Katie Flanagan (Roseville, MN, Roseville HS) scored the pure hat trick to help lead the Falcon women's hockey team to a 7-1 win over St. Norbert on Saturday afternoon at Hunt Arena.

With the win the Falcons won the NCHA first round playoff series, 1-0-1, and will now host the NCHA semifinals and finals next weekend.

The Falcons led 2-0 after one period and 4-1 after two.

Kait Mason (Eagan, MN, Eagan HS) scored both Falcon goals in the first period to give the Falcons the lead. Mason scored her 15th of the year when she beat SNC goalie, Kaley Gibson, on the short side. Mason scored from about 25 feet to the left of the SNC goal at 14:34. Jessica Thompson (Shoreview, MN, Mounds View HS) picked up the assist. Mason netted her second goal of the game, and 16th of the season, at 17:53. She got a great pass from Emma Nordness (Excelsior, MN, Benilde-St. Margaret's HS) from behind the SNC goal and Mason's  backhand beat Gibson to the goalie's right. The puck slid in just inside the right post. The Falcons had a 12-8 shot advantage in the first 20 minutes.

St. Norbert drew to within one, 2-1, with a goal at 7:59 of the second period. Zoe Kurth tipped a shot from the point that just beat Falcon goalie Cassi Campbell (Anchorage, AK, Toronto Rattlers).

But the Falcons came back and scored twice later in the period to take a 4-1 lead after two. At 10:49 Kayleigh Bell (Stillwater, MN, Stillwater HS) ripped a slapper from the right point that beat Gibson cleanly. It was Bell's seventh goal of the season and Nordness picked up her second assist of the game. At 11:36 Flanagan broke loose from a check in front of the St. Norbert goal to score the team's fourth goal. Flanagan knocked in a rebound off a shot by Alyssa Jackson (Cambridge, MN, Cambridge-Isanti HS) who picked up the assist. RF had a 10-8 advantage in shots in the second stanza.

The Falcons scored early in the third period. Flanagan got her second of the game, and 14th of the year, when she tried a wrap around that went off Gibson's left skate and into the net. Brook Story (Warroad, MN, Warroad HS) got the lone assist on the goal that came at 1:28. Flanagan got the hat trick with her third goal at 7:58. Story took a shot and Flanagan redirected it past Gibson. Bell picked up the second assist on the play. It was Flanagan's 15 goal of the season. Nordness scored the final goal of the contest at 10:05 with the Falcons on the power play. She cut across the middle and beat Gibson with a wrist shot. Story and Mason picked up the assists.  The Falcons had a 10-4 advantage in shots in the period.

Flanagan (3-0), Mason (2-1), Nordness (1-2) and Story (0-3) all had three point games for the Falcons.

Campbell picked up the win in goal for the Falcons. She made 21 saves and is now 10-0-2 this season. Gibson stopped 23 shots and ended her season 7-7-3.

The Falcons were called for 12 minor penalties and St. Norbert was called for seven. UWRF finished 1-4 on the power play and SNC was 1-7.

The Falcons, now 23-0-4 overall, will next host the NCHA O'Brien Cup semifinals and finals next weekend at Hunt Arena. Game times and match ups will be announced early next week.
 
Box Score