SAINT PETER, Minn. – The stage is set and the opponent is a familiar foe. The No. 4-ranked Gustavus women’s hockey team opens the NCAA Championships at 7 p.m. Wednesday at No. 5-ranked UW-River Falls. The Gusties (22-3-2) and Falcons (21-5-2) will square off in the national tournament for the seventh time in program history.
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The Series: Wednesday’s game marks the 42nd meeting between the Gusties and Falcons with Gustavus holding a 25-12-4 advantage in the all-time series. During the regular season series on Dec. 11 and 13, each team captured a 3-1 victory on their home ice. The last postseason game between these teams was March 10, 2017 when the Gusties defeated the Falcons 3-2 in River Falls, Wis. to advance to the national semifinals, where they took third place. Gustavus owns a 5-1 advantage over UW-River Falls in postseason contests and has won five consecutive games.
Scouting the Gusties: Gustavus punched its ticket to the NCAA Championships with a 3-0 victory over Augsburg in the MIAC playoff championship on Saturday. The Gusties have won nine straight, outscoring opponents 33-5 in that span with five shutouts. Through 27 games this season, Gustavus averages 3.3 goals and 37.4 shots per game. The Gusties are strong on the power play, converting at 22.1 percent. They are also strong on the penalty kill with a 95.0 percentage, allowing just two power play goals in 40 attempts. Kristina Press leads the team in scoring with 31 points on 11 goals and 20 assists. Molly McHugh is next with 30 points on 16 goals and 14 assists. Hailey Holland leads the team with 19 goals. She also has nine assists for 28 points. Kristen Cash leads all defenders with 16 points on four goals and 12 assists. Katie McCoy has established herself as the No. 1 goalie with a 0.99 goals against average, .951 save percentage, and an 11-1-2 record.
Scouting the Falcons: UW-River Falls advanced to the national tourney after defeating UW-Eau Claire 2-1 in the WIAC Championship game last Saturday. The Falcons are 7-1-1 in their last nine games, outscoring opponents 39-8 in that span. UWRF has a potent offense, averaging 4.0 goals and 36.8 shots per game. On the power play, the Falcons convert at 16.7 percent and kill off penalties at 88.6 percent. Abigail Stow leads the offense with 39 points on 23 goals and 16 assists. Callie Hoff is next with 35 points on 14 goals and 21 assists. Hailey Herdine has 29 points on five goals and 24 assists. Sami Miller has spent the most time in the crease with a 1.30 goals against average, .938 save percentage, and a 15-3-2 record.