RIVER FALLS, Wis. – The Yellowjacket women's hockey team took care of business earlier this week, dispatching Northland College in its Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) opening round playoff game, advancing to the conference semifinals.
 
Their reward for the victory, a date with UW-River Falls for a two-game series. The Falcons, who incidentally are the defending national champions, entered Friday as he No. 1 ranked team in the country in both Division III polls. In other words, the task in front of the Yellowjackets was a big one, as they would need to defeat the Falcons twice in order to advance to the WIAC title game next week.
 
After Friday, the 'Jackets still need to win twice, and would need a mini-game victory in order to advance.

River Falls scored three times in the first period to pull away early, downing the Yellowjackets 8-1 in the opening game of their WIAC semifinal series at W.H. Hunt Arena.
 
The Yellowjackets (12-13-2) will now need to win the regulation game Saturday to force the mini-game they need to win the series.
 
Jenna Hoops (Woodbury, Minn./Visitation School) scored the only goal for the Yellowjackets Friday, finding the net on the power play early in the third period.
 
In goal, Anna Maulson (Lac du Flambeau, Wis./Lakeland Union) got the start and went the distance, finishing the game with 40 saves. Her record for the year stands at 4-7-1.
 
Game Notes

• Penalties played a key role in the game, as the teams combined for 19 in the game, including 12 on the Yellowjackets.
• River Falls went 5-for-11 on the power play.
• The Falcons opened the scoring when Bailey Olson scored at 4:39. Madison Kadrlik increased the lead, scoring at 7:18 and again at 13:13. Both Kadrlik goals came on the power play.
• Megan Goodreau scored on the power play at 8:34 of the second, and Alexa Niccum added another goal to make it 5-0 after two.
• Kadrlik completed her hat trick with a power play goal just 33 seconds into the third.
• Hoops finally got the Yellowjackets on the board, taking a pass from Kailey Swerhun (Thunder Bay, Ontario/St. Ignatius) in the slot and blasting a one-timer past River Falls goaltender Jordan O'Kane at 2:42 of the third.
• Maddie Rewertz (Hibbing, Minn./Hibbing) also got an assist on the goal.
• River Falls added two more goals late – Alexa Niccum scored her second of the game at 10:37, followed by a goal by Kailey Niccum at 17:59 to close it out.
• The Yellowjackets were outshot 48-17 in the game.

The Yellowjackets and Falcons will play the second game of their semifinal series Saturday afternoon. The opening faceoff is set for 2 p.m. at W.H. Hunt Arena in River Falls.
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