Nicole's NCAA Notebook: November 24, 2025

• When Abby Thibodeau scored for Cornell at 5:26 into the first period, it was the Big Red's first even-strength goal in three weeks - they went more than 215 minutes of game play between even strength goals. Talk about special teams! In that time they scored seven power play goals and two shorthanded goals.
• Union's Maddie Leaney scored her second career hat trick on Friday, becoming the first player in the program's Division I program history to register multiple hat tricks. Her first was October 7, 2023, against the College of the Holy Cross. The goal was also her seventh career game-winning goal, which is tied for first in program history. With three points on the night, she also moved into third place on the all-time career points list with 57 — just one point shy of second place.
• The hat trick frenzy continued this week with UConn's Julia Pellerin and Minnesota State's Mercury Bischoff joining Leaney.
• Shoutout to some great goaltending this weekend from St. Thomas' Julia Minotti, who had a career-high 47 against Wisconsin on Saturday, Hailey Hansen, who had 66 saves through two games for Minnesota State and got two wins against Minnesota, Monja Wagner, who had 79 saves in two games for Union against Cornell and Colgate, Princeton's Uma Corniea who had 40 saves and a shutout against Quinnipiac on Saturday and Sophia Bellina, who made 76 saves for RIT in two games against Penn State.
• Saint Anselm took two wins from Assumption this weekend (one in OT) to really take a commanding lead atop NEWHA, 10 points ahead of the Greyhounds.
• Northeastern put a little more space between them and BC, who are now four points back in Hockey East.
• Things got a little chaotic in the WCHA this weekend and now Ohio State leads things by a point over Wisconsin.
• With Thanksgiving in the US, there won't be much in conference play this weekend, but there are several tournaments, including D1 in DC in Washington DC, the Smashville Showcase in Nashville and the fight for Connecticut school supremacy, the Nutmeg Classic. There will be one more regular week of games the following week and then most everyone will go on break for exams and the winter holidays.
• It was so fun to see so many recent grads make big impacts on the first weekend of season 3 of the PWHL. Haley Winn was all over the ice for Boston, Kiara Zanon scored for Toronto and a lot of new talent showed off with their new teams.
• Goals of the week:

I'm not sure it's fair to put anyone else after this one because I'm pretty sure the goal of at least the week and month was scored on Thursday by Mackenzie Alexander on a feed from Issy Wunder while she was on her behind/side. Sorry to everyone else.

Mercury Bischoff had a weekend for Mankato, including this game-winner on Saturday

Julia Pellerin finished her hat trick with this bar down beauty for Connecticut

The cycle back and pass from Joy Dunne, the one-timer from Sanni Vanhanen. Gorgeous.

One touch to gather and a five-hole shot from Penn State's Katelyn Roberts

Maddie Leaney's moves to beat the goalie, complete her hat trick and give Union an upset, overtime win