Women's Ice Hockey Courtesy of Amherst Athletics

Three Third-Period Goals Propel Amherst Past Middlebury; Mammoths Play for National Championship Sunday

RIVER FALLS, Wis. —Two third-period goals from senior Alyssa Xu, along with an empty-net goal from Bea Flynn, secured the Amherst women's ice hockey team's spot in the NCAA DIII Women's Ice Hockey National Championship Game with a 3-1 victory over NESCAC foe Middlebury at Hunt Arena.
   
Amherst will play defending NCAA Champion UW-River Falls on March 30 at 4 p.m. (ET) for the 2025 NCAA title. Amherst will play for a national title for the second time in three seasons (last: 2023). The Mammoths own two NCAA title in program history, winning the crown in back-to-back seasons in 2009 and 2010.

Amherst and Middlebury squared off for the fourth time this season and the season series stood at 1-1-1 entering the contest. In the regular season series at Middlebury on January 17-18, the teams skated to a 1-1 tie in the first game with Middlebury winning a shootout 2-1. The Panthers earned a 3-1 win in the second game of the series, but the Mammoths earned a 1-0 win on their home ice to claim the NESCAC Championship. The Mammoths and Panthers faced off in a national semifinal for the second time (last: 2009).

The 2025 championship marks the 14th time in the 21-year history of the tournament at least one NESCAC team has advanced to the Frozen Four. A NESCAC school has won six NCAA Championships (MIddlebury - 4; Amherst - 2).
 
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
  • With 12:26 remaining in the second period, the puck snuck through traffic in the crease and was sent in from the left point by the Panthers. Off the rebound, Middlebury's Avery McInery collected the puck and shot again at the pads of Natalie Stott. Amid a scramble just outside the post, Stott made a stellar save and eventually trapped the puck to stop play.
  • After a wide shot from Middlebury, Xu gained possession along the right boards and sent a pass to her left to Cara Mancini. Mancini carried the puck through the center before attempting to return it to Xu, but a Middlebury defender deflected the pass with a skate. As the puck remained in front of the net, Anna Baxter joined the scramble in the slot, helping to keep the play alive. Ultimately, Xu regained control and sealed the play, backhanding the puck into the net for a power-play goal just 1:57 into the third period.
  • Middlebury's Cat Appleyard, against the right-side boards in the Mammoth's end, gained possession of the puck and delivered it to Cece Ziegler. At the left point, Ziegler fired a wrist shot toward the goal, evening the score with 12:36 remaining in the final period.
  • On a Middlebury offensive attempt into the Mammoth's zone, Reynolds stole the puck, skillfully out-maneuvered her defender, and dished the puck up to Xu for her to carry the puck toward the Panther's net. Xu weaved her way through the slot and flicked the puck into the back of the net, dodging the Panther's goaltender with 6:57 remaining in the third period.
  • With the Panthers pulling their goaltender in the final minutes, Anna Baxter intercepted an attempted clear from their end, carried the puck around the net, and sent a pass toward the low slot. Abban skated onto it and fired a shot on goal, but Middlebury blocked the attempt. Seizing the loose puck, Flynn swiftly backhanded it into the net, scoring with just 50 seconds remaining in the match.
BY THE NUMBERS
  • Amherst outshot Middlebury 21-18.
  • The Mammoths went 1-2 on power plays, whereas the Panthers went 0-2.
  • In goal, Stott saved 17 of the 18 shots she faced on net. 
  • The Mammoth's record improves to 23-5-1 overall.