For the first time in program history, the Hamilton Women’s Hockey team made it to the Division III NCAA tournament and traveled all the way to the Frozen Four.
Hamilton had excelled in the first two rounds in order to reach the semifinals. In the first round, Hamilton played Nazareth College. After defeating the Golden Flyers, 4–1, earlier in the season, the Continentals were eager to repeat their success. Fortunately, Hamilton earned a high enough seed in the tournament to earn a first round home ice advantage, getting one more chance to play at Russell Sage Rink. Right from the puck drop, Hamilton came out firing. Sami Quackenbush ’24 helped put the Continentals on top early in the first period, getting out in front, 1–0. Later in the first, Hamilton suffered a costly penalty. The Golden Flyers took advantage and tied the game to close out the period 1–1. Halfway through the second period, Cuora Sullivan ’26 fired a beautiful wrister past the Nazareth goalie to restore the lead. The first-year defender could not have picked a better time for her first goal of the season and of her collegiate career. To end the second period, Hamilton’s leading goal-scorer, Nancy Loh ’23, tallied her 21st goal of the season on a power play for a 3–1 lead. In the third period, the intensity of play surged as Nazareth tried to fight their way back, but they could not recover and the Continentals moved on to the quarterfinals.
Hamilton then made the trek to Michigan, where they faced Adrian College. Starting in the first period, both teams had numerous scoring chances, but the goaltenders stayed solid in their nets. Throughout the second period, the game remained scoreless despite Adrian’s dominance as they held an 11–4 shot advantage. In a sudden and unexpected play, Sullivan tallied her second goal of the tournament, continuing her hot streak at yet another crucial moment in play. Although Hamilton took the lead, they needed to maintain composure as the Bulldogs continued their relentless play throughout the third period. With less than a minute left, the Continentals ensured the win with an empty-netter scored by Abby Smith ’24, her tenth goal of the season. This victory would not have been possible without the outstanding performance in net by Evie Sheridan ’26. Sheridan saved an impressive total of 31 shots for her fifth shutout of the season.
With the shutout win against Adrian, Hamilton punched their ticket to the coveted Frozen Four. Joining Hamilton in the Frozen Four were Amherst, Plattsburgh State and Gustavus Adolphus. A new champion was to be crowned in 2023, as Middlebury, the previous winners, lost in the first round and could not defend their title. Unlike the other two teams, Plattsburgh State and Amherst had seasoned experience going into the tournament, Amherst seeking their third national championship title and Plattsburgh State seeking their eighth. Although Hamilton does not have a similar resume, the team had already demonstrated their elite skill by qualifying for the Frozen Four, alone. They were eager to prove their talent even further.
In the semifinals, Hamilton faced NESCAC rivals Amherst for the fourth time this season. After a disappointing 0–5 loss in the NESCAC Championship final, the Continentals wanted to maintain a stronger defense and be more aggressive offensively. In the first period, Hamilton suffered two penalties but successfully limited the Mammoths’ scoring chances, and the period ended 0–0. At the start of the second, Amherst won the faceoff, charged the net, and scored to take a 1–0 lead only nine seconds into the period. Hamilton did not let this sudden goal change their defensive performance. The Continentals held strong as a defensive unit and focused on trying to even the score. In a last resort attempt, Hamilton pulled their goalie for a numbers advantage, but Amherst secured the win with an empty-net goal.
Despite the Continentals’ season ending with this shutout loss, they still ended with the program’s most successful season in history. Sadly, the squad is saying goodbye to nine seniors who proved quintessential to this season’s success. Now, Hamilton Women’s Ice Hockey has shown they are a serious competitor and threat, and they will look to continue their success in 2023–24.
