West Massachusetts News

In the longest championship game in NCAA DIII hockey history, The #3-ranked Amherst College women's hockey team saw its season end just shy of a national championship as the Mammoths fell to #1 Gustavus, 2-1, in triple-overtime in front a raucous capacity crowd of 1,080 in Orr Rink Sunday evening. 

It was the first Div. III championship game to surpass one overtime, and with a run time of 101:33, the game will go in the record books as the longest game ever played in Amherst history. 

First-year netminder Natalie Stott set an NCAA Div.. III championship game record with a mind-boggling 59 saves and was named to the All-Tournament team for her play. Senior Carley Daly, who scored the Mammoth's only goal of the game, was also named to the All-Tournament team. 

The two Gustavus goals were the first allowed in the 2023 postseason by the Mammoths, who finished the season 26-4-0, setting program records for wins in a single-season (26) and most consecutive wins (18 games).

"I've never seen anything like this in my 24 years coaching – a team play so hard every minute of every game for an entire season. Never give an inch out there, forecheck, back check, blocking shots, the energy, the passion," Amherst head coach Jeff Matthews said. "It was incredible to be part of. I'm looking forward to the next few days to really soak it all in, what a special year and experience this season was." 

GAME HIGHLIGHTS: 

* The first part of the first period belonged to Gustavus as they fired the first six shots on goal. In the final 10 minutes of the opening frame, the Gusties were assessed two penalties, however, their penalty-kill unit was able to stave off the Mammoths. On the second power-play, Daly was able to fired off a shot from the left face-off dot, but it was smothered by Gustie goalie Katie McCoy.  

* Gustavus continued to press the Mammoths in the second stanza, outshooting them 12-6 over that 20-minute period. They were able to end Stott's five-game postseason shutout streak with 5:14 left in the stanza. A Mammoth clear around the boards instead went directly to Gustie Gabby Slykas, who immediately threw the puck toward the goal. Teammate Lily Mortenson just happened to be cycling through the circle, picked up the puck, turned and skated into the low slot and just Stott beat low and to the glove side into the bottom right-hand corner of the goal. 

* It was the first goal that Stott and the Mammoths had allowed since Feb. 18 in a 2-1 loss to Williams. 

* The Mammoths turned the tide in the third period. Amherst outshot Gustavus 12-11, and had the better of the quality scoring chances. Still, with both teams backchecking and blocking shots the way they were, quality scoring chances were hard to come by. Down 1-0 late, Amherst head coach Jeff Matthews called a timeout with 1:49 remaining. After the timeout, Stott remained on the bench as the Mammoths added an extra attacker. 

* That move paid off 37 seconds later. Some great work along the right boards by Alyssa Xu resulted in her creating enough space for herself to get the puck back to Emily Hohmann at the right point. Hohmann quickly fired a pass over Avery Flynn at the left point, and Flynn fired a shot wide of the goal. But Daly, stationed at the bottom of the circle, managed to flick her stick on it enough to deflect it on goal and under the right arm of McCoy to tie the game with 1:12 remaining in the game. 

* That would set up 42:25 of more hockey, and it was thrilling overtime hockey. In first extra session, Mammoth Alejandra Ubarri fired a backhand on goal that McCoy could not control. Senior Kate Pohl was on the puck in a flash and her shot beat McCoy on the blocker side, but slid just wide of the far post with 14:25 left in the period. With just under a minute left, Hailey Holland fired a low shot along the ice from the high slot, but Stott shot out her left pad for the save. Tina Press got off a backhand on the rebound, but Stott smothered that chance as well. 

* In the first overtime, Amherst took 16 shots, 12 of which were blocked, four which went wide, and four which McCoy saved. In the meantime, Stott faced 13 shots on goal and stopped each one. 

* In the first minutes of the second overtime, Pohl pounced on a turnover near the top of the left circle and fired a shot. The puck zipped through the legs of Gustie defender Brooke Remington, but McCoy somehow saw it was able to body block it off to the corner. With 14:46 to go, Holland used a nice dangle to create some space, slid into the slot and fired a hard backhand that Stott smothered. 

* With 2:58 left in the second frame, the speedy Holland created a chance for herself, jumping on a loose puck just outside of the Mammoths' zone and skating into it, cutting to her left and snapping off a quick low shot to the left that Stott somehow stopped with her pad. 

* Finally, with 1:33 gone in the third overtime, it was over. Mortenson gathered in a rebound and cycled her way back to the top of the left circle, curling toward the slot and firing a pass that was headed wide. However, Kaitlin Holland knocked it down with her stick and fired off a shot that Stott saved. Clara Billings then chopped a rebound shot on goal that Stott blocked as the puck squirted to the right of the goal. Nearly parallel with the goal line, Holland fired a shot that hit off the body of Stott and caromed into the net for the game-winner. 

BY THE NUMBERS:

* Gustavus finished with a 61-34 edge in shots. Gustavus blocked 28 shots, including 5 each from Kayla Vrieze and Emily Olson. Amherst forced McHugh to make 33 saves of her own. The Mammoths blocked 21 shots, four by Emily Hohmann alone. 

* The Mammoths won 58 of 96 face-offs in the game, led by Anna Baxter, who won 24 of the 34 she took. 

* Stott finished the season with 14 shutouts, tying a single-season Div. III record. 

* 2023 Div. 3 Women's Ice Hockey Championship:
* Carley Daly, Amherst
* Lily Mortenson, Gustavus
* Kayla Vrieze, Gustavus
* Gabby Slykas, Gustavus
* Natalie Stott, Amherst
MOP:
Katie McCoy, Gustavus 

Original source can be found here.