Nicole's NCAA Notebook: March 3, 2025

• The coach's challenge was a massive part of the UMD/SCSU series as Minnesota Duluth coach Laura Schuler used it in the first game to have a penalty upgraded to a major and her team scored late in the ensuing five minute power play. In the second game, St. Cloud appeared to have scored three minutes into what was a win-or-go-home game for the Huskies. Schuler successfully challenged for offsides, negating the goal. SCSU was not able to find the back of the net again until much later in the game. It was a huge turning point and momentum shift.
• There were a couple of brutal endings this weekend. These final games are always tough, but Union giving up two goals in the final minute of the game against Cornell was absolutely heartbreaking. That was the worst way for someone's season to end, but we also had two goals for UMD in the final two minutes of their Friday game with St. Cloud and Yale coming from behind to force overtime only to take overlapping penalties and basically hand that game to St. Lawrence. Minnesota ended up winning the series, but in Saturday's game, Minnesota State scored with 4.7 seconds left in the second overtime period to end it and force game three. Saint Anselm took the series, but Stonehill also forced an extra game with a 2OT goal.
• There were three upsets heading into the final week of the conference tournaments. NEWHA seventh seed Post swept second-seeded Franklin Pierce while fifth seed Saint Anselm advanced over fourth-seed Stonehill in three games. In Hockey East, fifth place Northeastern took down fourth place Providence.
• It's a very busy time in college athletics with the winter sports winding down and the spring sports having already started. The result was a wide array of puck drop times this weekend. I had NCAA women's hockey on for at least seven hours straight on Friday and Saturday and even Sunday's four game-threes were slightly staggered. There were times where it was overwhelming and even with four screens going, I couldn't keep track of everything, but it was also amazing. It's obviously impossible to watch everything, but the smaller screens help me keep up with scores and know when it's time to switch one of those games on to the TV and play closer attention. There were so many close calls, buzzer beaters and overtimes, plus records set and players stepping up I felt like I was constantly moving games around, but it was worth it. It was everything I love about this sport for hours on end and I'm so glad I was in a place to just stay home and watch it all.
• As I love an underdog, I also love seeing some of the less touted players step up in big moments. Minnesota's Krista Parkkonen scored her first goal of the season this weekend. Saint Anselm's Mackenzie Moss did too, in her team's game three win. Maeve Kelly scored her first goal for BU in their OT win over Vermont. LIU's Drew Dyczkowski scored the game-winning goal on Sunday and it was her second of the season. Sacred Heart's Brianna Morden scored her third goal to tally her third point of the season and it was the only goal her team scored on Friday. Tristan Currie's second goal of the season was the lone tally in Post's 1-0 win on Saturday. You love to see it.
• Goals you need to see:

Casey O'Brien became Wisconsin's all-time program points leader with this short-handed beauty

This 2OT game-winner in the final seconds by Minnesota State's Madison Meshuga

Maeve Connolly's 2OT game-winner for Stonehill

Olivia Wallin's last-second game-winner for Minnesota Duluth

This bar-down beauty from Quinnipiac's Zoe Uens

Gorgeous work by Tessa Janecke and Abby Stonehouse for Penn State

Abby Hustler puts on the breaks and picks her spot for St. Lawrence

Maya Labad outskated everyone for Quinnipiac

This series-winner in the final seconds by Gabbie Rud for Cornell