#4 UMass in Final Four after win over Wisconsin!

Bensenville, IL - The Final Four for the American Collegiate Hockey Association Women's Division I National Championships is now complete as the #4-seeded University of Massachusetts punched its ticket to the party with a hard-fought 4-1 quarterfinal win over the scrappy #8 Badgers of the University of Wisconsin on March 7, 2008, at the Edge Ice Arena in Bensenville, IL.

The Minutewomen got a goal less than minute into the game to take a 1-0 lead.  That score came from Cara Murphy (West Springfield, MA) off an assist by Courtney Smith (Sharon, MA).

Neither team could score again until Wisconsin's Jaime Ferrentino (Buffalo, NY) scored at the 6:54 mark of the second.  Julia Holl (Minnetonka, MN) earned an assist on that goal.

That 1-1 tie lasted just three minutes as UMass scored the first of three unanswered goals to close out the game.  Sarah Kate Pierro(Plymouth, MN) scored, assisted by Maura Grainger (Ithaca, NY) and Murphy.

Cara Murphy got the final two tallies for the Minutewomen to complete a hat-trick, the third of the tournament.

Wisconsin finishes their season at 17-10-1, 9-9-1 in the ACHA.  This was their fourth appearance at nationals.  They were ACHA Champions in 2002 and 2004.

UMass will now advance to the semi-finals to face the #1 Lions of Lindenwood University (MO).  The puck drops in that semi-final game at 5:10 PM on Saturday, March 8, 2008, at the Edge Ice Arena in Bensenville, IL.