No. 7 UW-Stevens Point topped No. 2 Gustavus Adolphus 4-1 in a NCAA Quarterfinal game Saturday afternoon at Don Roberts Ice Rink in St. Peter. Michelle Grossman scored a goal and an assist to lead the Pointers, while Amy Statz made 37 saves to get the win in net. Gustavus, which closes its season at 25-3-0, avoided the shutout with a goal by Stefanie Ubl (Jr., Blaine, Minn.) with 5:59 to play.
UW-Stevens Point was outshot 13-4 in the first period, but jumped out a 2-0 lead with goals 2 minutes, 31 seconds apart late in the period. Grossman got the Pointers on the board with 5:37 to play in the first period, putting a shot past starting Gustavus goalie Breanna Scavo (Fy., Blaine, Minn./North St. Paul) off an assist from Michelle Sosnowski. UW-Stevens Point extended the lead to 2-0 just 2:31 later as Kellye Nelson scored off an assist from Madison Darud.
Trish Piskula gave the Pointers a 3-0 lead with a goal at the 7:39 mark of the second period. Grossman and Chris Hanson were credited with assists.
UW-Stevens Point survived one 5-on-3 situation in the third period, but gave up the shutout as Ubl connected high over Statz’s left shoulder at the 14:01 mark. Kelly Crandall (Sr., Plymouth, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong) and Liz Haakenson (So., Moorhead, Minn.) were credited with assists on the play.
Katy Lankey scored an empty-net goal with 1:28 to play to make the score 4-1. After the Pointers were called for having too many players on the ice, the Gusties pulled Scavo to provide the two-skater advantage. Lankey pressured Gustavus defender Andrea Peterson (Sr., White Bear Lake, Minn.) as she emerged from behind her own goal, poking away the puck, which trickled into the open net behind Peterson.
Gustavus, which entered Saturday’s game leading the nation in power-play efficiency, was 0-for-8 on 20 shots with the extra skater. UW-Stevens Point was held without a shot in six opportunities with the extra skater.
Statz, the NCAA Division III women’s hockey leader in career wins, made 37 saves, allowing only Ubl’s late goal to pick up the win. Scavo took the loss for the Gusties making five saves with three goals allowed in 34:23 of ice time. Sarah Windhorst (Fy., Eden Prairie, Minn./Benilde-St. Margaret) played 23:58 spread across the final two periods and made four saves.
The Pointers improve to 5-3 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, while Gustavus falls to 4-6. UW-Stevens Point is now 3-1 all-time against Gustavus Adolphus in the NCAA Tournament.
UW-Stevens Point, now 19-6-2 overall, advances to the semifinal round of the NCAA Division III Women’s Hockey Championships in Plattsburgh, New York, where they will meet No. 3 Middlebury Friday evening. Top-ranked Plattsburgh State (N.Y.) will face the winner of Saturday evening’s Amherst/RIT quarterfinal matchup in the other semifinal.