UW-River Falls To Play For NCAA Women’s Ice Hockey National Title

**UW-River Falls Sports Information contributed to this recap.

RIVER FALLS, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-River Falls earned a spot in the NCAA Division III Women’s Ice Hockey national championship game for the second straight year with a 4-2 victory over Augsburg University (Minn.) in the semifinals at Hunt Arena on March 28.

The defending national champion Falcons (25-3-2) will face Amherst College (Mass.) (23-5-1) in the title game on March 30, with puck drop set for 3:00 pm.

Against Augsburg (24-4-1), UW-River Falls trailed 2-1 early in the second period before scoring three unanswered goals to extend their winning streak to 10 games.

It was a back-and-forth affair in the first 40 minutes with both teams exchanging goals in the first two periods. It took UW-River Falls under four minutes to open the scoring with Alexa Niccum granting the Falcons a 1-0 lead at 3:41. Augsburg's Livia Brehm tied the game at 1-1 late in the first period, and Aunna Schulte put the Auggies ahead 2-1 early in the second. However, UW-River Falls responded with Madison Lavergne’s equalizer at the 17:26 mark of the second period as she deflected a shot from the point from Kennedi Bielenberg-Howarth past Auggie netminder Kayla Simonson.

The Falcons took control in the third period, with Megan Goodreau scoring top shelf off the rush at 11:15 to give UW-River Falls the lead back. Shortly after, Cahlilah Lindquist gave the Falcons the two-goal cushion to make it 4-2, a lead in which the Falcons held on to for the rest of regulation.

Both teams were unsuccessful on the power play, with UW-River Falls going 0-for-2 and Augsburg going 0-for-4. The Falcons finished with a 29-24 edge in shots on goal.

Jordan O’Kane picked up her 18th win of the season in goal, making 22 saves.

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