, winning 5-2 away on Friday and 3-1 back home Saturday. Chloe Kinsel registered three goals the first night and then another on Saturday afternoon as Angie Hall stopped 25 between the pipes.
Which brings us to Gustavus. Friday night, Erica Power put GAC up 2-1 midway through the third period before Brigette Miller’s extra-attacker goal with 1:07 to play pulled St. Benedict into the tie. The Blazers came into the weekend with a 1-5-0 record. Saturday, on the road no less, Maddie Rainey tied it at 18:34 with another EAG and she then won it 2:29 into the extra session.
I’d expect the Golden Gusties to fall out of the top 10 come Monday afternoon.
Tenth-ranked Castleton sat idle last weekend.
