UW-River Falls earned a 5-2 win over Concordia University in a NCHA O'Brien Cup semifinal game on Friday afternoon at Hunt Arena.
Kait Mason (Eagan, MN, Eagan HS) had a three-point game for the Falcons and now has 38 points this year with 18 goals and 20 assists. The 38 points is a single-season Falcon record.
The Falcons struck first at 17:01 of the first period. With a Falcon power play running down, Lauren Conrad (Lino Lakes, MN, Centennial HS) fed Emma Nordness (Excelsior, MN, Benilde-St. Margaret's HS) a pass at the top of the circle to the CU's goalie, Lea Jondal's, left. Nordness cut to the middle of the ice and beat Jondal with a wrist shot through the five-hole. It was Nordness's 13 goal of the year. Conrad picked up the assist on the play. The Falcons had a 9-7 advantage in shots in the first 20 minutes.
Concodia tied the game at 16:29 of the second period when Hilary Christiansen scored off a rebound in from of Falcon goalie, Cassi Campbell (Anchorage, AK, Toronto Rattlers). Alisa Java picked up the assist on the play. It was Christiansen's fourth goal of the year.
But the Falcons responded with two quick goals before the end of the second stanza. Kayleigh Bell (Stillwater, MN, Stillwater HS) scored a power-play goal off a slap shot from the middle of the ice. Mason picked up the lone assist on the play that gave the Falcons a 2-1 lead at 17:51. It was Bell's eighth goal of the year. Then with just 31 seconds to play in the second period Mason scored her team-best 17th of the year. Breanne Hrabe (New Prague, MN, New Prague HS) fed Mason a pass just to the left side of the CU goal and Mason one-timed it in. Nordness also picked up an assist. UWRF had a 13-6 advantage in shots in the period.
CU made it a 3-2 game at 2:48 of the final period. Sarah Cole beat Campbell with a wrist shot from 25 feet out and just to Campbell's right. April Forar got the lone assist on the goal. UWRF's Katie Flanagan (Roseville, MN, Roseville HS) made it a two-goal game at 9:41 of the third period when she scored her 16th of the year, unassisted. She took a shot that Jondal stopped, but Flanagan pounced on the rebound and put it home. Mason scored an empty-net goal with one second to play in the period to make it a 5-2 final. UWRF had 15-10 advantage in shots in the final peiod.
The Falcons outshot CU, 37-23 in the game. CU took three minor penalties and UWRF took one. The Falcons finished 1-3 on the power play and CU was 0-1.
Campbell made 21 saves to improve to 11-0-2 this year. Jondal stopped 32 shots and she finished the year 11-9-4. CU ends its season 13-11-4.
The Falcons, now 24-0-4 overall and ranked No. 1 in the USCHO.com poll, will play the winner of the Adrian-UW-Superior game on Saturday at Hunt Arena. The O'Brien Cup championship game will start at 2:05 p.m.
Box Score
