2025 Women’s Tournament Quarterfinal Notes

This past weekend, four teams advanced one step closer to a national title, and four programs await those winners, who are eager to start their own championship chases.  Three road teams pulled upsets last round, and they’ll need to do it again, as the well-rested teams will all be at home, welcoming in the First Round winners.

Saturday Schedule

3:00 PM ET- #8 Colby (18-6-2) @ #2 Amherst (21-5-1)

3:00 PM ET- #11 Nazareth (21-6-1) @ #3 Middlebury (20-6-1)

3:00 PM CT- #9 St. Norbert (25-4-1) @ #1 Augsburg (23-3-1)

3:00 PM CT- #12 Elmira (21-7-1) @ #4 UW-River Falls (23-3-2)

#9 St. Norbert @ #1 Augsburg

Here, we have a matchup between two schools who invest heavily in hockey, and have lots of program success.  However, they’ve showed very little of it in NCAA Tournament.

Prior to this year, each school had made just one appearance on the national stage.  Augsburg qualified for the inaugural championship in Division III women’s ice hockey, which was administered by the AWCHA, where they lost a three-game series to Middlebury in 2000. A quarter-century later, the Auggies finally broke through, qualifying for the NCAA tourney.  St. Norbert is in a similar spot, as they had only made the NCAA tournament once before, back in 2013.  They lost their opening round game to Plattsburgh as the bottom seed in the field.

The Green Knights pulled off quite the upset last week.  Despite being heavily outplayed for almost the entirety of the game, St. Norbert won its first ever NCAA Tournament game in the program’s 2nd-ever appearance.  They were able to escape Augsburg’s MIAC rival, Gustavus, 3-1 on the road.  First, second, and third star of the game has to go to SNC goalie Keira Markell, who almost singlehandedly won the Knights this game, stopping 45 of 46, with plenty of miraculous, scrambling saves, keeping the game at bay.

Augsburg has been waiting, and should not take this St. Norbert team lightly, especially after seeing how they played the Auggies earlier this season.  The Auggies won the prior meeting 4-2, but after watching that game earlier on this year, it was a neck-and-neck affair in Minneapolis.  Looking back on the stats from that one, SNC actually outshot the Auggies 24-23.  Considering the Knights just won a game in which they were on their heels almost the entire contest and their opponent had 4 times as many scoring chances as they did, Augsburg is a team SNC can most definitely beat.

The Green Knights and Auggies are tied 4-4 in the all-time series, with both teams going 2-2 at home, and away.  The Auggies have won 3 straight in the series.

Common Opponents:

• Obviously, we now have the Gustavus connection between the two, as Augsburg defeated the Gusties 2 times out of 3, with a 1-0 record on the road.  SNC has the road victory from last weekend.
• The Knights swept St. Scholastica in a 2-game home series, while the Auggies swept Scholastica as well, with one home game, and one away game.
• SNC swept an away series at Aurora, while Augsburg shutout the Spartans once, on home ice.
• Both teams had a home meeting with Stevens Point:  SNC won an overtime classic, while Augsburg blasted the Pointers, 6-0.
• Augsburg swept the Hamline Pipers in a competitive home/away series, winning one in OT.  SNC also won an away game at Hamline in a very close and high-skilled contest.

Against common opponents, St. Norbert went 7-0, while Augsburg went 8-1.

Final Look:

I expect this game to be extremely, extremely physical.  Augsburg is absolutely brutal to play against, as they lay the body frequently.  SNC is quite physical itself.  I’m guessing the refs will let them play given the intensity of this spot, but who can toe the line without going over it.  St. Norbert did a great job at just that last weekend, but they’ll have to keep their composure against a team quite a bit more physical than Gustavus.

Both teams have good power plays, but Augsburg has a very inconsistent PK that’s troubled them in their losses this year.  I think this game is close, and I believe it will come down to goaltending.  As good as these teams are, it’s two freshmen goalies who have gotten them to where they are today.  If SNC’s Markell can duplicate her absolute superhuman efforts from last week, I think the Knights advance to their first-ever Frozen Four.

SNC will have to generate many more chances than they did last week if they want to win.  The SNC attack should emphasize not only quantity, but quality.  They may need to focus on making the perfect play, as unlike last week, they won’t be able to rely on finding a way with bounces and flip shots towards the net.  Augsburg’s Kayla Simonson is too good to fumble those.  Simonson has been the backbone of her team all year.  She has consistently showed elite play, and it takes a near-perfect shot to beat her.

#8 Colby @ #2 Amherst

In this all-NESCAC quarterfinal, we have the Mules of Colby making the trek south to Amherst, Massachusetts for the first time this season.  Colby missed out on the tournament last season, but in their prior two (and only two) NCAA appearances, the quarterfinal round was the Mules’ end of the road.  In 2023, Colby lost a 4-0 game at Amherst in the NCAA quarterfinals, losing to the eventual National Runner-Up.  Amherst leads the all-time series 37-12-6, winning the only NCAA game between the two.

In the regular season, Colby, rather surprisingly, swept Amherst, defeating them 3-1 and 3-2 back in early February in Waterville.  As if the Mammoths weren’t already primed and prepped for a Saturday home playoff game, the Mules will most definitely have Amherst’s attention, especially after defeating them twice already.  Colby was the last team into the tournament, and last week, got the job done, setting up this rematch.  The Mules were able to hang on by a thread to defend home ice and take out #10-seed Wilkes, 4-3.  Colby rode a hot start to build a 3-goal lead, before Wilkes put together a quality comeback attempt, but finished just short at the final horn.

Another point to note, is that Amherst will be trying to avoid another home quarterfinal upset. In 2024, the Mammoths were upset by #10 seed Elmira in overtime.  During this three-year stretch of excellent Mammoth hockey, Amherst has been one of the favorites to win a national title, as they have been the #1, #4, and now, #2 seeds entering the national tournament.  With the relatively favorable path, Amherst will be trying to get one more bite at the apple before some of this core group of players moves on.

Common Opponents:

Given these teams are both NESCAC opponents, they have almost an entire schedule of common opponents.

• Amherst won a pair of home games vs. Williams.  Colby went 0-1-1 in Williamstown, MA.
• The Mammoths went 3-0 in home games vs. Connecticut College.  When Colby hosted the Camels, they went 1-1.
• Amherst went 1-1-1 against fellow NCAA Tournament team, Middlebury, with a 1-0 record at home in the NESCAC title game.  Colby went 2-1 vs. the Panthers, with a 2-0 record at home, and the loss coming in the NESCAC semis at a neutral site (Orr Rink).
• Amherst split a pair of road games at Wesleyan, while Colby did the exact same thing.  Colby’s loss, did come in OT, however.
• Amherst shutout Bowdoin in a pair of impressive home wins, while Colby went 0-2 against the Polar Bears, with an OT loss at home, and a regulation loss on the road.
• Amherst went 2-0 against Trinity, with a home and away win.  The Mules beat the Bantams 4 times, with 3 coming at home, and 1 away from home.
• The Mammoths defeated Hamilton 3 times, all at home, with one coming in overtime.  Colby went 1-0-1 in a pair of road games against the Continentals, with the win also going to the extra session.

Against many common opponents, Amherst went 14-2-1, while Colby went 9-6-2.

Final Look:

After last year’s disappointing playoff upset, and this year’s prior Colby series, it feels that Amherst will be coming out firing and ready to enact some revenge.  The Mammoths also looked very strong the final weekend, capturing the NESCAC championship.  Colby just dropped their semifinal vs. Middlebury in this same rink two weeks ago, so they are more than familiar with this spot.

Ideally, both of these teams would like to keep this game very low-event and play their specific styles.  I think they matchup against one another very well, and who can make the one elite play to defeat a stout defense in front of them.  As playoff hockey often is decided, a bounce here or there can make all the difference.  Colby is starving for a first-ever trip to the Frozen Four, and Amherst is determined to not let this core group of players graduate without a national title.

#11 Nazareth @ #3 Middlebury

To reference The Great Gatsby, this matchup feels like old money vs. new money.  Both these programs care deeply about hockey, and for Nazareth, looking to make the next step towards national relevancy.  These two programs have never met in their histories, which isn’t all that surprising given Nazareth’s new-ness as a program.  But I would be shocked if these two aren’t continuing to meet in future postseasons.

The Golden Flyers took a great step towards that last weekend, pulling the road upset on the road at Endicott.  In their 4th straight year in the national tournament, the Flyers won their first-ever NCAA Tournament game.  The Gulls and Golden Flyers played a back-and-forth game throughout, until Nazareth started to take control in the third period, putting the hammer down when it mattered most.  Now, Nazareth will be eying this upcoming game as a massive opportunity to prove themselves as an up-and-coming power in the sport, and make a run towards the Frozen Four.

Yes, this is old hat for Middlebury.  But each team is different, and they’ve worked hard to get to this point, as the Panthers have a great shot to return to the program’s 13th Top 4 finish in history.  Middlebury fell in the semifinals in 2024, and the quarterfinals in 2023.  This Panther team has the talent to win another national title, but with the talent very much spread out around the country, don’t count out any of the eight teams left (Naz included) to string together three wins.

Common Opponents:

• At home, Middlebury won their only game against Utica in a 2-1 contest.  Nazareth and Utica are quite familiar with one another as the two powers in the UCHC.  Naz went 3-2 against the Pioneers, with one loss coming in OT, and the final win being an OT win in the UCHC title game.
  • In the Nazareth-Utica series in 2024-25, the home team won all five games.
• Middlebury won a pair of home games against NESCAC rival Trinity, while Nazareth defeated the Bantams in a singular road contest.
• Similar to above, Middlebury swept a 2-game home series vs. Wesleyan, while the Flyers defeated the Cardinals once on the road.
• Middlebury swept their non-con rival, Plattsburgh, with a victory coming home and away.  Naz lost to Plattsburgh in a neutral-site game at Norwich.
• Middlebury went 1-1-1 against Amherst, going 1-0-1 at home, and losing on the road in the NESCAC title game.  Naz lost in that same Norwich tournament to Amherst in the consolation game.
• Naz defeated Hamilton once at home, while Midd swept the Continentals on the road in a 2-game set.
• After last weekend, Nazareth now has a road victory at Endicott.  Middlebury, on the other hand, also had a road win against the Gulls, to pair with a neutral-site victory at Plattsburgh.

Against common opponents, Middlebury went 12-1-1, while Nazareth went 7-4-0.

Final Look:

While Nazareth has stacked impressive wins all season, this one will be more difficult than any they’ve acquired thus far.  They’ll need to build off the confidence and momentum from last week, and try to keep things simple against a very skilled and structurally sound team with vets on the ice, and behind the bench.  You never know, every additional week a group of players skates and goes through adversity together can be galvanizing towards a deep, deep run.

While another Frozen Four for the Panthers wouldn’t shock anyone, it’s important that Midd recognizes what an amazing accomplishment it would be for many seniors on this team to potentially make their 3rd Frozen Four in their 4 years as a Panther.  Also, with a late-season slump in February, I don’t know how many Middlebury fans thought they’d be able to turn it around and play for a national title.  I’m sure the Middlebury fans will be loud and proud, cheering on their team for the final home game this season.  With everything on the line, will the experienced or inexperienced step up on Saturday?  As always, time will tell.

#12 Elmira @ #4 UW-River Falls

1,030 miles.  According to the NCAA mileage calculator, that is the distance between these two campuses.  On paper, these two schools are very different, and obviously, very far apart.  But for a couple of reasons, mainly success, these programs continue to find themselves on the national stage.  This will be the sixth time that Elmira College and the University of River Falls have met all-time, ALL coming in the national tournament in women’s hockey.  This is tied for the 3rd-most all time, which is crazy given the extreme distance between the two.  In case you were wondering, here are the top 5 listed below:

• Gustavus-UWRF: 10 times
• Middlebury-Plattsburgh: 8 times
• Elmira-Plattsburgh: 7 times
• (TIE) Elmira-UWRF: 6 times
• (TIE) Elmira-Middlebury: 6 times

As you can see, given the difference in these two programs, it seems like there’s some greater power that keeps connecting these two when it matters most, and this year is no different.  Most notably, almost a year ago to the date, River Falls defeated Elmira in the same building they will meet on Saturday, but for the program’s first-ever national title.  While this game doesn’t have quite the stakes as that one, it’s pretty darn close, as the winner will be staying put, playing in the national semifinals in River Falls the following Friday.

Elmira is coming off another upset of yet-another power of the sport.  After running all the way to the title game last year as the #10 seed, they beat #7 Cortland, #4 Amherst, and #6 Middlebury before falling to the undefeated Falcons.  This year, they upset #5 Plattsburgh on the road, and are looking to shock the world, and exact a little revenge against RF, who is as hot as anybody in the country.

River Falls got an extra week of rest, and are hoping that they can empty the tanks now, and bring home another title on home ice.  For the first time in years, they won’t even have to go through Gustavus this time!  The Falcons offense has been red hot, but the only caveat is that they’ve had a lot of down time the last few weeks, which could be a blessing or a curse.  If they have any rust at all, Elmira is the team that can clamp down and take advantage.

Common Opponents:

Adding to the shock value of seeing these teams matchup so frequently on the largest of stages, these teams have no common opponents they’ve played this season.  Both teams have played wildly different schedule strengths, in my opinion.  However, Elmira has shown they have what it takes as a group to succeed when the rink gets smaller and the play gets rougher.

Final Look:

Elmira was outplayed this past week by a bit in Plattsburgh, but I wouldn’t say they were dominated.  Elmira was so comfortable letting Plattsburgh sit on the outside of the zone, and flip harmless pucks towards their netminder, who steered them away easily.  Elmira is very disciplined and they trust each other to play stout defense and stay in front of their man.

But this Falcon team is a completely different animal than the Cardinals.  Excuse my bird pun.  Anyways, while that PSU team struggled to score all season, it has been the opposite for River Falls.  Elmira can beat anyone, and gave last year’s undefeated team quite the scare, but they’ll need to replicate that effort if they want to have a chance in this one.  If they can do it, there’s a hearty chance Elmira can add another national title to its trophy case, as there’s no clear-cut favorite this year.

If River Falls can win Saturday, they will host their second straight Frozen Four, and attempt to win it on home ice yet again, after coming close so many times beforehand.  The Soaring Eagles have won 3 of the previous 5 NCAA meetings, going 3-1 in the semis, with River Falls winning the lone national championship matchup.  Both teams are 1-0 against the other when hosting.  With the extremely rare, pre-Frozen Four flight, this obviously the earliest we’ve seen these two face off.  This should make for an awesome environment at what is a Top 5 D-III hockey facility.