(5) Minnesota Duluth at (1) Minnesota
The Gophers proved why they’re the top team in the country as they jumped out to a lead in both games this series. On Friday, Ella Huber scored in the opening two minutes and Lizi Norton doubled the lead against her former team before eight minutes had elapsed. The Bulldogs still had time to chip away. Gabby Krause put back a rebound in the second to make it 2-1 and then Nina Jobst-Smith scored on the power play to tie the game and force overtime. However, Taylor Heise ended the game just 15 seconds into the extra frame as she got behind the defense and Grace Zumwinkle hit her with a perfect pass. UMD’s hopes of a better start were dashed even earlier on Saturday as Catie Skaja and Abbey Murphy each scored in the opening minute of the game to put Minnesota up 2-0 before 35 seconds had elapsed. Maggie Flaherty brough UMD within one on a power play a few minutes later and that’s how teams headed to the first intermission. Skaja added a power play goal in the second to make it 3-1. Abigail Boreen used her speed to chase down a fumbled pass along the boards by UMD and cut in on net. Her shot hit the post but ricocheted off Emma Soderberg and into the net to make it 5-1. The Bulldogs tried to mount a comeback in the third and Mannon McMahon and Clara Van Wieren brought it closer, but UMD ran out of time and lost the second game 5-3.
(2) Ohio State at St. Thomas
Emma Maltais broke the Ohio State program record for career points (171) and senior goaltender Quinn Kuntz earned her first win and first shutout in her first career start for the Buckeyes in their 4-0 win over the Tommies on Saturday. Emma Peschel, Sophie Jaques, Jenna Buglioni and Maltais all scored for OSU in the win. On Sunday, Peschel and Gabby Rosenthal each scored twice and Buglioni added two assists as the Buckeyes won 6-0.
(8) Yale at (4) Quinnipiac
Yale put an end to the Bobcats’ nine-game win streak that started the season on Friday with a 4-2 win at home. Anna Bargman opened the scoring but slipped home a shot from Jordan Ray that was tipped by Elle Hartje. Naomi Boucher scored the second goal when a shot ricocheted off the defense and landed on her stick. Sadie Peart’s breakaway goal made it 2-1 heading into the first intermission. In the second, it was Peart once again with another top shelf shot to even the score at two. Just 17 seconds later, Carina DiAntonio’s wicked shot put Yale ahead for good. Quinnipiac had the chance to tie it up late in the game on the power play, but the Bulldogs made six blocks and Charlotte Welch’s short-hander sealed the deal for Yale.
(4) Quinnipiac at Brown
Olivia Mobley’s two goals and two assists power a 4-1 rebound win for Quinnipiac on Saturday. Mobley and Shay Maloney had the Bobcats up 1-0 late in the first when Brown responded with a goal from Olivia Williamson. But Quinnipiac would not let them get any closer and goals from Veronica Bac and Mobley secured the win.
(10) Clarkson at (6) Colgate
This was a tight game from start to finish. Kalty Kaltounková put Colgate up early in the first as she cleaned up a rebound to make it 1-0. After a scoreless second, Gabrielle David tied the game in the opening minute of the third. The teams fought for the game-winner and Maggie MacEachern found redemption after having an earlier goal called off with 3:08 left in regulation as her shot from the faceoff dot got past Michelle Pasiechnyk to earn Colgate the 2-1 win.
New Hampshire vs. (7) Northeastern
In the first game of the home and home, Katy Knoll scored two goals and added an assist to lead Northeastern to a 5-0 win. Maureen Murphy, Alina Müller and Mia Brown also scored in the win. On Saturday, Murphy tallied a hat trick and Müller’s two assists fave her 209 points, passing UNH coach Hillary Witt for second-most points all-time in program history at Northeastern. Chloe Aurard had two goals and two assists and Maude Poulin-Labelle had three assists in the 8-2 win. Kira Juodikis and Gabby Jones scored New Hampshire’s goals.
(14) Princeton at (8) Yale
The Bulldogs outshot Princeton 46-21 over the first two periods, but the teams entered the third in a scoreless tie. Anna Bargman and Jordan Ray showed off some great chemistry in the third, leading to two goals and a Yale win. First Bargman was in position to clean up the rebound of Ray’s shot to make it 1-0. Later, Ray created a turnover, passed the puck to Bargman and then skated up ice with her to receive the pass back that she buried to make it a 2-0 win.
St. Lawrence at (9) Cornell
This was a crazy, eventful game that wasn’t high on defense but was big on drama. St. Lawrence scored 27 seconds into the game to go up 1-0. Cornell responded with two goals from McKenna VanGelder and one from Gillis Frechette to go up 3-1. That looked to be it for the first period, but St. Lawrence’s Kiley Mastel’s goal with 1.7 seconds left in the frame sent them to the locker room down by a single goal. Julia Gosling tied it for the Saints in the first minute of the second to make it 3-3. Much of the second period was played on special teams and the scoresheet shows it. Kaitlin Jockims scored on the power play to put Cornell up again, but St. Lawrence responded with two extra-attacker goals of their own from Abby Hustler and Mastel to make it 5-4 Saints. With more last moment heroics, Ashley Messier scored one more power play goal in the period to tie the game once more heading into the third. Anna Segedi put the Saints up 6-5 and it looked like they might pull away as Frechette was assessed a major penalty, sending her to the locker room and giving St. Lawrence a five minute power play. But instead of giving the Saints an advantage, Cornell reeled off two short-handed goals during the major to pull ahead 7-6. They held on through the final 10 minutes to eke out the win.
(10) Clarkson at (9) Cornell
A day after putting up seven goals, the Big Red followed up with an eight-goal night. Safe to say, Cornell has a very potent offense. Georgia Schiff scored 40 seconds into the game and Ashley Messier doubled the lead 24 seconds later. Clarkson’s Gretchen Branton got a goal back before five minutes had passed, but that was all the Golden Knights would be able to muster and Cornell took control from there. Eight different players scored for the Big Red. Gillis Frechette had a goal and four assists and Izzy Daniel added a goal and three assists to lead the team.
Mercyhurst at (11) Penn State
On Friday, Penn State outshot Mercyhurst 38-22 and extended their undefeated streak to seven games with a 4-1 win. The Lakers scored first on a goal from Liliane Perreault, but the Nittany Lions responded with goals from Courtney Correia and Eleri MacKay to take a 2-1 lead into the first intermission. Julie Gough and Tessa Janecke each scored a power play goal in the second to give Penn State the win. The second game started with a scoreless second period before Sydney Petersen’s goal put Mercyhurst up 1-0. Janecke responded on a 5-on-3 power play to tie the game heading into the third. From there, the Lakers pulled ahead. Thea Johansson scored the go ahead goal with about eight minutes left and Sara Boucher’s empty netter secured the 3-1 win and weekend split.
Boston University at (12) Providence
The Friars came from behind to win 3-2 in overtime on Friday. Catherine Foulem’s goal late in the first was the only one on the board until a few minutes into the third when Ida Press scored on the power play to tie it up. Ninety seconds later, Noemi Neubauerova gave Providence a 2-1 lead. Ten minutes later, Lacey Martin scored an extra-attacker goal of her own. The teams headed to overtime tied at two, where Sara Hjalmarsson earned her team the win on a breakaway goal. An early goal from Delaney Couture put the Friars up 1-0 on Saturday, but Foulem quickly evened it up for the Terriers. Reichen Kirchmair scored her eighth of the season to send Providence into the locker room up 2-1. Lauren DuBlois extended the lead in the third and Hunter Barnett made it a 4-1 win with her third period tally.
(13) Vermont at Maine
It took a minute for the Black Bears to get into the game on Friday. Maine took advantage with a goal in the opening minute from Elise Morphy. That woke up the visitors and they would go on to reel off six unanswered goals, including three from Natálie Mlýnková for her first career hat trick. Vermont took game one 6-1. The second game featured a busy first period. Tynka Pátková had the Catamounts up 1-0 a few minutes into the game, but the Black Bears quickly responded with goals from Alyssa Wruble and Grace Heiting to take a 2-1 lead. In the waning minutes of the opening frame, Evelyne Blais-Savoie tied the game on an odd-skater rush and Ellice Murphy cleaned up a rebound in the final minute to give Vermont a 3-2 lead at the end of one. The Black Bears fought back in the second but could not equalize and the Catamounts pulled away in the final half of the game, reeling off four more goals to pull out a 7-2 win. Blais-Savoie, Corinne McCool, Mlýnková and Lara Beecher each lit the lamp.
Connecticut at (15) Boston College
The Huskies streaked out to a fast start. Coryn Tamala hit Jada Habisch in stride to light the lamp 38 seconds after the puck dropped to put Connecticut up 1-0. That would prove to be all the Huskies needed as Tia Chan made 18 saves and the UConn defense racked up 15 blocks to keep Boston College off the board. In the second game, Brooke Campbell and Brianna Ware scored similar-looking goals to put Connecticut up 2-0 at the end of the first. Cailin Flynn put one past Chan in the second to cut the lead to 2-1. But the Huskies were able to extend the lead in the third just as a power play expired. Tamala put one past Grace Campbell to give UConn the weekend sweep.
