Amherst won its first Division III Women’s Ice Hockey Championship March 21, downing Elmira 4-3 in overtime at Middlebury.

Neither history nor early game performance could portend the finish – Elmira was one of only three teams to have won the Division III title in championship history and started the game aggressively, outshooting the Lord Jeffs, 8-3, in the first period and taking advantage of a power play to take the lead, 1-0, with 15:21 gone in the game.

But Amherst found its groove in the second period, out-shooting the Soaring Eagles, 13-5, and tying the game three minutes into the stanza. The Lord Jeffs took the lead off a Katie Dennet goal, assisted by Emily Vitale and Tarasai Karega later in the second period.

Amherst coach Jim Plumer called the contest “a game of momentum changes,” which played itself out through the rest of the contest, with the two teams trading the lead back and forth.

Elmira opened the third period with a goal from Kayla Coady, her second of the night and fifth of the tournament – an NCAA championship record for goals in the tournament.

Less than two minutes after Coady’s record-setting score, Elmira had a chance to go ahead again, but Alyssa Chwick recovered the puck with a stellar defensive play in front of the net. The Lord Jeffs caught another break when some confusion on the ice over which team drew a penalty led Amherst goaltender Krystyn Elek to leave the net open briefly. But Elmira’s shot went wide.

The Soaring Eagles recaptured the lead with 8:16 left in the third period, making the score 3-2. But six minutes later, the Jeffs’ Emily Vitale stepped up to tie the game, converting after quick attempts by Dennett and Karega caused a tie-up in front of the net.

Amherst carried their momentum into the overtime period, when Dennett beat a defender and sent the puck into Elmira goaltender Allison Cubberly’s chest, causing her to lose track of the disc. Dennett slid the rebound past Cubberley for the Lord Jeffs’ victory.

En route to the title, Amherst had to beat all three programs that had won the national championship in the past: Plattsburgh State in the opening round, Middlebury in the semifinals and Elmira for the title. Those three programs have six titles between them.

Elmira finished with a 24-5-1 record, while Amherst completed a 24-5 season.

Semifinals

Amherst          2          1          0 – 3

Middlebury     0          1          1 – 2

First period: A: Tarasai Karega (Lindsey Harrington) 5:20; Julia Koch (Karega, Stephanie Clegg) 17:00.

Penalties: M: Anna McNally, tripping; Maggie Melberg, hooking.

Second period: M: Molly Vitt (Ashley Bairos, Grace Waters), 4:00. A: Megan Curry (Karega, Emily Vitale) 13:35.

Penalties: A: Julie Radziewicz (tripping), Randi Zukas (holding). M: Melberg (interference).

Third period: M: Annmarie Cellino (Heather McCormack), 13:00.

Penalties: A: Vitale (hooking), Anna MacLean (hooking). M: Waters (interference).

Saves: Krystyn Elek (Amherst) 17; Alexi Bloom (Middlebury) 15.

Wisconsin-River Falls 0          0          0 – 0

Elmira                          1          1          1 – 3

First period: E: Kayla Coady (Catherine Shears, Jenna McCall) 1:36.

Penalties: WRF: Ashly Berner (hooking), Katie Flanagan (hooking), Flanagan (high-sticking), Flanagan (roughing), Breanne Hrabe (tripping). E: Alex Bresler (tripping), Bench (too many players, served by Karen Colehour), Jamie Kivi (high-sticking), Shears (slashing).

Second period: E: Jamie Huntley (Lauryn DePaul, Kivi) 16:55.

Penalties: E: Huntley (goaltender interference), Huntley (roughing), Shears (interference). WRF: Kayleigh Bell (holding), Ally Foley (high-sticking).

Third period: E: Melanie Henshaw (McCall) 1:29.

Penalties: E: Henshaw (tripping), Kathryn Walker (hooking), Caitlin Manahan (hooking). WRF: Bailey Vikstrom (cross-checking).

Saves: Allison Cubberley (Elmira) 19; Cassi Campbell (Wisconsin-River Falls) 22.

Third-place game

Middlebury                 1          0          1          1 – 3

Wisconsin-River Falls 1          1          0          0 – 2

First period: M: Julia Ireland (Heather McCormack, Molly Vitt) 15:45. WRF: Abby Sunderman (Stefanie Schmitz, Lauren Conrad) 10:33.

Penalties: M: Heidi Woodworth (body checking), Bench (too many players, served by Grace Waters), Woodworth (hooking). WRF: Jamie Briski (hooking), Breanne Hrabe (tripping), Brittany Erickson (hooking), Jessica Thompson (interference).

Second period: WRF: Heather Horgen (Schmitz, Kayleigh Bell) 8:01.

Penalties: M: McCormack (holding). WRF: Ashly Berner (hooking).

Third period: M: Molly Vitt (Annmarie Cellino, McCormack) 6:03.

Penalties: M: Vitt (high sticking), Maria Bourdeau (hooking), McCormack (roughing). WRF: Conrad (body checking).

Overtime: M: Waters (Woodoworth, Marjie Billings) 4:48.

Saves: Lani Wright (Middlebury) 22; Melissa Deardorff (Wisconsin-River Falls) 25.

Championship game

Amherst          0          2          1          1 – 4

Elmira              1          0          2          0 – 3

First period: E: Kayla Coady (Jenna McCall, Kathryn Walker) 15:21.

Penalties: A: Megan Curry (hooking), Julie Radziewicz (hooking), Randi Zukas (high-sticking), Katie Dennett (roughing). E: Allison Cubberley (holding, served by Erika Godwin), Jamie Kivi (roughing).

Second period: A: Courtney Hanlon (Lindsey Harrington) 2:54, Dennett (Emily Vitale, Tarasai Karega) 15:16.

Penalties: A: Lindsey Harrington (body checking). Amanda Ritzel (hooking).

Third period: A: Vitale (Dennett, Karega) 17:42. E: Coady (Godwin) 2:29, Walker (Jamie Huntley) 11:14.

Penalties: A: Michelle McGann (holding). E: Lauryn DePaul (body checking).

Overtime: A: Dennett (unassisted) 12:22.

Penalties: E: McGann (holding), DePaul (body checking).

Saves: Krystyn Elek (Amherst) 25; Allison Cubberley (Elmira) 28.