HAMILTON – Allyson Simpson's goal early in the second period wasn't enough for No. 3 Colgate to overcome three unanswered goals by No. 6 Wisconsin in a 4-2 loss in the NCAA Regional Final Saturday at Class of 1965 Arena.
Simpson's fifth goal of the season tied the teeter-totter game at 1-1 just 32 seconds into the second period. The senior skated into the offensive zone and toe-dragged around a defender before her bar-down wrist shot from point-blank beat the Wisconsin netminder.
Simpson's goal came after Wisconsin's Nicole LaMantia opened the scoring with the only goal of the first period. Wisconsin held a double-digit lead in shots but both teams had their fair share of scoring chances and the score remained level at 1-1 into the late stages of the second.
Colgate had the momentum after scoring the equalizer but a penalty proved to be costly. Wisconsin's Casey O'Brien scored on the power play to give the visitors the one-goal lead with less than four minutes remaining in the period. Colgate couldn't cash in on two late power play opportunities and trailed 2-1 after two periods.
The Raiders kept searching for the equalizer but it wasn't to be and Vivian Jungels extended Wisconsin's lead to 3-1 eight minutes into the third period. Laila Edwards scored an empty-net goal with less than two minutes remaining.
Kristýna Kaltounková's 24th goal of the season with nine seconds remaining capped the scoring at 4-2.
Neena Brick, Tanner Gates, Danielle Serdachny, and Sara Stewart registered an assist each. Hannah Murphy finished with 31 saves between the pipes for the Raiders.
Wisconsin led in shots on goal 35-15 and finished 1-for-3 on the power play. Colgate, which came in as the fourth-best power play team in the country, was 0-for-5 with the player advantage. The Raiders held a 26-23 advantage in the faceoff circle.
Colgate's season ends with 32 wins, its second consecutive 30-win campaign.
