#3 Colgate Clashes with #2 Wisconsin in NCAA Semifinal
DURHAM, N.H.– The third-ranked Colgate women's hockey team will take on the No. 2 Wisconsin Badgers at 7:30 p.m. on Friday with a trip to the National Championship on the line. The winner of Friday's contest will move on to face either No. 1 Ohio State or No. 4 Clarkson on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. in the Whittemore Center Arena.
Colgate most recently clinched the program's second-ever Frozen Four berth with a 3-1 victory against No. 6 Cornell in the NCAA Regional Championship last Saturday. Sophomore forward and Third Team All-ECAC selection Elyssa Biederman scored or assisted on each of Colgate's three tallies, but she is far from the Raiders' only scoring threat.
Danielle Serdachny, a top 10 finalist for the prestigious Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, will look to continue her legendary career as a Raider after being selected to an All-ECAC team in each of her five seasons at Colgate. The fifth-year forward was most recently named to the league's First Team thanks to a 61-point season, good for the fourth-highest point total in the country.
ECAC Rookie of the Year Emma Pais will also play a large role in Friday night's semifinal as she headlines the highest-scoring first-year class at the Frozen Four. Pais, Madeline Palumbo, Kaia Malachino, Ella Belfry, Jaimee Spring and Avery Pickering have combined for 89 points this season, two tallies ahead of Ohio State's rookie class who tacked on 87 points in 2023-24.
Defensively, senior goalie Kayle Osborne will need to continue the hot streak she has ridden through the ECAC and NCAA postseason. In four playoff starts, including a 30-save shutout against Clarkson in the ECAC Championship, Osborne has only allowed three goals while boasting a 0.75 GAA.
The defenders in front of her have played a large part in Osborne's dominance, namely the top two pairs in Sydney Morrow/Sydney Bard and Avery Pickering/Allyson Simpson. Morrow, a Second Team All-Conference selection, is tied for the most points by a blueliner in the NCAA despite missing six games in January with an injury.
Pickering is the youngest player in the country, but continues to play above her years alongside Simpson and Bard, who were both invited to the U.S. National Women's Team Evaluation Camp along with Morrow.
Colgate has dueled with Wisconsin twice before with both games taking place on the NCAA Tournament stage. The Badgers bested the Raiders in last year's Regional Final in Hamilton, but Colgate claimed victory in a 2018 overtime thriller at the Frozen Four.
Fans can catch this weekend's rematch on ESPN+, or follow along with the live stats here. Tickets for the NCAA Quarterfinal can be purchased with this link.
Players Mentioned
Players Mentioned
Latest Women's Ice Hockey
- Walkland Named Head Coach for Bishop Kearney U19 SelectsHAMILTON – Colgate Women's Ice Hockey's widely-respected and veteran assistant coach Chelsea Walkland has announced that she is stepping down from her position to take on the head coaching role at Bishop Kearney's U19 Selects program.
- Colgate Holds 17th Annual Golden ’GatesHAMILTON — Colgate Athletics held its 17th annual Golden 'Gates award ceremony Monday evening on Cotterell Court, honoring its student-athletes and presenting department awards.
- Eichfeld Honored as Goldwater ScholarHAMILTON – Junior defender Gwen Eichfeld was selected as the recipient of the highly competitive, merit-based Barry Goldwater Scholarship, Colgate University announced last week. The announcement comes on the heels of Eichfeld's selection as a Harvard-Amgen Scholar, a 10-week summer research program that takes place in the cutting-edge facilities of Harvard University.
- Serdachny Claims Gold at Women’s WorldsUTICA, N.Y.– Colgate's newest alumnae Danielle Serdachny picked up right where she left off in the 2023-24 collegiate hockey season, scoring the game-winning goal for Canada at the IIHF Women's World Championship in Utica, N.Y. on Sunday night.
- Serdachny, Morrow and Pais Named All-USCHOHAMILTON– Danielle Serdachny, Sydney Morrow, and Emma Pais were named to the All-USCHO Second, Third and Rookie teams, respectively, the organization announced Wednesday morning. The announcement comes on the heels of Serdachny and Morrow's recent selection as CCM/AHCA All-Americans and Pais' selection as ECAC Rookie of the Year.
- Morrow Named to Team USA World RosterUTICA, N.Y. – Colgate women's hockey sophomore Sydney Morrow was named to the 2024 U.S. Women's National Team that will compete in Utica, N.Y. on April 3-14 during the 2024 IIHF Women's World Championship.