Wednesday, January 29, 2025
Women’s Notes: Historic Sweep for St. Thomas
The University of St. Thomas women’s hockey team was elevated to Division I in the fall of 2021 and played its first WCHA season in 2021-22. Fast forward to 2024-25 and St. Thomas notched both its first win over a top five opponent and its first sweep of a ranked opponent against Minnesota Duluth.
On Thursday night, the Tommies scored early but fell behind 2-1 in the second period after giving up a shorthanded goal. Midway through the final frame, sophomore forward Madison Brown (Bismarck, N.D) tipped in a shot from the point for her 10th goal of the season. With less than a minute remaining in regulation, forward Ilsa Lindaman (Fr., Duluth, Minn.) scored her first collegiate goal to secure a 3-2 victory.
On Friday afternoon, the Tommies jumped out to a 2-0 lead, only to see Minnesota Duluth respond with three unanswered goals. Halfway through the third period, senior forward Lauren Stenslie (Maple Grove, Minn.) tied the game with her sixth goal of the season. In overtime, sophomore forward Ella Boerger (Andover, Minn.) scored the game-winner, completing the sweep. Freshman goalie Dani Strom (Dayton, Minn.) made 40 saves Friday, bringing her weekend total to 73.
The historic sweep comes on the heels of the NCAA’s announcement that the provisional period for national tournament competitions will be shortened from five years to four. St. Thomas is expected to open the 2025-26 season in its new home, Lee & Penny Anderson Arena, and will be eligible to compete for a national title.
St. Thomas also announced that Bethany Brausen (Minnesota ’14) has been named head coach. The Minnesota native has been on the Tommies’ bench since 2021 and previously coached at her alma mater, Minnesota, from 2016 to 2021.
Daily Scoreboard | Weekly Schedule | Composite Schedule | Stat Leaders | Goaltending Leaders
Must Read:
The Hockey News: Anne Cherkowski Climbing The NCAA Leaderboard
The Hockey News: Long List Of Accolades Has Followed Mari Pieterson On Her Journey
The Hockey News: Mackenzie Alexander Is In A Rookie Class Of Her Own
The Ice Garden: Hockey East Roundup: Jan. 17-21
NE Hockey Journal: Girls MIAA Rankings; Hingham’s dominance solidifies No. 1 standing
PWHL: Weekly Notebook: Jan 27, 2025
USCHO: St. Thomas Removes Interim Tag Names Brausen
USCHO: Women’s Division I Weekend Wrap
USCHO: AHCA announces eight individual award winners for 2025
Must Watch & Hear:
Decision Makers: Maura Crowell, Dartmouth
The PodKaz: Ep. 35 Critical series ahead in ECAC Hockey and WCHA; St. Thomas has a breakthrough
The Ride to the Rink: Cherie Piper on Chasing Your Goals
Our Kids Play Hockey: The Art and Science of Coaching with NHL Legend Mike Keenan
A Grand Reopening:
The Boston University Terriers swept Holy Cross last weekend in a home-and-home series, shutting out the Crusaders in both games, 2-0 and 3-0. Sophomore goaltender Mari Pietersen (Goodwood, Ontario) recorded both shutouts, making 40 saves over the weekend.
Saturday night’s 3-0 win also marked the reopening of Walter Brown Arena following renovations and upgrades. The game drew 1,403 fans, the fourth-highest attendance in program history, the second highest for a Terrier women’s hockey game at Walter Brown, and the highest for a non-Beanpot game at the arena.
Following the weekend the Terriers sit tied for first with UConn in the Hockey East standings.
A New Mayor in Town:
Union earned a 3-2 victory over RPI on Saturday, completing their first-ever season sweep of its rivals and bringing the Mayor’s Cup back to Schenectady for the first time since 2020.
Junior Stephanie Bourque (D, Moncton, New Brunswick), sophomore Maddie Leaney (F, Maple Ridge, British Columbia), and freshmen Klara Kenttälä (F, Stockholm, Sweden) scored for Union (11-16-1), which matched the program record for wins in a season.
Bourque, who had a multi-point outing, tied the program’s single season record for goals by a blueliner with her seventh tally of the year. Senior goaltender Sophie Matsoukas (Ottawa, Ontario) made 21 saves, securing her 10th win of the season.
Postseason Positioning:
The regular season is winding down and post-season positioning is crucial for conference tournaments and at-large bids. Check out the most recent USA Hockey/The Rink Live polls:
1. University of Wisconsin
2. Ohio State University
3. University of Minnesota
4. Colgate University
5. Cornell University
6. University of Minnesota Duluth
7. St. Lawrence University
8. Penn State University
9. Clarkson University
10. St. Cloud State University
11. Quinnipiac University
12. Northeastern University
13. Boston College
14. Princeton University
15. University of Connecticut
Upcoming top 15 matchups on Friday include No. 1 Wisconsin at No. 6 Minnesota Duluth, No. 2 Minnesota at No. 3 Ohio State, No. 7 St. Lawrence at No. 5 Cornell, No. 9 Clarkson at No. 4 Colgate.
Penn State Pioneers:
Junior forward Tessa Janecke (Orangeville, Ill.) made history by breaking the Penn State hockey scoring record for both men’s and women’s teams with her 141st career point. Janecke recorded four points over the weekend against Lindenwood, including a goal and three assists. She ranks seventh nationally in points this season with 42 and has recorded 13 multi-point games.
Goaltender Katie DeSa (Jr., Pawcatuck, Conn.) also shined for the Nittany Lions, earning her seventh shutout of the season in a series sweep of Lindenwood. She allowed just one goal in the opener and blanked the Lions in game two, stopping 46 shots with a .979 save percentage. DeSa holds a 20-4-0 record this season, the second-most wins by a goalie in program history. Nationally, the Pawcatuck, Conn., native ranks second in wins (20), third in goals-against average (1.33), and eighth in save percentage (.938).
Fit To Print:
“It’s playing hockey with my best friends; it’s experiencing a great experience to be in Minnesota. What an honor it is to play on Hockey Day Minnesota, especially for me doing it twice. I get to (share) that with my best friends and my teammates and hold onto these forever.”
— Bemidji freshmen Isa Goettl (Andover, Minn.) reflects on the unique opportunity to compete in Hockey Day Minnesota. (Source: The Bemidji Pioneer Press)
PWHL Note of the Week:
New York rookie Kayle Osborne (Colgate ’24) earned her first PWHL shutout, leading the Sirens to a 3-0 victory over the Ottawa Charge on Monday night at TD Place. Osborne is an Ottawa native, and the 22-year-old made 31 saves, becoming the youngest goaltender in PWHL history to record a shutout.
The Sirens took control early with goals from Chloé Aurard (Northeastern ’23) and Alex Carpenter (Boston College ’16) in the first period, while Jessie Eldridge (Colgate ’19) added a power-play tally in the third. The win moves New York past Ottawa into third place in the PWHL standings.
Fries at the Bottom of the Bag:
Colgate forward Kristýna Kaltounková (Vlasim, Czech Republic) extended her point streak to a team-high four games with seven points and netted her program-record 19th game-winning goal on Saturday … St. Cloud State took Wisconsin into a shootout on Saturday, becoming the first team to secure a point from the Badgers at Labahn Arena … Long Island and Sacred Heart split last weekend and remain tied atop the NEWHA standings … Senior forward Vanessa Upson (Stoney Creek, Ontario) recorded a hat trick in Mercyhurst’s sweep over Robert Morris. The Lakers have won six-straight conference games … Northeastern freshmen goalie Lisa Jönsson (Stockholm, Sweden) posted her seventh shutout of the season in the Huskies’ sweep over Merrimack. She now leads the nation with a .959 save percentage and 1.07 GAA … All six ECAC matchups on Friday were determined by a single goal, three games were determined in OT or a shootout … Ohio State sophomore Jocelyn Amos (Ailsa Craig, Ontario) leads the nation in faceoff percentage at 70.7 (min. 50) … Cornell secured the 2025 Ivy League Championship Saturday with their 6-1 win over Harvard.
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Did you know? 97% of NCAA Division I women’s hockey players earn their degree!