The Gustavus women’s hockey team saw its season come to a close with a disappointing 2-0 loss to UW-Stevens Point in the third place game at the NCAA Division III Championship which was played at Plattsburgh State University in Plattsburgh, New York. UW-Stevens Point scored on a breakaway by Katy Lankey at 13:28 of the first period. The Pointers added an open net goal by Michelle Sosnowski with :40 seconds left to make the final score 2-0. Gustavus ended its season with a record of 22-5-2, while UW-Stevens Point finished at 21-5-4.
The Gusties opened the game with great energy and put lots of pressure on Pointer netminder Amy Statz. Gustavus had out-shot UW-Stevens Point 7-0 through the first 12 minutes of the game, when the Pointers caught the Gusties deep in the offensive zone and sent the puck deep to Jackie Drews. Drews skated in all alone on Kitty Hurley and scored on the Pointers first shot of the game. Gustavus outshot UW-Stevens Point 9-2 in the first period but trailed 1-0 heading into the locker room.
The second period would see the Gusties frustrations continue as they put 13 shots on goal and had three power play opportunities, but could not get the puck into the net. Gustavus also bounced two pucks off the pipe. The second period finished with the Pointers clinging to their 1-0 lead, while the Gusties were holding a 22-6 advantage in shots.
The third period began with UW-Stevens Point continuing to ice the puck, forcing numerous re-starts and limiting the Gusties chances to create any offensive continuity. Andrea Peterson found the puck on her stick with a clear look at the net with nine minutes remaining and she sent a slapshot at Statz that ricocheted off the crossbar and out into the neutral zone frustrating the Gusties yet again. Gustavus increased the pressure in the final minutes of the game and put some strong shots on net, but each time Statz would come up with the save or the Pointer defense would clear the puck out of the zone. Coach Carroll pulled goaltender Kitty Hurley with 1:44 remaining in the game, and the Gusties put two good rushes on the Pointers, but with just under a minute to play the puck took a bad hop off the boards onto the stick of Michelle Sosnowski and the Pointer forward slid the puck three-quarters of the way down the ice and into the empty net, clinching the victory for UW-Stevens Point.
Gustie netminder Kitty Hurley made 11 saves, while Pointer netminder Amy Statz turned away all 29 Gustavus shots. Statz, who executed Coach Brian Idalski’s game plan to perfection, recorded the first shutout in the five-year history of the Division III Frozen Four. Gustavus was 0-4 on the power play, while UW-Stevens Point finished 0-2 with the advantage. The Gusties ended the game with a 29-13 advantage in shots on goal.
Stevens Point posted its first third place finish in the NCAA Tournament after recording a second place finish in 2004. Gustavus lost in the third place game for the first time after posting consolation game victories in 2002 and 2005.