Utica wins the Utica University Kickoff Tournament, defeating Elmira 3-2 in OT. (Photo by YSM Media)
Welcome to another year of Women’s Division III Hockey, here’s your opening weekend in review. We had Utica win their Kickoff Tournament, Canton gets their biggest program win ever, while Hood College & Milwaukee School of Engineering get their first-ever wins as inaugural programs.
#13 Utica wins the Utica University Kickoff Tournament
Utica 1-0 vs Suffolk & 3-2 OT vs Elmira
Utica’s awesome opening weekend tournament they started last year, hosted in the Nexus Center, went in favor of the Pioneers this year as they defeated #5 Elmira to win the event.
The scoring was blank until the middle period of play, with Utica scoring a pair of quick goals (Molly Pedone, 13:37 & Kaci Ryder, 18:16) which gave the Pioneers the 2-0 lead headed into the 3rd period. Both teams would have some penalty troubles, Elmira capitalized on a pair of Utica penalties, scoring twice on the powerplay to tie the game (MK Boule, 4:14 & Erika Goleniak, 15:36). Utica would then win the game in the overtime period of play, Madison Novotny a rapid 38 seconds in.
Utica will look to build off this big win, they’ll look to challenge UCHC foe Nazareth who’s won the last three UCHC titles and have an overall record of 13-1-1 vs the Pioneers historically.
The Roos of Canton with their biggest program win ever
Canton 1-0 OT vs #2 Adrian
SUNY Canton Head Coach Kalie Grant played at St. Lawrence University (NCAA D1) and began her coaching career as an Assistant Coach at Adrian College from ’20-’22 prior to taking the SUNY Canton Head Coaching job in ’22-’24, she returned to Adrian this past weekend.
The Roos have shown a lot of promise under Coach Grant, improving every year, but She and her Roos got their signature win on opening day, shutting out ’24 Frozen Four participant Adrian 1-0 in overtime. Adrian would get the series-splitting win the next day 5-0, Head Coach Chad Davis’ first win of his return to Adrian as HC.
Canton defeats Adrian 1-0 in OT. (Video post by SUNY Canton Athletics, Broadcast by Adrian College TV)
Why write about the goal when you can show it? Allow the excellent broadcast courtesy of Adrian College TV tell the story. Now we’ll see how Canton can use this as a springboard to bigger and better things, possibly challenging for the SUNYAC playoffs this year after missing out by a slim-margin last year.
Hood College gets their first-ever pair of wins!
Hood 3-2 vs Hilbert & 4-3 OT vs Hilbert
Hood College led by Head Coach Josh Funk had an early one for their second game on Saturday, the earliest NCAA puck drop in history (7:15am ET) and they walked away with a win to cap off their weekend with a pair of wins, the program remains undefeated.
Hopefully the coffee and muffins were ready for this one, 7:15am ET… due to rink issues which forced them to move.
In the early game, the 1st period was scoreless (shocker), once they woke up, the 2nd period had four goals, three by Hood (Astrid Wilbur – 6:19, Sofie Ancona – 7:52, Alyssa Wilson – 14:10) and one by Hilbert (Brooke Kwiecien, 7:23).
The 3rd period featured a pair of Hilbert goals coming very quick into the period and very close apart, Kaitlin Cowie at 2:50 and Caitlin Conrad at 3:09 on the powerplay. Hood ended it when Sofie Ancona scored a rapid 17 seconds into the overtime period, her second goal of the game.
Milwaukee School of Engineering gets their first-ever program win!
MSOE 3-1 vs Marian
MSOE led by first-year Head Coach Baylee Marabella, the former Wisconsin Badger (NCAA D1), got their first win over Marian University on Friday.
The program was originally supposed to begin last season, but various issues forced the program to hold off for a year.
The Raiders went down 1-0 in the 1st period, but scored on the powerplay, Gray Mandia at 14:14 to leave us tied 1-1 at the end of the first period.
MSOE took the lead in the 2nd with another powerplay goal, Hannah Baumann (10:44), then in the 3rd they would pull away and score at 7:02 (MaryFranci Williams).
Here’s to another great season of Women’s Division III Hockey!
