We had another exciting week of Women’s D-III hockey out west, with another top 5 team falling and some teams making a move in the rankings. Weeks such as this one just show how the skill levels are becoming more and more comparable in terms of competitiveness across all conferences, more than we’ve seen in the past.
Concordia Wisconsin Pull off the Upset
The Concordia (Wis.) Falcons defeated #5 UW-Eau Claire 4-3 on Tuesday November 1, 2022. Eau-Claire led 3-2 entering the 3rd period until the Falcons tied it up 5:14 into the 3rd period, then Natalie Mackrell scored the game winner on the powerplay at the 17:29 mark of the 3rd period. This win marks the second loss to an unranked team for the top WIAC teams this season, as #6 UW-River Falls fell to unranked Augsburg in week 1.
Head Coach Stephen Fabiilli (Concordia Wis.) when asked about what a win like this does for the program said:
“It certainly gives our group some confidence moving forward with 16 underclassmen. It gave us an understanding of how hard it is to beat teams of that caliber and how important it is to be consistent and be locked in on details. For the program moving forward, perhaps it changes some people’s perception of who we are and what other programs are capable of outside of your perennial top teams.”
Coach Fabiilli also talked about what he said to his team after the game and the overall response from the team as a whole:
“I told them they should be proud of themselves. We drove 4.5 hrs to play a game, were down twice and down heading into the third. They found a way to climb back and capitalize on the opportunities that we got. They were obviously in a great mood after the game and they talked about using this momentum moving forward and to continue working hard for more success.”
Concordia Wisconsin heads to Trine November 11/12 for a pair of games at 7pm / 2pm CT.
Adrian Stays Undefeated, Gets a Pair of Ranked Wins
#7 Adrian hosted (former #13) Augsburg for a pair of home games this past weekend, winning both with shutouts of 4-0 & 1-0 to improve to a record of 4-0. Goalie Sophie Goldberg recorded her 3rd straight shutout victory on Saturday and has given up only one goal on 87 shots (.989 save percentage) this season. When Goldberg was asked about her solid start to the season, she said:
“I don’t believe I’ve approached this season any differently than the others. Nothing has really changed in my physical or mental approach to the game. We have an experienced group of returning players combined with a promising freshman class that has already begun contributing and we will work hard to continue playing at this level of cohesiveness throughout the season. Last year we had an untimely exit from the national picture and as seniors we are determined to finish what we started and return the program to national prominence.”
Coach Shawn Skelly had glowing remarks about his goaltender’s performance so far: “Sophie has been simply incredible so far this year. She has been the rock of our team and has really shown her confidence in the net! Her play is not a surprise at all since she was able to get 15 games in last season and during one span she had 5 shutouts in 6 games so her starting off with 3 shutouts in a row is fantastic and shows how much work she has put into it. These shutouts over the last 3 games were some tough ones for sure, we gave up breakaways, 2on1s, and lots of rebounds in front that she just continued to stop. We are excited to see where she can take us this season!”
As mentioned in the preseason article, look for Adrian to continue to climb up in the rankings and contend for an NCAA title. Adrian’s next contests are a pair of home games vs Marian University on November 12/13 at 7:30pm & 1pm ET.
UW-Superior Stays Unbeaten
UW-Superior has begun the season 3-0 after a big 5-3 victory over Hamline University this past weekend. Coach Daniel Laughlin says commitment to the process is a key factor in their early success: “I think the main reason for our early success Is that this group is committed to who we are and how we play. We have a long way to go, but we focus on the here and now and keep moving forward every day.”
UW-Superior has two huge games ahead next week as they host #8 UW-Eau Claire on Saturday 11/12 & visit #2 Gustavus on Tuesday 11/15. Coach Laughlin had this to say: “Our focus will be on preparing for this weekend, getting better in all areas of our game and continuing to build momentum, always moving forward.”
Bethel Gets a Ranked Win
Bethel defeated #15 Aurora on 3-2 Saturday after falling to them 2-1 on Friday. Head Coach Brian Carlson attributed a few key factors in the difference between the two games this past weekend. “Jumping off to a two goal lead, spent a lot less time in the penalty box, and another solid performance from our goaltender.”
A win like this is huge for the Bethel program as they look to string wins together as the season goes on.
Bethel’s next test is a home-and-home matchup with St. Olaf College on Friday 11/11 & Saturday 11/12 at 7pm & 2pm CT.
Other Ranked-Team Results
#2 Gustavus swept Lake Forest, winning 7-0 & 1-0.
#7 UW-River Falls defeated Saint Mary’s 5-2.
Upcoming Ranked-Team Games
#2 Gustavus vs St. Scholastica – Nov. 10/12 at 7pm CT.
#6 UW-River Falls vs UW-Stevens Point – Nov. 11 at 7:05pm CT & Nov. 12 2pm CT at Northland.
#7 Adrian vs Marian – Nov. 12/13 at 7pm & 1pm ET.
#8 UW-Eau Claire at Northland – Nov. 11 & Nov. 12 at UW-Superior, both games at 7pm CT.
#14 Augsburg vs St. Catherine – Nov. 11/12 at 7pm & 2pm CT.
#15 Aurora vs Finlandia – Nov. 11/12 at 7:15pm & 4pm ET.
