UWRF women’s hockey succeeds in national championship

The UW-River Falls women’s hockey team won its first national championship on March 17, 2024. After completing a perfect 31-0 season, the Falcons achieved the highest honor in NCAA Division III women’s hockey in a 4-1 victory over Elmira College. 

Across its 25 seasons, women’s hockey has been a staple of UWRF Athletics, and wrote itself into history this year. The program began in 1990 under head coach Joe Cranston; in their debut season, the Falcons went 3-15. In the 24 seasons since, however, the program has never finished with a record below .500. The Falcons have won fourteen conference tournament championships and made fifteen national tournament appearances. 

The women’s hockey team has been the university’s most consistent athletics program since 2000, but, before the 2023-2024 season, the Falcons had yet to achieve a national championship title. They made the Frozen Four in 2016-their first appearance in a national championship–but were defeated by Plattsburgh State, becoming the national runner-up.  

This season marked the program's 25th anniversary, in which the team’s experience finally overpowered the rest of the league. The Falcons finished the regular season and WIAC tournament at 28-0, and as a result, received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. 

In the playoffs, UWRF defeated the reigning national champions, Gustavus Adolphus, and advanced to the semifinals. The Falcons’ home ice, Hunt Arena, was selected to host the Frozen Four. UWRF narrowly defeated Adrian College 3-2 after being down in the third period, and advanced to the NCAA National Championship game against Elmira College. 

This game marked the Falcon's second national championship appearance, as well as the eighth appearance of the Elmira College Soaring Eagles. The attendance inside Hunt Arena reached 1,789, the largest crowd of the entire season, and overflow fans were seated in the nearby Don Page Arena to watch a live stream of the game. 

Entering the third period, the game was tied 1-1. Elmira gained a 5-on-3 advantage after River Falls was called for two penalties thirty seconds apart. Despite this disadvantage, the Falcon defense held firm, and Hunt Arena grew loud with applause as the game continued.

 Once at even strength with Elmira College, the Falcons never looked back. They put in three goals over five minutes apart and forced a commanding lead of 4-1 over the Soaring Eagles. UWRF would go on to win the first national championship in the team’s history.

The team’s consistency has been supported by a long-tenured coaching staff. Assistant coaches Amanda Ryder, Jim Walsh, and Jeremy Weiss have all been with the team for ten or more seasons, and Cranston is the first and only head coach in team history. 

Cranston was named the National Coach of the Year, and Forward Maddie McCollins was given the Laura Hurd Award. Her 64-point season made her the synonymous pick for best Division III women’s hockey player in the United States. The Falcons set a new NCAA Division III women’s hockey record for most wins in an undefeated season, at 31 victories. The previous holder was Middlebury College, who went 27-0 in 2022.