Recap courtesy of UW-River Falls Sports Information
The University of Wisconsin-River Falls advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Division III Women’s Ice Hockey Championship with a 1-0 victory in a quarterfinal contest over Williams College (Mass.) at Hunt Arena on March 21.
UW-River Falls (28-1) will make its eighth “Frozen Four” appearance in program history and host the four-team event as the No. 1 seed. The semifinals are slated for 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. (Central) on March 27, followed by the championship game at 3 p.m. on March 29. UW-River Falls will face Amherst College (Mass.) (21-2-6) in the second semifinal game – it is a rematch of last year’s national championship. The other semifinal will feature Norwich University (Vt.) (26-2) and Nazareth University (N.Y.) (26-1-1).
Ticket sales will be online only and fans can purchase tickets HERE. NCAA semifinal tickets will be available for purchase starting tomorrow, March 22 at 8 a.m. (CT). Two hundred free tickets will be available for UW-River Falls students, thanks to the UW-River Falls Student Government Association.
After a scoreless first period that saw both teams trade chances, UW-River Falls broke through midway through the second. Just past the seven-minute mark, MaKenna Aure netted the game's lone goal, snapping a shot through screens past the Ephs' goaltender, with an assist from Katherine Bell. Aure's 14th goal of the season proved to be the difference and stood as the game-winner.
From there, the Falcons' defense and goaltending took over. UW-River Falls outshot Williams 46-37 on the afternoon and controlled play at key stretches, including a 16-shot second period.
Jordan O’Kane turned in a flawless performance in net, stopping all 37 shots she faced to earn the shutout, her eighth of the season, which ties a UW-River Falls single-season record. O'Kane also picked up her 24th win of the season to break a UW-River Falls record for most wins by a goaltender in a season, passing Jordan O'Connor's previous record total of 23 set during the 2023-24 season.
The Falcons also limited Williams' power-play opportunities, killing off all four Eph advantages while going 0-for-2 on their own chances.
Williams pushed late, pulling its goaltender in the final minutes and applying pressure with an extra attacker, but the Falcons held firm to preserve the victory.
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