(3) Wisconsin at (14) Penn State
The first game of the season was an upset as Penn State earned its first victory over a top-5 ranked team in program history. The Badgers’ Casey O’Brien scored six minutes into the game with a short-handed shot that slid under Nittany Lion goalie Josie Bothun. But the game was all Penn State – and all Tessa Janecke – from there. The rookie scored around the midpoint of the game to tie it up and Kiara Zanon scored the eventual game-winner just a few minutes later. Janecke scored her second on the power play in the third and then assisted on Julie Gough’s empty-netter to give Penn State the 4-1 win. Saturday’s game looked like it might follow suit, as PSU netted a power play goal in the opening minutes of the second to go up 1-0. But O’Brien tied the game up a few minutes later and that seemed to shake up the Badgers. They would go on to out-shoot Penn State 46-23 for the game. Britta Curl and Lacey Eden each added a goal in the second to make it 3-1 Wisconsin heading into the final frame. Sophie Shirley extended the lead in the opening seconds of the third period to make it 4-1. Then the Badgers reeled off four goals in 2:41 seconds to blow the game wide open. Eden had her second and then Laila Edwards, Kirsten Simms and Jesse Compher each scored their first goals as Badgers to make it 8-1. Shirley scored once more to give her two goals and two assists on the night, giving the Badgers the 9-1 win.
(5) Minnesota Duluth at LIU
The LIU Sharks gave Minnesota Duluth a bit of a scare on Saturday, but the Bulldogs put away two empty-net goals to earn a 4-1 win. The Bulldogs outshot LIU 65-6, including a new program record for shots in a single period with 36 in the second. Taylor Stewart’s rebound goal was the only tally until midway through the second, when UMD doubled their lead on a goal from Anneke Linser. The Sharks cut the lead to one with a power play goal from Paula Bergström with under four minutes to go in the third. Taylor Anderson scored two empty-nets goals in the final minute to secure the win. On Sunday, Ashton Bell had a hat trick to lead UMD to a 5-0 win. Gabbie Hughes and Gabby Krause also scored in the win.
Syracuse at (6) Colgate
The Raiders unfurled their ECAC championship banner and opened the season with a 3-0 win over the Orange on Saturday. Sara Stewart’s first career goal was the game-winner. Neena Brick and Kaitlyn O’Donohoe’s power play goals helped ensure the win.
(8) Quinnipiac at Maine
It was another close game for a ranked opponent as the Bobcats needed overtime to earn their first win. Olivia Mobley scored the game-winner with just 10.1 seconds left in the extra frame to give Quinnipiac a 3-2 win. Sadie Peart’s goal midway through the first has QU up after one, but Maine’s Ida Kuoppala tied the game just 35 seconds into the second. She also assisted on Mira Seregely’s 5-on-3 PP goal later in the period to give Maine the 2-1 lead heading into the third. The Bobcats scored a player-advantage-goal of their own when Lexie Adzija buried a rebound from the slot off a shot from Mobley. The two combined again for the game-winner as Adzija won a faceoff and Mobley put the puck over the goalie’s pads. In the second game, Nina Steigauf opened the scoring with a pretty top shelf shot on a breakaway to make it 1-0. Maya Labad extended the lead on a delayed power play and then Adzija and Mobley did it again, this time with Mobley winning the faceoff and Adzija firing the puck home.
(9) Clarkson at Sacred Heart
On Friday, the Golden Knights had 90 shot attempts, with 46 on goal as they took a 3-0 win to open the season. Gabrielle David, Baylee Kirwan and Anne Cherkowski lit the lamp for Clarkson in the win. In game two, David’s goal in the opening minutes looked like it might be the game winner as more than 40 minutes passed without another. In the third, Darcie Lappan doubled the lead to 2-0 with under eight to play, but Sacred Heart wasn’t done fighting. They broke the shutout with a power play goal by Delani Mackay with three minutes left in regulation to make it 2-1, but were not able to complete the comeback as Clarkson got the weekend sweep.
Franklin Pierce at (15) Boston College
Boston College outshot the Ravens 49-18 en route to a 4-1 win. Cayla Barnes scored midway through the game to put the Eagles up 1-0, but Franklin Pierce rescinded with a goal from Ava Kison to send the game to the third tied at one. Kate Ham scored the game-winner for her first career goal before Hannah Bilka scored on an impressive display of skating and puck handling to extend the lead. Gaby Roy’s goal with five to go secured the win.
