RIVER FALLS, Wis. — The top-seeded and No. 1-ranked UW-River Falls women's hockey team shut out No. 2 seed and No. 9-ranked UW-Eau Claire 4-0 Saturday afternoon at Hunt Arena during the 2026 WIAC O'Brien Cup Tournament Championship game.
The WIAC O'Brien Cup title is UWRF's seventh in a row and 11th overall in program history. The Falcons, now 27-1 overall, will await an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament. The tournament selection show can be viewed on
NCAA.com tomorrow evening, March 8, at 7:30 p.m.
UWRF prevailed over the Blugolds for the third time this season behind a balanced offensive effort and a shutout performance in net from
Jordan O'Kane, who stopped all 20 Blugold shots to earn her seventh shutout of the season, just one shy of tying a program single-season record.
The Falcons opened the scoring midway through the first period. Kylie Jones found the back of the net at 12:18, finishing a play set up by Addie Seleski to give UWRF a 1-0 lead. The goal was Jones' 10th of the season and proved to be the game-winner.
UWRF extended the lead early in the second period when Katherine Bell scored at the 2:05 mark. Madison Kadrlik and Kailey Niccum assisted on the play to push the Falcons' advantage to 2-0. Later in the period, the Falcons capitalized on the power play. Megan Goodreau tallied her 36th goal of the season at 6:50, converting passes from MaKenna Aure and Alexa Niccum to make it 3-0.
Goodreau's 36th goal of the season set a WIAC single-season record, breaking the previous mark of 35 set by Melanie Salatino of UW-Superior in 2002. The goal was also her 17th power-play tally of the season, tying the NCAA Division III single-season record set by Cassidy Delainey of Elmira College in 2015.
River Falls closed out the scoring late in the third period after UWEC pulled its goaltender. Bell added her second goal of the game with 53 seconds remaining, scoring into the empty net to secure the 4-0 final.
The Falcons outshot the Blugolds 36-20 in the contest and held a 30-23 advantage in the faceoff circle. Sophia Hess led River Falls with 15 faceoff wins, while Gracyn Knowles added 12.
