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RIVER FALLS, WI – The #3-ranked Nazareth (27-2-1) women's hockey teams remarkable 2025-26 season came to an end on Sunday as it fell 4-0 to #1 University of Wisconsin – River Falls (30-1) in the NCAA Division III Women's Hockey Championship game. It was the third-straight championship for the Falcons. 
 
Freshman goaltender Mia Gonsalves was sensational all night, making a career-high 40 saves.
 
Allie Zack and Meredith Boettcher were named to the NCAA All-Tournament team. 
 
How it Happened:

• Three minutes in the Golden Flyers took an early penalty but did well to kill it, blocking two shot attempts. 
• Gonsalves came up with a huge save at the 11:47 mark, gloving a breakaway attempt to keep the score at 0-0.
• The Falcons went back on the power play at the 6:44 mark, with Gonsalves notching a point blank save on a backhander to keep the game scoreless.
• After one period, the Falcons held a 13-7 shot advantage. Nazareth had 11 blocked shots in the period. For the game, the Golden Flyers blocked 21 shots.
• The Falcons opened up the second on the power play and made good on it, scoring the game's first goal on a deflection in front.
• Just over two minutes later, Gonsalves made a save on a tough shot before it was put in on the backside to make it 2-0. 
• Nazareth had one power play for its entirety in the second but was unable to find the net.
• Gonsalves made 18 saves in the second frame, which already put her at a career-high with 31 saves through two periods.
• In the third period, the Falcons had a redirect in front under the 10-minute mark to open up a 3-0 advantage.
• Nazareth generated its most shots of the game in the third with 9, for a three period total of 22.
• With under three minutes to play, Nazareth pulled the goalie and the Falcons added the final goal on an empty netter. 

Game Notes:

• Nazareth was appearing in its fifth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance and holds a 3-5 record in tournament games dating back to 2021.
• UW-River Falls was in its third-straight NCAA Championship game and making its eighth appearance in the Frozen Four. River Falls defeated Amherst 3-1 in 2024-25 and Elmira 4-1 in 2023-24 in the NCAA Championship game.
• Nazareth faced a tough task against in UW-River Falls goalie Jordan O'Kane who had allowed one goal or less in five consecutive games.
• It was the first game since Nazareth's 1-0 quarterfinal loss to Middlebury on March 22, 2025 that it was held scoreless.
• Nazareth picked up its first-ever NCAA Quarterfinals and Semifinal wins in the program history in 2025-26. The Golden Flyers defeated #12 Wilkes 2-1 in overtime in the quarterfinals and stormed back from being down 3-0 to down #2 Norwich 5-4 in overtime of the semifinals. Nazareth's comeback against Norwich was the largest in Frozen Four history, dating back to 2002.
• 2025-26 marked just the second time in program history (2021-22) that the Golden Flyers three players with 30+ points. Amy Laskowski became the first player in program history to go over the 50-point plateau, while Meredith Boettcher (19G, 15A) and Brooke Judkiewicz (10G, 22A) each had career-highs for points.
• Nikkie Sharp (26 points – 8G, 18A), Ave Meteyer (21 points – 3G, 18A) were among the players with career-highs in points.
• In just two seasons, Laskowski already sits fourth all-time at Nazareth in goals scored with 42. She set the points (51), goals (26), and power play goals (8) single season records as a sophomore.
• Freshman goalie Mia Gonsalves set the single season mark for wins with 25.