With the beginning of the NCAA Division III Women’s Hockey Championship this Friday and Saturday, Gustavus Adolphus College will host the Championship Finals at Don Roberts Ice Rink. It will be the first time that a team from the West Region hosts the Championship in the nine-year history of the women’s tournament.

The Gustavus Women’s Hockey team will play defending National Champion Amherst College of Amherst, Mass. in the National Semifinal game at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, March 19. The Gusties earned a spot in the National Championships with a 2-0 win over UW-River Falls, which turned out to be revenge for the Falcons ending the Gusties season last year in the National Quarterfinals.

The Gusties started off the season slow with a 2-3-1 record. Yet, they have turned the season around and gone 20-1-1 since, while also owning the longest winning streak in Division III at 13 straight games.

The Gusties will be making their first appearance in the NCAA Championship Finals since 2006 and fourth overall. They are led on offense by Senior All-American Melissa Mackley and Sophomore Allie Schwab, complimented by three outstanding first-year players: Lindsey Hjelm, Meagan Wanecke and Tam Meuwissen. Not only do they have a high powered offense, but the Gusties also boast one of the best defenses, led by Junior All-America defender Kirstin Peterson. Peterson is also the Gusties’ best scoring defender and the team’s fourth leading scorer.

inally, Sophomore Danielle Justice anchors the defense in goal by leading Division III in goals against average. Justice is 16-2 on the season.
However, the Gusties will have their hands full with the number one overall seed and defending champion Amherst. Amherst is 21-2-4 on the season and has the sixth-ranked scoring offense and fourth-ranked scoring defense.

With a win over Amherst, the Gustavus Women’s Hockey team will earn a spot into their second National Championship game in the history of the program.