RIVER FALLS, Wis. - Senior goaltender
Erin Pye of the No. 9-ranked Williams College women's ice hockey team saved 45-of-46 shots for a .978 save percentage during a 1-0 setback to No. 1 Wisconsin-River Falls in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division III Tournament Saturday afternoon at Hunt Arena.
Pye, who was named NESCAC Player of the Year this season, made 15 saves in each period for the Ephs (18-5-5, 9-3-4 NESCAC). Saturday's game marked the final game for seniors
Lucie Bond,
Claire Murphy,
Chloe Noxon,
Maddie Samaan,
Jaelyn Keiver,
Leah Rubinshteyn and Pye.
MaKenna Aure scored the game-winning goal at the 7:16 mark of the second period for the Falcons (28-1-0, 11-1-0 WIAC), as she buried a shot into the top of the net from the left faceoff circle. With three minutes left in the third period, Williams went on a power play and during the second half of the advantage the Ephs pulled the goalie for a 6-on-4 opportunity, as they were looking to generate the equalizer. Williams had some chances in the last couple minutes, but Falcons' goalie Jordan O'Kane earned the shutout by turning aside 37 shots.
River Falls held a 46-37 advantage in shots on goal during the game. Both teams were perfect on the penalty kill, as Williams went 2 for 2 and River Falls was 4 of 4. Rubinshteyn fired a game-high seven shots on goal, while sophomore
Zoe Rosenberg put five shots on target.
The 2025-26 Ephs advanced to the quarterfinals of the national tournament for the third time in program history. The team also secured the program's second-ever NCAA win during a 2-1 overtime triumph against No. 11 Plattsburgh State in front of a tremendous crowd at Lansing Chapman Rink on March 14.Â
Williams hosted its first NESCAC Tournament game since 2019, as the third-seeded Ephs outlasted sixth-seeded Wesleyan, 5-3, on Feb. 28 during the quarterfinal round in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The unit earned the most single-season victories for the program since the 2018-19 season. Williams defeated four ranked opponents this season, going 2-0 against eventual NESCAC runner-up Colby and Plattsburgh State, while embarking on a 16-game undefeated streak with a 13-0-3 record from Nov. 19 - Jan 31.
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