(1) Wisconsin at (3) Minnesota
The Badgers controlled the puck and were outshooting Minnesota 24-11 heading into the final frame, but were up just 1-0 thanks to a goal late in the first from Cassie Hall. But in the final frame, Wisconsin broke the game open and gave the Gophers no shot to counter. Rookie Finley McCarthy scored three minutes into the third and Casey O’Brien also found the back of the net a few minutes later to make it 3-0. On the ensuing play, Laila Edwards scored to make it 4-0. Maggie Scannell added a goal from behind the net that deflected off the goalie and in to close out a 5-0 win. After that loss, Minnesota came out on fire on Saturday and had Wisconsin back on their heels. Where the Badgers had controlled possession on Friday, the Gophers held the puck on Saturday. They were unable to capitalize in the first, but Sydney Morrow ripped one from the faceoff dot just 21 seconds into the second to make it 1-0. Hall took a tripping penalty right after, putting the Gophers on the PP and Morrow scored her second of the game on the ensuing power play. Madison Kaiser’s goal on the rush before the midpoint of the game gave Minnesota the 3-0 lead and it felt like the Gophers were going to coast to the same kind of win Wisconsin had the night before. But some sloppy play quickly led to a UW power play and Laila Edwards used her size to gain ground in front of the net where she was able to deflect KK Harvey’s shot from the point into the net to make it 3-1. A penalty in the closing moments of second gave the Badgers a power play to start the third and they quickly scored on a near copy of their first extra attacker goal, this time with Lacey Eden tipping Harvey’s shot into the net to cut the lead to 3-2 with most of the period to go. Harvey continued her massive game, carrying the puck end to end before turning at the back boards and putting a pass into the wide open slot for a crashing Hannah Halverson, who one-timed it into the back of the net to tie the game 3-3. With under seven to play, coming out of a tv timeout, O’Brien won a faceoff to the left of Hannah Clarke. Kirsten Simms pushed the puck back to Harvey on the blue line. Harvey put the puck back to the front of the net and as it trickled through traffic it fell to O’Brien in front of the net and she did not miss to complete the comeback and earn Wisconsin the weekend sweep, their first at Ridder since 2017. It was the Badgers’ sixth-straight win over Minnesota, the program’s longest winning streak against its Border-Battle rivals. Both goalies were stellar in the game, making several point-blank saves to keep their team in the game.
(2) Ohio State at (11) St. Cloud State
The Buckeyes jumped out quickly in the first game, as Joy Dunne and then Jordan Petrie scored before three minutes had elapsed, putting St. Cloud in a hole it was too difficult for them to dig out of. Grace Wolfe scored on the power play late in the second to cut the Buckeye’s lead to 2-1, but that’s as close as it would get. Dunne scored a power play goal of her own to open the second. Jenna Buglioni’s shorty in the third made it 4-1 and Petrie iced the 5-1 win with her second goal of the game. It was a different story in the second game. Jocelyn Amos scored on the power play late in the first to put OSU up 1-0. Jordan Baxter’s goal early in the second made it 2-0. But the Huskies fought right back, responding less than two minutes later with a power play goal from Breja Parent. Then Abby Promersberger scored unassisted to tie the game 2-2 before the midpoint. It looked like that might be the final score, but a a too many skaters penalty put Ohio State on the power play and Buglioni cashed in to make it 3-2 OSU with under three to play. St. Cloud immediately pulled their goalie and then got a six on four chance as Sara Swiderski was called for a cross check. Dayle Ross’ goal with 63 seconds left tied the game and forced OT. Ohio State killed a penalty in overtime and this one ended a 3-3 tie. In the shootout, Sofiana Sundelin scored the only goal and St. Cloud took the extra point. Freshman goalie Emilia Kyrkkö was stupendous, making a career-high 45 saves and three shots in the shootout.
St. Thomas at (5) Minnesota Duluth
The Bulldogs scored three times on the power play to skate to a 3-0 win in their home opener on Friday. Clara Van Wieren had a goal and two assists and Caitlin Kraemer and Olivia Mobley each lit the lamp in the victory. On Saturday, Danielle Burgen and Devyn Millwater each scored to give Minnesota Duluth a 2-0 win and weekend sweep.
(6) Cornell at Mercyhurst
It took a shootout for these teams to finally find the back of the net and in the end, there was just one puck that found its way to the back of the net – from Cornell’s Piper Grober. The game officially ended a 0-0 tie and Cornell grabbed the shootout point. Jorden Mattison made 41 saves for Mercyhurst and Annelies Bergmann stopped 34 shots for Cornell. In the second game, Thea Johansson’s power play goal had the Lakers up 1-0 in the first. After a scoreless second, Sofia Nuutinen lit the lamp in the third to make it 2-0. Karel Prefontaine cut the lead to 2-1, but Cornell could not complete the comeback and Mercyhurst earned the 2-1 win. Magdalena Luggin made 43 saves for the Lakers, which were a career high and earned her first career win. .
(7) St. Lawrence at Vermont
Jane Gervais pitched a 36-save shutout to keep her team in the game and Lara Beecher’s goal midway through the first proved to be all Vermont needed to get past St. Lawrence on Friday. But the Saints responded on Saturday as Abby Hustler had a goal and three assists while Aly McLeod added a goal and two assists to lead St. Lawrence to a 5-0 win.
(8) Connecticut at Providence
The Huskies jumped out to an early lead thanks to a goal from Ashley Allard and doubled it in the opening minute of the second thanks to Megan Woodworth. Providence mounted a comeback in the final minutes of the second as Millie Sirum and Sarah Davies scored to tie the game 2-2. Martha Mobarak found a great time to score her first career goal, lighting the lamp in early in the third to put UConn ahead for good and earn the 3-2 win.
(8) Connecticut at Harvard
Junior goalie Emily Davidson made 34 saves to blank UConn and senior captain Jenna MacDonald scored to give Harvard a 1-0 win in their first game of the season.
Post at (9) Colgate
On Friday, Jamiee Spring, Kalty Kaltounková, Sara Stewert, Kaia Malachino and Elyssa Biederman each scored to lead the Raiders to a 6-1 win. Jodie Rose scored for Post in the loss. On Saturday, all eleven Raider forwards scored at least one point. Kaltounková led with two goals and two assists as Colgate took an 11-1 win and weekend sweep.
Syracuse at (10) Quinnipiac
The Bobcats jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first with goals from Maddy Samoskevich, Maya Labad and Laurence Frenette. Zoe Uens added a goal in the second and Quinnipiac took a 4-0 win on Friday. In the second game, after a scoreless first, Syracuse took a 1-0 lead on a goal from Rylee McLeod. It seems that Labad took that personally, as she responded with two goals over the next six minutes and then added a third in the final frame to complete the first hat trick of her career. Kahlen Lamarche’s empty-netter secured a 4-1 win and weekend sweep for the Bobcats.
Dartmouth at (12) Penn State
Nicole Hall scored midway through the third and Tessa Janecke had an empty-netter to earn Penn State a 2-0 win on Friday. Freshman goalie Michaela Hesová was stellar in net in her debut for the Big Green, making 42 saves. In the second game, freshman Grace Outwater scored the first two goals of her career to lead the Nittany Lions to a 4-1 win. Katelyn Roberts had the only goal in the first to put PSU up 1-0. Mia Buonarosa replied for Dartmouth midway through the second to tie the game 1-1, but from there it was all Penn State. Stella Retrum lit the lamp a few minutes later and Outwater scored once each in the second and third to make it a 4-1 win and weekend sweep.
Holy Cross at (13) Northeastern
Third period scoring was the name of these games this weekend. Friday’s game was a back and forth, hard-fought affair. Holy Cross got on the board first with a goal from Lane Lewis and carried that lead to the first intermission. In the second, Taze Thompson scored in the opening two minutes to tie the game and then Jules Constantinople’s power play goal gave the Huskies a 2-1 lead which they carried into the second intermission. The Crusaders came out flying in the third as Emily Crovo tied it less than four minutes in. Mackenzie King made it 3-2 and Crovo’s second goal gave Holy Cross a 4-2 lead with just under seven to go. But Northeastern would not be counted out. They pulled their goalie almost immediately and put the pressure on. Skylar Irving’s goal at 17:15 fired the Huskies up and Morgan Jackson scored her first career goal with just more than a minute left in regulation to force overtime. An overtime period could not decide this one, but Éloïse Caron and Irving each scored in the shootout to earn the Huskies the extra point. On Saturday, the teams could not seem to find an advantage against each other as the game was scoreless until there were just three minutes left in the second. Lulu Rourke put the Crusaders up 1-0, but three Northeastern goals over six minutes in the third broke the game open for the Huskies. Lily Shannon, Ella Blackmore and and Lily Brazis each lit the lamp to make it 3-1. Charlotte Sontag scratched one back for Holy Cross with under four to play to make it 3-2, but Jaden Bogden’s empty-netter secured the 4-2 win for Northeastern.
(14) Princeton at Robert Morris
Sarah Paul tallied her first career hat trick in the Tigers’ season opener, leading them to a 7-1 win over the Colonials. Hannah Fetterolf notched her first career goal and Jane Kuehl, Mia Coene and Mackenzie Alexander each added a goal in the win. Veronica Bac was the goal-scorer for Robert Morris. On Saturday, nine different goal scorers powered Princeton to an 11-1 win and weekend sweep. Angelina and Lucia DiGirolamo each scored the first of their careers and Gabby Kim led the Tigers with a goal and three assists. Alaina Giampietro scored for the Colonials in the loss.
