Saint Louis, Missouri (3/15/24): Day 9 of the American Collegiate Hockey Association National Championships had a Championship Cup raised in Men's Division 2, a title game set in Women's Division 2, and semifinalists decided in Women's Division 1.
Men's Division 2 National Championship
Not only was the National Title game going to have two Southeast Region teams, but two teams from the same league, the Tri-State Collegiate Hockey League. The teams had played twice, with the RedHawks winning both games, 2-1 & 5-1. The game started out with lots of nervous energy for the first 10 minutes for both teams, as neither squad wanted to make a mistake. Gus Anderson, for Miami was able to break the scoreless tie to put the Redhawks up 1-0. The Hoosiers responded 11 seconds later with the tying goal from Will Gerami, his second goal of the tournament. The score looked to stay tied into the intermission when Germani hit Zach Hardy with a pass and Hardy found the back of the net with 38 seconds and Indiana went into the break up 2-1. The middle frame saw the Hoosiers extend their lead to 3-1 on Ithan DeLorenzo's first goal of the night. The Redhawks were able to cut it back to one goal deficit at the 15:38 mark as Gabe Dombrowski score his 5th goal of the Nationals on the power play. The final period turned out to be all time classic as Indiana was able to push the lead back out to two at 4-2 with Jake Rock's unassisted goal 3:37 into the 3rd. But, the Hoosiers could not shake the Redhawks as JT Kelly scored two minutes later. The clock continued to melt away and it seemed like every shot, penalty, and save was bigger then the one before. Miami pulled their goalie for the extra attacker and was able to get the puck to the net and in the scramble the puck got across the goal line and suddenly the game was knotted at 4-4. After that, Miami had a chance to complete the fairy tale story in the final 1:05, hitting two posts. Instead, the horn sounded and for the second time in three years the National Championship game would go into overtime. In the extra period, both teams had chances including a power play for each team. Miami had the first opportunity and were unable to get the winning score, Indiana on the other hand, did not let their chance expire. At the 10:35 mark, DeLorenzo got his second goal of the game and biggest of his college career when his shot hit the twine and the celebration started. DeLorenzo was named the Most Valuable Player of the Tournament to the cheers of this teammates and IU fans. Finally, the captains for the Hoosiers raised the Radakovich Cup, and celebrated a return to the top of the mountain for Indiana. This is the first ever National Championship for Indiana University.
Women's Division 2 National Semifinals
Game 1: Assiniboine Community College over Providence College, 5-2
In the first game of the day, the winners of Pools A & C took the ice with a trip to the National Championship Game on the line. Most people were still getting into their seats when the Friars got on the board with a goal from Brooke Rogers, her second goal of the tournament. The game settled into a rhythm that had ACC firing alot of shots, but Providence quickly clearing any rebounds away. The Cougars finally got on the board with Miikka Hanson's first goal of the week to tie the game. PC was able to regain the lead just 39 seconds later when Rogers got her second goal of the day and eighth point of the tournament. When the horn sounded, it became the first time that Assiniboine had been behind after a period of Nationals since the since the losing in OT to Northeastern in last year's semifinals. ACC did not allow that to last long, as they scored three times in the first 12:35 of the period. Payton Malchuk tying the game at 2-2, Kasey Fouillard scoring to give the Cougars the lead, and Mya Pearce finding the back of the net on the power play to push the lead to 4-2. Providence had a few chances in the 3rd Period, but the only score of the final 20 minutes was Fouillard's second of the game and her 4th of the Nationals. Assiniboine Community College will now play in their third National Championship in the last four seasons (there were no W2 Nationals in 2020 or 2021). ACC will face Sault College on Saturday at 12:00pm (CST)
Game 2: Sault College over Dakota College, 6-1
The second contest featured Pools B & D winners, with Sault looking to continue defense of their National Title, and DCB looking to return to the Championship game after making it the last time the ACHA was in St. Louis, in 2022. While the Lumberjacks were able to rest players yesterday because of clinching their pool after Day 2, and SC having to win their third game to clinch a semifinal spot, it was the Cougars that looked like the fresher team. Sault's Marie-Pier Lecours got her team on the board just over five minutes into the game with her first goal of the Nationals. SC expanded their lead when Materia Land scored with 1:29 left in the opening period. Land made it onto the scoresheet again early in the 2nd period, when she got the lead 3-0. Dakota College cut the lead to 3-1 on Jayden Carel's first of the tournament. However, that was close as the Lumberjacks would get, as Lecours scored her second goal of the day, this time on the power play to get the lead back to three. Two more insurance tallies for Sault secured a return to the National Championship to defend their title, this time against Assiniboine Community College. The game will be Saturday at 12:00pm (CST)
Women's Division 1
Game 1: #4 Minot State University over #5 McKendree University, 2-1 (OT)
The first quarterfinal of the day pitted the two teams that, rankings wise, would be the most evenly matched. The game lived up to that as both teams fought back and forth to make the semifinals. Neither team was able to solve the netminders in the 1st period and went into the locker room tied at 0-0. The Beavers were the first to breakthrough when Olivia Opheim scored her first goal of the Nationals to put Minot State up 1-0 at the 4:16 mark of the 2nd period. As the game continued into the final 20 minutes, the Bearcats continued to fire shots at the MSU goalie, Haylie Biever, with each being turned away until there was 1:46 left in regulation. Thanks to a Minot slashing the penalty, McKendree was the on the power play when Kiley Hasenfratz fired a shot to tie the game and send the game to an extra period. After an ice cut, the two teams were desperate to get a chance to end the game and advance to the National Semifinals. That chance came 2:32 into OT when a scramble in front of the Bearcats net saw the puck slip over the goal line and allow MSU to advance. Gillian Gervin was credited with the overtime winner, her first of the tournament. Minot State will face Liberty University in the second Semifinal game at 7pm (CST)
Game 2: #3 Adrian College over #7 University of Michigan-Dearborn, 8-1
Coming into this contest, the rest factor seemed to be on display. Adrian was playing in their second contest, with a day off in between while UM-Dearborn was playing their third game in a row. The Bulldogs used that rest to come out flying never giving the Wolverines a chance in the game. AC scored three goals in the first period, including a power play goal for Allison Shaw. Shaw would not be finished as at start the 2nd period, she scored at 3:06 and at 6:24 marks to complete the natural hat trick. Adrian continued to dominate with three more goals in the middle frame and were up 8-0 at the second intermission. The Bulldogs, at the time, were outshooting UM-Dearborn 46-12 in the first 40 minutes. The Wolverines lone goal was scored two minutes into the last period from Nicole Hahn, her first of the tournament. Adrian College will now face Midland University in the first Semifinal game at 4pm (CST)
Game 3: #2 Midland University over #8 Indiana Tech, 4-1
In the third quarterfinal of the day, the lone upset of the first two days, Indiana Tech took on Midland University, one of the top seeds that got a bye to the quarterfinals. The first period was pretty choppy as there were two lengthy delays due to scoreboard issues. Then the play finally got really moving, Midland was able to get the lone goal of the period, when Darbi Poole scored with an assist from Jenna Grosdidier. Grosdidier was able to get her own goal in the second period on the power play at the 14:46 mark of the 2nd. The Warriors were able to cut it to 2-1 with 58 seconds left when Isobel Pettem-Shand score on the Indiana Tech power play. The momentum that IT was able to grab before the end of the middle frame was short lives as Kayla Flanigan scored Midland's second power play goal of the game to put the Warriors up 3-1. Taylor Bell sealed the deal with an empty net goal with 3:02 left. Midland University returns to the semifinals after falling in the quarterfinals last year to Minot State. Midland will face Adrian College in the first Semifinal game at 4pm (CST)
Game 4: #1 Liberty University over #10 Arizona State University, 3-2 (OT)
In the final game of the night, the top team in the Women's Division 1 started the defense of their National Championship taking on the surprise Day 2 winner. The first period saw Liberty average a shot a minute as they racked up a total of 21 shots in the first period. However, the ASU goalie, Quinn Eatinger, turned every one away and game was scoreless at the first intermission. The second had the same feel, with Liberty putting 21 more shots on net, but this time one found its way over the goal line as Brielle Fussy scored a power play goal at the 13:13 mark. However, if with the score being 1-0, the Flames could not pull away from the Sun Devils, and ASU made them pay for that. The third period had what could have been craziest opening to a period in recent memory. Arizona State scored to tie the game on their 11th shot of game from Tristan Craig, her third of the tournament. Then ASU scored on their 12th shot, 12 seconds later to suddenly be winning, against the top seed, in the 3rd period, with 18:25 left. Most observers kept think that Liberty's depth would begin to take over that they would get the game knotted back up quickly and then pull ahead. However, the minutes kept ticking by, and the Sun Devils kept hanging on and hanging. The breaking point came when ASU took a tripping penalty with 2:32 left in the game. LU wasted no time, scoring 15 seconds into the power play to tie the game at 2-2 and force overtime. Both teams had chances in the extra frame, with Liberty getting off 16 shots and ASU having 7. The 16th shot for the Flames is what sent everyone home for the night and Liberty to a sixth straight semifinal. Zosia Adamek was able slam home a puck in the crease to give LU 3-2 win with 3:27 left in the first overtime. In the loss, Eatinger had an incredible 95.8% save percentage stopping 70 of 73 shots. For Liberty, they will take on Minot State University in the second Semifinal at 7pm (CST) on Saturday
