WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - The Wilkes University women's ice hockey team welcomes the Adrian College Bulldogs to the Toyota SportsPlex this Saturday at 3 p.m. for the first round of the NCAA Division III Women's Ice Hockey Tournament.

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Adults: $7

Seniors (65+) & Students: $5

Youth (2-12) General Admission: $4

Children (Under 2): Free

The Colonels got to this point by going 24-1-1 (20-1 MAC) in the regular season, and winning the MAC Championship for the second consecutive season by defeating Arcadia 4-0 on Saturday.

They're currently ranked 12th in the latest USCHO.com poll and rank highly in major statistical categories both individually and team wise.

The team is second in Division III in goals per game (4.92), fourth in goals per game allowed (1.08), 10th in power play percentage (23.53%), and 23rd in penalty kill percentage (89.47%). Individually, Wilkes had five players selected to the All-MAC Team and took home two major awards as well.

Haylee Bouchard (Sioux Lookout, ON/) was named MAC Player of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year, and earned a spot on the All-MAC First Team after another phenomenal season. She led the conference with 53 points on 17 goals and 36 assists, and averaged 2.04 points per game over the course of the year. Those 36 assists shattered the previous single season program record of 19, and she trails only Megan Goodreau of Wisconsin-River Falls (38) for the Division III lead in assists.

Alongside her are Nina Hudakova (Košice, Slovakia/Hoosac Prep School) and Hannah Franz (North Bay, ON/) on the first team. Hudakova enjoyed a breakout sophomore campaign, jumping from 25 points in 2024-25 to 46 points this season. She currently ranks seventh in the nation in points, seventh in goals scored (22), and ninth in assists (24). Her 22 goals were a new program record for most goals scored in a single season.

Meanwhile, Franz anchored the defensive core all season. She finished second on the team in blocked shots (25), fourth in plus/minus (+34), and tallied 18 points on 4 goals and 14 assists.

Goaltender Audrey Milne (London, ON) secured a spot on the second team after another strong season. She led the MAC in goals allowed (26), goals against average (1.18), and save percentage (.946). Milne also ranks inside the top 10 nationally in both goals against average and save percentage, while also being named MVP of the MAC Championship for her 19-save performance against Arcadia.

Lastly, Tilly Wierdsma (New Hartford, CT) was listed as an honorable mention after a 17-point season, and head coach Dave LaBaff was named MAC Coach of the Year for guiding this team to their second-straight 20-win season.

LaBaff is in his fourth season as the man in charge of the Colonels, and has accumulated a 68-32-6 record during his tenure. 

Beyond the All-MAC selections, the Colonels boast a roster of nine total players that have more than 15 points this season, and 11 players on the team have a plus/minus of +20 or higher. Players such as Renee Ng (Hong Kong, China/Mount Academy), Jordan Ferry (Bohemia, NY), Megan Bell (Waterloo, ON/St. David Catholic), Gianna Pacilio (Franklinville, NJ/), Lily Zingaro (Collingwood, ON), Abby Bush (Ottawa, ON), and others have all stepped up when called upon throughout the season, and make this team as dangerous as it is.

The Colonels will need a well-rounded game from everyone listed above, as they welcome a Bulldogs team that's just as capable of a deep tournament run as they are. 

Adrian College earned their spot in the tournament with a 24-5-0 regular season and 17-1 record in the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA), winning the conference with a 4-3 overtime victory over St. Norbert on Saturday.

The Bulldogs are currently ranked sixth in the latest USCHO.com poll, and are also ranked highly as a team in the same stat categories as Wilkes.

Adrian is third in Division III in goals per game (4.86), seventh in goals per game allowed (1.34), second in power play percentage (33.33%), and 17th in penalty kill percentage (90.91%).

Their leader is senior forward Riley Johnson, the NCHA's Co-Player of the Year. Johnson is third in Division III with 54 points on 23 goals and 31 assists, and is second on the Bulldogs in plus/minus (+46). Despite the fire power she possesses, Johnson makes up just a quarter of the team's Big Four.

Paige Pomerleau (43 points), Courtney Ben (41 points), and Emma Simon (40 points) are also top 10 in the country in points, with Pomerleau and Ben earning NCHA All-Conference honors for their play. 

Pomerleau tied Johnson for second on the team in goals with 23, while Ben edged them out slightly with 25 goals (T-3rd in DIII). Simon only tallied nine goals this season but finished with 31 assists, tied with Johnson for the team lead.

The Bulldogs are also deep at defenseman, having four players with a +20 or higher plus/minus and over 20 blocked shots. Simon, Parker Beyer, Sophia LaColla, and Julia Richardson make up this unit, with Beyer earning All-Conference honors and LaColla being named to the All-Freshman Team.

Their starting goaltender is sophomore Kiera Stack, who's played well in her first season as the primary starter after seeing action in only 11 games last year. She compiled a 21-5 record in 26 starts, a .946 save percentage, and a 1.27 goals against average, earning All-Conference honors herself.

Other important contributors include Maddy Loe, Ava Mattaliano, Hunter Reardon, and Elizabeth Sturgeon. All of these players have tallied 14 points or higher this season, and a plus/minus higher than +15. Loe and Sturgeon round out the last of the award winners as both were named to the All-Freshman Team alongside LaColla.

Lastly, Chad Davis is the head coach of the Bulldogs in his ninth season at the helm. He has led the program to a 197-46-12 during his tenure, including four appearances in the NCAA Tournament and five NCHA championships.

The winner of this game will advance to the NCAA Quarterfinals to take on the Nazareth University Golden Flyers on March 21. The time of that contest is still to be determined.