Four Teams Return to NCHA Playoffs for Second Straight Year

     Despite the short history of the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association women�s playoffs, there�s already a legacy of close games and no reason to expect anything different this year.

     The same four teams are back for the second straight year and played five one-goal games and a pair of two-goal contests with an empty net score among their 14 meetings this year. Only two of the 14 games between the teams were decided by four goals or more. That likely means more dramatic moments for a tournament that has already had seven-one goal games in four years and a double overtime championship game last season.

     UW-Stevens Point, which edged UW-Superior in that classic title game a year ago, clinched the league�s first-ever undefeated season and won a pair of tight games with the Yellowjackets this year to gain home ice for this weekend�s affair. The Pointers were last year�s NCAA Division III runner-up are looking for their third playoff crown in four seasons.

     One of the four teams from this weekend�s event will move on to the NCAA Division III tournament, but it won�t necessarily be the tournament champion. The NCHA does not have an automatic bid to the national tournament, but is granted an at-large bid that is awarded to a team based on its performance throughout the entire season, including this weekend�s competition. The NCHA tournament champion has represented the league in the NCAA tournament the past two years.

     UW-Stevens Point features a balanced, senior-led attack with five players, including four seniors, having scored over 20 points this season. Ann Ninnemann leads the way with 28 points and a league-high 17 assists, while Liz Goergen and Jackie Schmitt each have 13 goals and 12 assists for 25 points, while Ashley Howe has a team-high 15 goals. Amy Statz ranks second in the country in goaltending victories with 18, while posting a league-low 1.37 goals against average.

     The Pointers have the nation�s best winning percentage with a 20-2-1 overall record and boast the country�s fourth-longest unbeaten streak with a 9-0-1 record over their last 10 games, outscoring teams 35-9 over the span. UW-Stevens Point has the nation�s fifth-best power play, scoring on 21.5 percent of its chances.

     UW-Superior is led by the top goal scorer in the country, sophomore Erin Kegley, who has 24 goals in 21 games, while also ranking fifth in the country in points with 38. The Yellowjackets were 10-2-1 at mid-season, but went 5-4-1 to close the season and bring a 15-6-2 mark into the weekend.

     UW-Superior is no stranger to tight games as five of the Yellowjackets� six losses were by one goal with the other being a two-goal defeat following an empty net goal. In fact, all three of UW-Superior�s meetings with semifinal opponent UW-River Falls were one-goal decisions.

     UW-River Falls suffered through an eight-game losing streak at midseason, but bounced back strong with wins in five of its last six games to push its record to 12-11 overall. The Falcons have the league�s top goaltending tandem in senior Marlene Yaeger with a .933 save percentage and sophomore Amber Lindner with a .921 save percentage.

     Offensively, junior Jenny O�Keefe has 10 goals and 12 assists for 22 points, while sophomore Jenny Wallace is the league�s top-scoring defender with seven goals and 12 assists for 19 points.

     UW-Eau Claire is enjoying easily its best season in school history with a 14-8-1 campaign that surpasses last year�s 10-win season as the winningest in the five-year history of the program. In fact, the Blugolds had never beaten UW-River Falls in school history before winning three of four meetings this year.

     Jill Arendt has been a big reason for the success, enjoying a strong freshman season in goal with a 2.12 goals against average and .908 save percentage. Junior Amanda Schultz is the team�s leading scorer with 15 goals and eight assists for 23 points.