MARLBOROUGH, Mass. | New England Sports Complex - No.8 McKendree University women's hockey (15-11-2, 4-7-2 WMCH) closed out its season on Saturday at the ACHA National Tournament aafter going 1-2 during the championship weekend. The Bearcats earned their first-ever national tournament victory on Friday, March 17, defeating Michigan in overtime, 2-1. McKendree dropped their opening-round matchup to No.5 Indiana Tech and then fell in their Saturday contest to No.2 and eventual runner-up, Midland.

GAME 1 | March 16 vs. No.5 Indiana Tech
The Bearcats faced a new foe in the first round of games in Massachusets, taking on the fifth-ranked Warriors of Indiana Tech for the first time in program history. 

The game was headlined by stifling defense from both sides as just 28 shots were put on frame between the Bearcats and Warriors. Indiana Tech struck early at the 13:56 mark in the first period, taking a 1-0 lead over the eighth-ranked Bearcats. 

Defense held for both sides for the remainder of the game as the Warriors topped the Bearcats. Naomi Leasck held net in full time for McKendree with 15 saves on 16 shots on goal.

GAME 2 | March 17 vs. No.9 Michigan
The Bearcats had to fight to stay alive in the postseason tournament, taking on the Wolverines in the Friday slate of games. Michigan held a 2-1 all-time advantage over McKendree entering the day but it marked the first meeting since the spring of 2019 for the squads. 

Michigan fired the first goal at 3:35 in the first period as the Wolverines took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission. 

McKendree tied the game in period two as forward Juliana Davis scored with assists going out to forwards Kiley Hasenfratz and Kerstyn Barron. The contest remained locked at 1-1 for the rest of the second and third periods, sending it to overtime. 

At the 3:23 mark of overtime, Barron got the rebound on a shot and fired it into the net for the OT victory and the Bearcats' first-ever national tournament win. Forward Jaynee Smothers received the assist on the game-winning score.

Leasck held net in full for McKendree, nabbing 26 saves on 27 total on-frame shots. 


GAME 3 | March 18 vs. No.2 Midland
McKendree went on to face-off against the second-ranked Warriors of Midland in the ACHA W1 Quarterfinal matchup. The Bearcats were 0-1-1 this season against Midland, looking to grab their first win and a spot in the semifinal round. 

The Warriors wasted little time with a score under 11 minutes in, taking a 1-0 lead. The Bearcats worked quickly to tie up the game as forward Jayna Barnden scored her first of the national tournament on a power play with an assist by forward Codi Bacon. Midland tacked on one more shortly after the Bearcats scored to own a 2-1 lead at the first intermission.

McKendree was unable to cap-off the game with a comeback as the Warriors posted two more scores with one in the second and one in the third. Midland defeated McKendree 4-1, knocking the Bearcats out of the national championship tournament. 

Leasck grabbed 26 saves during full-time in net. 


NOTABLES
McKendree earned its first-ever ACHA National Tournament victory with its 2-1 OT victory against No.9 Michigan on March 17.

The Bearcats recorded a sixth double-digit win season with their 15 victories in 2022-23. It also marked the fourth winning season in the program's seven-year history. 

UP NEXT
McKendree women's hockey will be back on the ice in the fall for the 2023-24 season.

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