2025 Women’s Frozen Four Live Blog (Championship Sunday- March 30)

A champion will be crowned by the day’s end in Division III women’s hockey.  Come back for updates throughout today’s action, whether you’re streaming online, or following along at the rink.  I’m thrilled for a matchup between two elite teams who are more than deserving of a championship.

#4 UW-River Falls vs. #2 Amherst Live Blog (starts at bottom)

5:23 PM CT  Awards have been handed out, and it feels a bit like deja vu from a year ago.  I’ll sign off for now, but have more on this incredible weekend of hockey later on.  Thanks so much for tuning in!

5:17 PM CT  Bit of a hiccup in the trophy presentation, as the PA accidentally skipped over the Amherst team trophy presentation.

5:06 PM CT  All-Tournament Team is named, and I have no complaints with these picks.

From Amherst: Forward Alyssa Xu, Defense Gretchen Dann, Goalie Natalie Stott

From River Falls: Forward Bailey Olson (Tournament MVP), Forward Madison Kadrlik, Defense Makenna Aure.

5:02 PM CT  The clock ticks down, and the crowd is going wild with “overrated” chants.  The Mammoths really can’t get much of anything going.  In a play synonymous with the entire theme of the game, Kailey Niccum beats an icing play to run out the clock.  Falcons go back to back!!!

5:01 PM CT  Stott heads to the bench, as Bailey Olson just puts forth an attempt that just hits the side of the net.  Amherst lays a big hit at center ice, and the  Mammoths are now in business.  Marie-Eve Marleau had a good look, but sent it wide. 1 minute remaining.

5:00 PM CT  Amherst pulls Stott with just under 3 remaining.  Falcons go offside, so Stott returns.

4:58 PM CT  UWRF catches Amherst in a change with a perfect breakout pass, but after a sweet move, Stott shuts the door on the clean breakaway chance by Katherine Bell.  Mammoths hanging on by a thread.  Falcons put on a couple more good chances, but Stott stands tall.

4:56 PM CT  Refs are swallowing the whistles this period, as there’s been a couple blatant interference calls gone by uncalled.  Mammoths get a good chance with about 6 minutes remaining, but it whistles high and wide.

4:53 PM CT  UWRF getting a couple more great looks on net, but Stott is stone-walling the Falcons, keeping her team in it, as she has for most of this contest.  The Mammoths cannot keep up with River Falls right now.  The difference in speed is drastic.

4:50 PM CT  Amherst getting the puck more than the last 2 periods, but everything is on the perimeter, with not a lot of traffic in front of the net.  Mammoth captain laid a big hit behind the play that went uncalled.  We approach the midway point of the 3rd stanza, and River Falls is doing a great job cycling the puck and keeping possession.

4:46 PM CT  Amherst putting together a couple much better shifts, as they’ve thrown a couple shots on O’Kane.  They’ve been pretty easy saves, but it’s the most she’s been tested in quite a while.  We’ll see if Amherst can keep it up.  14 minutes remaining…

4:43 PM CT  Falcon forecheck continues to give Amherst issues, as the first line comes away with another scoring chance that’s sent wide.  Amherst needs to get the puck in the Falcon zone if they want a shot at this.

4:40 PM CT River Falls comes out skating hard, as they’re really showing their legs.  Bailey Olson had another 2-on-1, where she elected to shoot blocker side, but Stott turned it away.

4:39 PM CT Third period is underway, and this one’s not over yet. I’d expect Amherst to come out pretty aggressive to start this frame to try and get back within striking distance.

4:23 PM CT  End of the 2nd period is here as O’Kane made a covering attempt in the final seconds, but similar to before, the refs blew it dead when the goaltender did not have control.

Falcons carry the 3-1 lead into the 2nd intermission, 20 minutes from another title.  Shots were 10-6 Falcons in the 2nd, giving them a 20-11 edge for the game.  Mammoths pushed hard after cutting the deficit to 1, but the Falcons got all the momentum back with their late goal.

4:19 PM CT  Captain Anna Baxter generates a great look for the Mammoths, but the centering pass is pushed wide of O’Kane.  On the other end, Bailey Olson continues to make it happen, dangling through the defense, and eventually finding the puck on a wraparound chance to put another one past Natalie Stott.  The Falcons go back up by two goals!

4:16 PM CT  Cranston throws out his top line to stunt the Amherst run, and they generate a couple decent looks, but the Mammoths come right back and put a clean shot on O’Kane who soaks it up, preventing a potential rebound goal.  River Falls comes right back with another decent look, but the refs blow play dead for the 2nd time when Stott didn’t have the puck covered.

4:13 PM CT  The momentum appears to have shifted, as Amherst has strung together a couple great shifts since the goal, really putting the pressure on the Falcon defense.  Amherst looks like a different team.

4:10 PM CT  Best shift of the game for Amherst, as Maeve Reynolds pulls off a slick move that O’Kane kicks away before the defense clears it out off harm’s way.  But Amherst is buzzing in the Falcon zone.  After about 90 seconds of pressure, the Mammoths finally put one home on the rebound, flipping this game on its head.  Bea Flynn gets her 4th goal of the tournament.

4:08 PM CT  River Falls sends a shot through a lot of traffic, that may have tipped the outside of the post or a defender right at the goalmouth.  Right after, UWRF almost connects on a netside tip but the puck just skips over the center’s stick.

4:06 PM CT  Stott makes another big stop, as River Falls is starting to pour it on.  About 11 minutes remaining in Period 2, and this one has started just like the 1st period finished.

4:02 PM CT  Goal is good!  So the technical call on the ice (after an initial very long discussion) was no goal.  But Joe Cranston was successful on his challenge after the refs looked at the instant replay.  The Frozen Four cameras got it right.  Let’s get these for all NCAA tournament rounds, now.

3:57 PM CT  2-0 River Falls!  It’s Bailey Olson making it happen again, as she came out of the box, throwing one off the pads of Stott and Madison Kadrlik is there for the clean up, doubling the lead.  Goal appears to be under review, perhaps for a kicking motion by Kadrlik.

3:56 PM CT  Another clean kill for the Falcons, as Amherst doesn’t generate much.  O’Kane made one nice stop.

3:54 PM CT  Mammoths get the break they’re looking for, as River Falls commits another penalty.  Ayla Abben backchecked hard on a Falcon rush, which mucked things up, and the Falcons tripped up a Mammoth shortly after.  Third PP chance upcoming for AC.

3:52 PM CT  Amherst struggling to keep the puck out of their own end right now, as they are having trouble keeping up with the Falcons below the goal line.  Stott continues to make things tough though, giving no rebounds.

3:48 PM CT  Unbelievable start to the 2nd for River Falls as two All-Americans team up for a massive 2 on 1 goal to put the Falcons up very early in the period.  Bailey Olson sets up Makenna Aure on a platter, who deked Stott to get her down, then roofed it top shelf.  1-0 Falcons and the crowd is buzzing!

3:46 PM CT  Second period is underway, with the teams returning to the ice.  We’ll see if the Falcon momentum generated at the end of the 1st period continues…

3:27 PM CT  We’ve reached the end of the first period, and the score remains zeros on both sides.  Amherst started strong, able to muck things up in the neutral zone.  The Falcons dominated the 2nd half of the period though, getting some really good looks, and deking through multiple Mammoth defenders.  Natalie Stott has been the MVP thus far.

Shots ended up at 10-5 in favor of the Falcons, but that doesn’t tell the story of zone time.  The Falcons have had the puck in the Mammoth end almost the entire latter 10 minutes, as they’ve missed the net on quite a few oportunities as well.

3:24 PM CT  Falcons’ speed is really starting to pay off, as freshman Kylie Jones dekes through a Mammoth defender, but Stott stands tall.

3:23 PM CT  After a filthy breakout pass from UWRF, the Falcons speed up ice and Ellie Brice is stoned by Stott on a brief odd-man rush.  Falcons send a couple more chances just wide of the Amherst net shortly after.

3:20 PM CT  Both teams are having a tough time connecting on passes, as the opponents are playing super tight in the neutral zone.  After a brutal Mammoths turnover in front of Stott, she bails out the defense on a neat give-and-go play by the Falcons

3:16 PM CT- Amherst does a much better job on this PP, but the Falcons kill off another, doing a great job of blocking shots themselves.  We’re past the halfway point in this scoreless first period.  Shots on goal are 5-4 Falcons.

3:13 PM CT- After Makenna Aure sent a screened shot towards Stott, the puck whistled just wide on a tip.  Shortly after, River Falls commits another penalty, as they’re nailed on a cross-checking call.  Lots of special teams early.  We’ll see if the Mammoths can generate a little more on this one.

3:11 PM CT- After an Amherst icing call, after winning the faceoff, POY Bailey Olson nearly toe dragged around the fellow center, creating havoc right in front of Stott, but she was able to see the puck and cover it up.  The following draw, Stott did a great job again tracking the puck in traffic and covering.  Mammoths are doing a great job blocking shots, as they’ve already gotten in the way of what seems like 5 or 6 shots.

3:09 PM CT- Falcons had one weird bounce that almost threw off Stott at the net mouth, but trickled wide.  But Amherst did a great job keeping UWRF uncomfortable on the power play.  The physicality is really picking up here with some big collisions in the neutral zone.

3:06 PM CT- Falcons do a great job, killing the penalty off with almost no chances.  Almost immediately after, Amherst gets called for a trip of their own in the neutral zone.  We’ll see the #1 PP vs. the #2 PK.

3:03 PM CT- Very strong opening couple minutes for the Mammoths, as they force a couple turnovers in the Falcon end and generate a great scoring chance out front, saved by O’Kane.  They nearly miss on another chance, and the Falcons are called for a tripping penalty subsequentially.  Huge early moment here.

3:01 PM CT- The anthem has come and past, as Amherst wins the opening draw and we’re underway with a quick icing, with the Falcons the guilty party.

2:53 PM CT- Teams coming onto the ice after the final preparations as the national anthem is upon us.  As the high seed, the Mammoths are in their home white jerseys with black gear and purple accents.  Amherst is starting their 2nd line tonight of senior captain Anna Baxter, flanked on the wings by fellow freshmen Ayla Abban and Bea Flynn.  On the blue line, Gretchen Dann and Clare O’Connor get the start, with stud goalie Natalie Stott in goal.

Just like last game, the Falcons, as the low seed, will be wearing red jerseys at home, an odd sight, with their usual black helmets and gear.  The Falcons will be rolling out the same starters as Friday.  Alexa Niccum, Madison Kadrlik, and Bailey Olson get the nod as the starting forward line.  Cahlilah Lindquist and Makenna Aure get the start on the back end, with Jordan O’Kane in the blue paint.

2:22 PM CT- Teams have hit the ice for pregame warm-ups, getting all those extra nerves out of their system before the storm hits at 3 PM.

Amherst is looking for the program’s 3rd national championship and first since 2010.  This is the 4th title game in the history of the program, winning in 2009 and 2010, and losing their most recent appearance, in 2023, in which they hosted Gustavus.

River Falls is looking to go back-to-back after winning the program’s first national championship on home ice last year.  This is UWRF’s 3rd all-time appearance in the national championship game, losing in 2016, before finally breaking through last year.

2:11 PM CT- Both teams’ fans are filtering into the rink, and as expected, there are numerous Falcon faithful who have gathered here early to get good seating.  For those who are curious, the theme appears to have changed for the UWRF fans.  Friday night’s “red-out” has shifted to a good old-fashioned “black-out” this Sunday afternoon.  The Amherst fans will be easy to spot on the video stream, wearing their signature, bright-purple hats and scarves.

1:55 PM CT- Just got to our media table at lovely Hunt Arena in River Falls, Wisconsin.  The weather proved to be quite a bit different from Friday, as the remaining east coast fans from Amherst are getting used to a classic midwestern spring weekend.  72 degrees on Friday, followed up just two days later with sleet, wind, and rain and a chilly 33 degrees on Sunday.