2025 Women’s Frozen Four Live Blog (Semifinal Friday- March 28)

Happy Frozen Four to all who celebrate!  Today, I’ll be live on site in River Falls, Wisconsin at the beautiful Hunt Arena on the campus of UWRF.  Whether you’re watching at home, or making the trip to one or both of today’s games, be sure to bookmark this page to keep up with all the action that takes place.  I’ll be providing updates throughout the day, and good luck to all four teams!

#4 UW-River Falls vs. #1 Augsburg Live Blog (starts at bottom)

9:06 PM CT  Auggies finally got Simonson off with 21 seconds remaining, but nothing really dangerous was generated.  Falcons win 4-2 and advance to their 2nd consecutive national championship!  They’ll take on Amherst Sunday afternoon.  Falcons outshot the Auggies 28-23 in a very competitive game.

9:05 PM CT  Simonson can’t get off to the bench for the extra attacker.  UWRF is pinning the Auggies in their own zone, and this one looks like it’s done.

9:03 PM CT  O’Kane shuts down Cronkhite with a nice blocker save with 2:30 left.  This decent chance was the best look for the Auggies this period.

9:00 PM CT  Timeout on the clock with 4:26 remaining in regulation.  Augsburg called it, as the Falcons have captured all the momentum in the game.  Auggies will need to get some chances generated soon if they have a chance at a comeback.  They haven’t done much offensively in the 3rd.  The Falcons legs look to be the difference, at the moment.

8:58 PM CT  Auggies defender makes a phenomenal play to break up a 2 on 1.  The Falcons retrieve the puck, and with Auggies diving on multiple attempts to clear, the Falcons find the rebound, and Cahlilah Lindquist buries the rebound.  Momentum is all Falcons, now.  4-2 UWRF with 5 to go.

8:55 PM CT  Auggies are starting to take some chances, and legs may be getting tired.  Bodies are colliding all over the ice.  6 minutes to play..

8:52 PM CT  Falcons take the 3-2 lead with 8:45 remaining!  First-team All-American Megan Goodreau found a runway of open ice, took it with speed, and ripped an absolute laser beam blocker-side on Simonson.  Big time players make big time plays.

8:49 PM CT  Falcons kill it off without too much damage, with the toughest test being a River Falls player making a play on the puck accidentally knocking it back to their own goalie, but O’Kane was aware, covering it up.

8:46 PM CT  Better man advantage than last for UWRF, but no goals.  Falcons trying to be a little too fine, missing on some easier passes, and missing the net a good bit.  I don’t blame them for the latter, though.  They’re trying to pick corners with a goalie this good.

Now Augsburg, is heading back to the man advantage with another Falcon trip.  I really thought this game would be called differently given the checks I saw in the first couple minutes, but they’re calling it pretty tight.

8:43PM CT  Falcons returning to the power play, looking for some more momentum and success than the last one.  Auggies tripped up Madison Kadrlik who had a decent look at the net.

8:41 PM CT  Falcons pouring it on early here, with a couple huge net front shots, but Simonson continues to stand on her head, kicking away nearly everything she sees.  Auggies starting to push back with some time in the UWRF end…

8:39 PM CT Incredible sequence unfolds, as a seeing eye shot from the Auggie blueline eluded two Falcons, with O’Kane making a desperation save, seeing it at the last moment.  Right after, Augsburg looked to have a clean slapshot with the Falcons under pressure, but Bailey Olson stripped the puck and turned on the burners, getting a partial breakaway.  The D took away the angle well, but Simonson made a great shoulder stop to keep the game deadlocked.

8:38 PM CT Third period is off and running, as the Auggies get another decent chance from Aunna Schulte, but she fires the puck wide of the net.

8:19 PM CT The Falcons definitely captured the momentum after tying the score, with a couple wild scrambles in front of the Augsburg net prior to the period running out.  After 2, we’re tied at 2.  The 2nd period didn’t have the pace of Period 1, but both teams took and gave punches, as you can feel the momentum swings in the air. This game feels like an instant classic.  Augsburg outshot River Falls in the period, 12-8.  UWRF leads in SOG for the game: 21-16.

8:16 PM CT Falcons tie the game!  After a couple head hunter shots, one finds a way through from the point and deflects in to tie the game at 2 with 2:34 remaining in period 2.  Two’s are wild!  Goal credited to Madison Lavergne, who had been working so hard defensively all game long.  She gets rewarded with the tying marker.

8:14 PM CT Auggies kill off the man advantage, as the Falcons had a couple looks, but nothing too dangerous for Kayla Simonson in net.  The Auggies had a decent shorthanded look of their own, but couldn’t get the shot off due to some hard Falcon backchecking.

8:10 PM CT Finally, the top ranked power play gets their chance, as Augsburg’s Fagerlind goes to the box for a tripping call.  This could be a turning point in the game.

8:06 PM CT The game has slowed down quite a bit, with both teams making some great defensive plays to keep their goalies clean.  But as I type this, O’Kane makes three really nice saves in back-to-back sequences.  Augsburg is starting to flip this game on its head and is controlling a lot of the play.

8:02 PM CT Falcons do a great job on the kill, blocking about 5 or 6 painful-looking shots on the Auggie power play, as they successfully kill it off. Back to 5 on 5 with about 12 minutes remaining in the middle frame.

7:59 PM CT Oh boy.  We might have some controversy brewing in western Wisconsin, as now the Falcons get another penalty, and it’s for too many players on the ice.  Joe Cranston is as mad as I’ve ever seen him, as this is getting out of hand, quickly.  Augsburg back to the power play.

7:57 PM CT  Auggie Goal!  Freshman Aunna Schulte continues her insane run of goal-scoring, potting another one over the shoulder of Jordan O’Kane just as the power play expired.  The Auggies didn’t do much of anything the first minute and a half of the PP, but got a couple good looks late, including the go-ahead goal.

7:54 PM CT  Massive momentum swing, as Madison Lavergne gets stonewalled on a neat pad save by Simonson, and then a mid-ice collision between a Falcon and an Auggie results in a power-play for Augsburg, their 2nd of the game.

7:51 PM CT  Period 2 is underway, as the Falcons ice the puck to start things off.  In the ensuing faceoff, Emily Cronkhite floated one over O’Kane’s net, followed by another icing by UWRF.

7:34 PM CT  End of one in River Falls. It didn’t come easy, but that’s the start the Auggies needed.  Weather the storm of the home crowd, and they did just that, escaping the 1st period with a tie.  Simonson made a nice blocker save and one that rattled off the top of her helmet on an incredible shot.  Shots were 13-4 River Falls, and each team left a lot of opportunities on the board.  This game is incredibly fast-paced and a completely different style from Game 1 today.

7:30 PM CT  Auggies tie the game! It’s Livia Brehm with an incredible individual effort to beat O’Kane top shelf.  The Auggies have snipers, so if they get looks, they’re bound to hit some.  The building is as quiet as it’s been in this game (still loud).

7:28 PM CT  Falcons getting frustrated, and need to be careful to not take a retaliation penalty, as the refs missed another blatant trip in behind Simonson.  I’m all for letting stuff go, as long as you call it both ways.

7:25 PM CT  Augsburg catches a huge break, as a clear-as-day too many players on the ice call, goes uncalled.  Shortly after, O’Kane passes her toughest test of the game thus far, saving a tough rebound chance by sprawling across the ice.

7:19 PM CT  UWRF is whipping the puck around the zone, tape to tape.  Simonson makes another two massive pad saves to keep the deficit at one.  Halfway through the period, I think Augsburg just needs to take the “damage control” approach and get through this period within striking distance.

7:17 PM CT  Auggies had a couple decent looks that missed O’Kane, but the Falcons did a great job forechecking keeping the puck out of their own end.  UWRF kills it off and subsequently gets another good look that whizzes wide past Simonson.

7:13 PM CT  Another huge chance for the Falcons, but Simonson stands tall.  It’s ALL Falcons right now.  But a huge opportunity for the Auggies, as a Faclcon heads to the box for hooking.

7:10 PM CT  Bailey Olson almost struck again, as she just walked an Auggie defender, and put a tough shot on Simonson.  Kadrlik followed up with a quick snap shot but Simonson soaked it up with no rebound.

7:09 PM CT  First shot on goal goes in for River Falls, 3:41 into the period.  I was just about to say how confident freshman goalie Kayla Simonson looked, as she batted the puck up out of the air to her self on a dump in attempt that was rolling in and caught it.  She might have been a little overconfident, as the Falcons’ top line strikes early, taking advantage of the massive home crowd.

7:04 PM CT  10 seconds in, and we’ve seen two massive, PWHL-level hits already, so I think this one has all the makings of being extremely physical.

6:56 PM CT  Just about puck drop, and there’s not an open seat to be had.  UWRF’s starters are O’Kane in net, Aure and Lindquist on the blue line, Madison Kadrlik, Alexa Niccum and Bailey Olson up front.  For the Auggies, it’s Simonson in net, Stepan and Bonnell on the back end, and the forwards being Eskin, Cronkhite, and Grundhoffer.

6:22 PM CT  Welcome back, as we have just started our nightcap between the #1 seed Augsburg Auggies, and #4 seed and host UW-River Falls Falcons.  We’re still 40 minutes away from puck drop and Hunt Arena is already rocking.  My smart watch has already alerted me that it’s too loud of an environment.  Well, I guess hockey is taking priority over the health of my ears tonight.

#3 Middlebury vs. #2 Amherst Live Blog (starts at bottom)

5:05 PM CT  Amherst wins 3-1, advancing to the National Championship game!  Natalie Stott got a couple more big saves in the closing moments.  Amherst ends up outshooting Middlebury 21-18 in a very-well played game.  Amherst was the better team by a hair, as both teams were showed themselves very well.

5:03 PM CT  Amherst’s Bea Flynn scores in her 2nd straight NCAA game, potting an empty netter after Natalie Stott made a massive save for the Mammoths about a half minute earlier, keeping the Mammoths ahead. Amherst leads 3-1.

5:01 PM CT  Net empty for Middlebury with 1:45 to go.  Panthers call their timeout after an offsides call with 1:32 to go.  Panthers are familiar with some late game magic, and they’ll need some more this afternoon.

4:59 PM CT  Middlebury is sensing the direness of the situation, and really starting to take risks in their offensive zone and getting very creative. Amherst is playing terrific team defense in front of Stott, though, and has kept her pretty clean in terms of shots allowed. 2:30 to go.

4:54 PM CT  Amherst back on top with 7 minutes to play!  Alyssa Xu caught a filthy pass from Maeve Reynolds, beat the defender, and deked the goalie to pot her 2nd of the afternoon into a wide open net.

4:50 PM CT Since the Middlebury goal, the game has slowed down a bit, with lots of whistles, pucks out of play, and icing.  Both teams are playing more conservative and getting pucks deep.

4:45 PM CT Panthers even the score!  Just 5 and a half minutes after the Mammoth goal, Middlebury’s Cece Ziegler, playing a homecoming game of sorts, rips off a shot from the point and tips off an Amherst defender right in front of Stott and in the back of the net.

4:43 PM CT Middlebury is pushing hard, but Amherst is doing a great job staying aggressive.  Raia Schluter had another nice rush for the Panthers, but Stott got a good look and blockered it aside.  Physicality is picking back up as both teams are really selling out.

4:38 PM CT Middlebury comes up empty, missing the net on a shorthanded 2 on 1. Amherst comes the other way, and pots a goal on a loose puck in the crease converting on the power play, finally breaking the deadlock.  Alyssa Xu gets credit for the goal.

4:35 PM CT Third period underway, and we’re exactly where we started.  We’ll see who can come out of the gates strongly.  Amherst is heading to an early power play 29 seconds in, as Middlebury is called for a trip

4:19 PM CT-  End of Period #2, as we are still at 0-0.  Mammoths outshot the Panthers 10-3 in the 2nd period, as Amherst appeared to be the better team in that frame.  It wasn’t one-sided though, as Amherst blocked what seemed like dozens of potential shots, and the saves Stott did make that period were dandies.

4:17 PM CT-  Amherst’s timeout pays off, as they’re able to clear the zone immediately and change, followed up by another great chance by Bea Flynn, as she has had a fantastic game, generating a ton of chances.

4:15 PM CT-  Middlebury starting to wear down Amherst at the end of this period, generating a couple huge chances, that involved a few missed nets, a big save, and a last-ditch diving clear by Maeve Reynolds in front of her own cage, preventing a point blank chance.  Amherst ices the puck after back to back sequences in their own end, as coach Jeff Matthews uses the Mammoths’ timeout with 1:34 remaining in the 2nd.

4:10 PM CT-  The 4 on 4 play and abbreviated Amherst power play didn’t result in a ton of action, so we return to 5 on 5 play with about 5 minutes remaining in Period 2.

4:07 PM CT-  Middlebury gets another penalty for charging, resulting in some 4 on 4 hockey.  Jordan Hower appeared to make contact with goaltender Stott after making a huge save on the power play.  I thought she held up initially, but a huge bummer for Middlebury, as their power play was humming, snapping the puck around to generate some quality looks.

4:05 PM CT-  Middlebury is able to kill of the penalty, with not many scoring chances for Amherst. Not long after, the Panthers are heading to a powerplay of their own, as the Mammoths are hit up for a tripping call.

4:01 PM CT-  Mammoths now heading to the powerplay, as Middlebury is called for a high-sticking call in the offensive zone.  Not a great penalty to take.

3:59 PM CT-  Both teams getting really good looks now, as Bea Flynn is making things happen for the Mammoths coming very close to scoring, and Middlebury immediately follows things up with a 2 on 1 the other direction, broken up by Gretchen Dann on an amazing backcheck.

Right after this, Stott makes the save of the game on a juicy rebound at the net front, stretching out her 5’11 frame to get it with her pads.  Still scoreless with 12 min remaining in the 2nd stanza.

3:55 PM CT-  While the transition game was working for Amherst early on in the 2nd, they’re cycle game is looking very strong at the moment.  Mammoths have come out of the 2nd very strong, which is a common occurrence with this team.

3:51 PM CT-  Best chance of the game thus far, as freshman Sami Lester almost broke the scoreless tie for Amherst.  On an odd-man rush, Lester fired one on net, collected the rebound, and fired again, but Will stood tall in goal.  Right as I type this, Will makes another glove save on a 2 on 2 rush.  Amherst’s transition game is starting to give the Panthers trouble.

3:47 PM CT-  Second period underway as seconds in, Panther goalie Sophia Will makes a nice glove save on sophomore D of the Mammoths, Claire O’Connor.

3:30 PM CT-  Scoreless after one, which is probably a surprise to very few people.  Shots on goal in favor of Middlebury, 8-6.  The period started pretty even, with Middlebury taking control in the middle portion.  After the penalty kill, Amherst regained their legs, generating some momentum heading into the locker room.

In terms of standout players, Middlebury senior forward Raia Schluter has really stuck out, making some nifty stickhandles, and coming close to scoring on a couple occassions.  On the Amherst side, junior defense Gretchen Dann is as reliable as they come, as she’s looked very steady in her own zone every shift she’s out there.

3:28 PM CT-  A nice flurry of chances for Amherst at the tail end of the first, as the successful PK seemed to regain their confidence a bit.  Sophia Will made a couple nice saves in the waning moment, including a toughie on freshman forward Ayla Abban.

3:25 PM CT-  Middlebury with a couple good looks on the PP, but nothing found the back of the net.  Panthers had a puck bounce just wide, and Middlebury misconnected on a 2 on 1, as the Mammoths successfully kill it off with about 3 minutes remaining in Period 1.

3:21 PM CT-  Panthers heading to the powerplay after an Amherst cross-checking minor.  Middlebury really starting to show their dominance on the forecheck the last five minutes or so.  We’ll see if the can beat Stott on the man advantage.

3:17 PM CT-  Just under 9 in the 1st remaining, with Middlebury leading in shots on goal, 5-2. The physicality is ramping up, and First Team All American Natalie Stott is living up to her recognition, making a couple key pad stops for the Mammoths.

3:13 PM CT- Eight minutes in, both teams are forechecking hard, and doing a great job keeping it in the opponent’s zone.  Nevertheless, defenses are keeping a lot of pucks from reaching their star goaltenders.  Amherst has blocked a couple great chances, including one of a potential back-breaking turnover.

3:00 PM CT- Puck has just dropped In River Falls.  Mammoths in their home whites, with Middlebury in the navy blue uniforms.  Starters for Amherst are Stott in goal, Dann and O’Connor on defense, and the forwards being Abban, Flynn, and Baxter.  On the Middlebury end, Will is in net, Ziegler and Hannah on the blue line, with Appleyard, McInerny, and Ferraris up front.  Decent turnout for each east squad who made the trip.

2:20 PM CT- Just arrived at Hunt Arena for what should be a pair of thrilling semifinal games.  #2 seed Amherst and #3 seed Middlebury lead us off at the top of the hour in the 4th meeting between the two NESCAC schools.