Middlebury captain Madie Leidt celebrates scoring the eventual game-winning goal late in the third period of the NCAA Division III national championship game. The top-ranked Middlebury College women’s ice hockey team got one step closer to its first national championship since 2006 with a 3-2 semifinal victory over Elmira College Saturday at Chip Kenyon Arena in Middlebury, Vermont.
A game featuring two of the top three defenses in the nation unsurprisingly went through the first period without a goal, as the teams exchanged scoring chances early.
The scoring began at 8:10 of the second period as Middlebury sophomore forward Cat Appleyard got the hosts on the board with a power-play goal.
Junior forward Jenna Letterie passed the puck from the top of the right faceoff circle to Senior forward Katie Hargrave at the goal line. Hargrave took one touch on the puck to find Appleyard at the right hash marks before Appleyard sent the one-timer on the net for the goal.
Middlebury College players and fans celebrate the eventual game-winning goal in the third period of the NCAA Division III national championship game. The visitors got back even just 1:01 later on the game clock, however.
Senior forward Morgan Mordini beat two Panthers to the puck in the right corner before sending a centering pass toward the slot. The puck took a slight deflection off the skate of graduate forward Emma Crocker before finding senior forward Eliza Beaudin in the low right circle, where Beaudin sent a low-angle shot to sneak in just below the glove of Middlebury freshman goaltender Sophia Merageas.
The Panthers regained the lead at 12:44 of the second period with a goal from freshman forward Kylie Quinlan. Freshman forward Raia Schluter corralled the puck along the left half-board and passed it to fellow freshman Molly Macqueen in the corner, who found Quinlan in the slot. Quinlan beat Elmira goaltender Leonie-Louise Kuehberger with a toe drag to get around the left pad.
Middlebury gained the crucial insurance goal at 8:13 of the third period with a goal from senior captain Madie Leidt. Letterie controlled the puck bouncing off the back of the goal before finding Leidt in the slot of the one-timer.
Elmira managed to get some offensive pressure late in the third, cutting the deficit in half at 15:46. After an icing call, Elmira senior forward Mary McCafferty won the defensive-zone faceoff, and freshman forward Erika Goleniak chipped the puck up the boards to herself into the offensive zone on the right-wing. Gollnick beat the Middlebury defenseman with a pass to junior forward Holley Riva in the slot, who buried the puck behind Merageas.
The Soaring Eagles were unable to complete the comeback.
Kuehberger made 29 saves in the 3-2 loss for Elmira, while Merageas stopped 16 of the 18 shots she faced in the Middlebury goal.
With the win, Middlebury advanced to Saturday’s Division III Women’s Ice Hockey National Championship Game against Gustavus Adolphus, while Elmira fell to the third-place game against Plattsburgh. Gallery

Middlebury freshman forward Jordan Hower carries the puck through the neutral zone after skating past Elmira forward Claire Elfring. Gallery

Hartford's Isabella French (11) splits the defenders and lays it off the window for the score. It would be the NYSPHSAA Class D Girl's Basketball regionals finals that would take place between the #3 Hartford Tanagers and the #6 Boquet Valley Griffins from Clinton Community College. The #3 Tanagers would get off to a good start and take an 18-12 lead after the first quarter. In the second quarter, the Tanagers would start to pull away from the Griffins with a 15-6 quarter and take a sizeable lead of 33-18 in the intermission. When the teams came back for the second half and third quarter the Griffins would start to find their game and would cut into the deficit with a 17-12 quarter and trail 45-35 as they head into the fourth quarter. In that fourth, it would not be without drama as the Griffins would get as close as four points but just not have the firepower down the stretch and have a 16-12 quarter and fall short 57-51. With the win, the Hartford Tanagers would punch their ticket to the NYSPHSAA Class D Girls Basketball final four next weekend at Hudson Valley Community College and the Boquet Valley Griffins season comes to an end with an 18-6 season and a top ten ranking in the state. Gallery

Boquet Valley's Abbey Schwoebel (12) drives to the hoop and gives the off-balance shot for the score to keep the Griffins in the game down the stretch. Gallery

Schalmont's Karissa Antonie (11) with the off balance shot as drives across the lane. It would be the #2 Schalmont Sabres taking on the #6 Saranac Chiefs in the NYSPHSAA Class B Girl's Basketball Northern Regional Finals. The game would start off low-scoring but tight as they would be tied at six after the first quarter. In the second quarter, the #2 Sabres would go on a tear and open the game up with an 18-3 quarter and take a 24-9 into the locker room. When the teams came back for the third quarter the #6 Chiefs would try and have an answer for the Sabres as they would win the quarter by a slim 16-13 but still trail in the game at 37-25. In the fourth quarter, the Sabres would leave little hope of a Chiefs comeback with a 17-5 quarter and a Sabres 54-30 win. In the winning effort, the #2 Schalmont Sabres advance to the NYSPHSAA Class B Girl's Basketball final at Hudson Valley Community College as the Saranac Chiefs comes to an end at 19-4. Gallery

Saranac's Sydney Myers (24) with the floater in the lane as she drives to the basket. Gallery

O.E.S.J. Wolves Peyton Logan Dillenbeck (1) with the floater in traffic for the score. It would be the 2022 NYSPHSAA Class D Boy's Basketball Northern Regional Finals and it would feature #13 Seton Catholic Knights and #15 Oppenheim-Ephratah/St. Johnsville Wolves. It would be a tight game through the first quarter but the Wolves would take a 17-14 lead after the first quarter. In the second quarter, the Wolves would start to take control of the game as they had a 15-5 quarter and take a 32-19 lead into the intermission. When the teams came back for the second half and third quarter the Knights would step up their defense and have a 12-8 quarter but would still trail in the game 40-31. In the fourth quarter, both teams would bring their offense as they would go for the knockout punches and the Wolves would get the 17-16 quarter to secure the 57-46. In the winning effort the Oppenheim-Ephratah/St. Johnsville Wolves would punch their ticket to the NYSPHSAA Class D Boy's Basketball final four at the Cool Insuring Arena in Glens Falls and the Seton Catholic Knights season comes to end at 16-8. Gallery

Seton Catholic Alex Coupal (10) splits the defense and drives to the basket and raises high for the score. Gallery

Ichabod Crane's Jason Borrelli (1) cuts off the attack of Plattsburgh's Carter King (24). It would be the last game of the 2022 NYSPHSAA Northern Regionals finals from Clinton Community College and it would feature the #8 Ichabod Crane Riders and the Plattsburgh Hornets in boy's class b action. The game would start off good for the Riders as they would streak out to a 20-6 lead after the first quarter. In the second quarter, it would be more of the same for the Riders as they would have a 17-6 quarter and take a 37-12 lead into the break. When they came back for the second half the Hornets still would have no answer for the Riders as they would get outscored 38-19 and fall to the Riders 75-31, In the winning effort the #8 Ichabod Crane Riders would punch their ticket to Glens Falls and the NYSPHSAA Class B Boy's Basketball final four and the Plattsburgh Hornets season would come to an end at a mark of 16-5. Gallery

Plattsburgh's Carter King (24) rises high on the break and lays it off the window for the score. Gallery

Colby goaltender Nina Prunster charges out of the crease to cut off a break by Plattsburgh’s Sara Krauseneck. The Plattsburgh State women’s ice hockey team advanced to its ninth straight - and 14th overall - trip to the NCAA Division III Women’s Ice Hockey semifinal with a 3-2overtime win Saturday over the Mules of Colby College.

Division III’s leading goalscorer, Annie Katonka, netted goals number 33 and 34 of the season, including the game-winner in overtime.

Katonka scored the opening goal of the game at 14:01 of the first period, redirecting a shot from linemate Ivy Boric to beat Colby Goaltender Nina Prunster. That goal proved to be the only tally of the first period.

The Cardinals doubled their lead midway through the second period, once again with a redirection to beat Prunster. Junior defenseman Kendall Wasik let loose a shot from the right point, and senior forward Sara Krauseneck got her stick on it in the crease to change the angle. Freshman forward Lily Stumm got the secondary assist on the goal.

The two-goal lead lasted just six minutes before the Mules got on the board with a powerplay goal late in the second period, as sophomore forward Meg Rittenhouse hit the snipe shot from the blue line on the powerplay, assisted by senior forward McKinley Karpa and freshman defenseman Anna Staton

The Cardinals ended the second period with a 2-1 lead, but the Mules controlled play for the early part of the third.

At 7:43 of the third period, senior forward Lexi Cafiero tied the game off a pass from Rittenhouse, with Karpa getting the secondary assist.

Plattsburgh held a narrow 13-12 lead in shots on goal in the third period but was unable to beat Prunster, so the game went to overtime.

A goal at 3:24 of the overtime period ended the game and sent the Cardinals on to the semifinal round of the NCAA tournament. As Katonka skated in from the half-boards on the left side, she pulled the puck across her body toward the goal line to get around Colby defenseman Klara Jandusikova before evading Prunster’s poke check with toe drag.

Katonka tripped over the outstretched leg of Prunster as she deposited the puck into the net, and she rolled on her back with her arms out wide welcoming her teammates to pile onto her in celebration.

With the win, the Cardinals advanced to the NCAA Division III Women’s Ice Hockey semifinals for the 14th time overall. The semifinals and final will be hosted by Middlebury College, where Plattsburgh will face Gustavus Adolphus at 3 p.m. Friday. Gallery

Plattsburgh’s Ivy Boric takes a backhanded shot high glove-side on Colby goaltender Nina Prunster. Gallery

Plattsburgh State's Maddy Garcia (5) charges to the net for one of her two goals on the afternoon. The Plattsburgh State Cardinals would open up the home portion of their season as they would battle in a nonleague game against the Norwich Cadets. The game would start off good for the home Cardinals as they would jump out to a 5-1 at the end of the first quarter on goals from Emily Caoili, Caroline Noia (three), Lindsay Guzzetta. In the second quarter, the Cardinals would add three more from Caroline Noia (fourth), Emily Caoili (twice), and Maddy Garcia and take the 8-1 lead into the break. When the teams came back for the third quarter the Cardinal offense would stay hot as they would add six goals from Caroline Noia (fifth), Caitlin Nash (third), Lindsay Guzzetta (second), and Fiona Fitzgerald as they soar to 14-3 lead as they entered the fourth quarter the Cardinals would add three more from Emily Caoili (third), Davina Gyedu, and Maddy Garcia (twice) as the Cardinals secure the 17-5 win an get there record back to 1-1 on the season. Gallery

Plattsburgh State's Emily Caoili (7) and Allison Sturgeon (14) collide as the Cadets are trying to tack the ball out of the zone. Gallery

Seton Catholic's Ashton Guay (3) splits through a pair of defenders as he drives to the basket and the score. It would be the second championship of the day as the Boquet Valley Griffins would be looking to sweep the Class D crown as they would take on the Seton Catholic Knights in the Section VII Class D title game. It was looking good for the Griffins after the first quarter for the sweep as they would have the 15-9 lead. In the second quarter, the offense for the Seton Catholic Knights would start to set in as they would have a 21-13 quarter and take the slim 30-28 lead at the break. When the teams came back for the third quarter the Knights would start to pull away in the game as they would double up the Griffins with a 16-8 quarter and take a 46-36 lead into the fourth quarter. In the fourth quarter, the Griffins would try their best to stay in the game but they wouldn't have an answer with a 13-12 quarter for the Knights and secure the 59-48 win. With the win, the Seton Catholic Knights would advance to the NYSPHSAA Class D Tournament and play for a chance to go to the final four next Saturday, March 12th. as the Boquet Valley Griffins season comes to end at 17-6. Gallery

Bouquet Valley's Jackson Hooper (3) with the contested shot as he drives to the score as Seton Catholic's Aiden Pearl (22) is doing the best that he can to stop it. Gallery

Northeastern Clinton's Darren Dubois (23) soars over a group of Plattsburgh Hornets defenders on the mid-range jumper. It would be the last Section VII championship of the weekend as the upset-minded #5 Northeastern Clinton Cougars would do battle with the #2 Plattsburgh Hornets. The Cinderella season would like would continue for the Cougars as they would have the 15-11 lead after the first quarter. In the second quarter, the Hornets offense would come alive with an 18-10 quarter and have a 29-25 lead at the intermission. When the teams came back for the third quarter the offense would stay hot as they would put together a 20-11 quarter and take the 49-36 lead into the fourth quarter. In that fourth quarter, the Hornets would put the final touches on the game with a 16-8 quarter and secure the 66-44 victory and the 2022 Section VII Class B championship. With the win, the Plattsburgh Hornets will enter the NYSPHSAA Class B Tournament and will advance to the quarterfinals on March 12th against the winner of the sections x and ii winners. With the loss, the dream season for the Northeastern Clinton Cougars comes to an end at 9-14. Gallery

Plattsburgh's Carter King (24) with the tuff shot as he is surrounded by the defenders for the mid-range shot. Gallery

Schroon Lake's Allison Baker (15) drives in on a pair of Griffins defenders for the contested layup and score. It would be the first game of the championship Saturday and the #2 Boquet Valley Griffins would battle with the #1 Schroon Lake Wildcats for the right to go to the NYSPHSAA Class D Tournament. The Griffins would show to play and play they would as they would jump out to an 11-2 lead after the first quarter. In the second quarter, the Griffins would keep their top-notch defense up with a 13-4 quarter and have big 24-6 lead at the intermission. When the teams came back for the third quarter the rest would not hurt the Griffins as they would have their best output with an 18-9 quarter and take a 42-15 into the fourth. In that fourth quarter the Griffins would back off and course to the 14-15 quarter and take the 56-30 victory and the crown of the 2022 Section VII Class D champions and the Schroon Lake season comes to end at 15-5. Next up for the Boquet Valley Griffins would be the NYSPHSAA Class D Tournament and quarterfinal game on Saturday, March 12th. Gallery

Boquet Valley's Ella Lobdell (15) with the runner as she drives from the wing over the defenders for the score. Gallery