RIVER FALLS, Wis. — The top-seeded and nationally No. 1-ranked UW-River Falls women's hockey team shut out No. 4 seed UW-Superior 6-0 Saturday afternoon at Hunt Arena to sweep the semifinal series against the Yellowjackets, advancing to the WIAC O'Brien Cup Tournament Championship game.
The Falcons, now 22-3-2 overall, will host the winner of No. 2 seed UW-Eau Claire/No. 3 seed UW-Stevens Point next Saturday, March 8 at 2:05 p.m. Nine-time winners of the O'Brien Cup, UWRF has now reached the tournament finals for the 11th consecutive season.
UWRF went 2-for-6 on the power play and were led by a pair of
Ellie Brice goals along with
Jordan O'Kane's third shutout of the season.
The Falcons opened the scoring at the nine-minute mark as
Katherine Bell tallied her 20
th goal of the season, sprung open on a breakaway of an outlet pass from
Kailey Niccum shortly after UWRF killed off a Yellowjacket power play.
Just under five minutes into the second,
Megan Goodreau doubled the Falcon lead, dangling past a Yellowjacket and roofing a short over the blocker of UWS goaltender Molly Black. Late in the period,
Ellie Brice pounced on a loose puck in the slot to grant the Falcons a 3-0 lead heading into the final period of regulation.
UWRF put the game out of the 'Jackets reach in the third period, adding third more goals including a pair on the power play.
Bailey Olson and
Sami Pool scored power play goals before Brice scored her second of the game.
O'Kane made 22 saves in net, earning her second shutout in the past three games.
