Twice as Nice For River Falls

Hobart Wins Third Consecutive Men's Ice Hockey Crown in OT

Author

Steve Ulrich
March 31, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 11 minutes

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MARCH 31, 2025 | composed by STEVE ULRICH
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💤 Monday, Monday. Thanks March. It’s been real.

Headlines
🔴 River Falls Goes Back-To-Back
🟠 Three-Peat For Statesmen
📈 Top Admissions Rates for Class of 2029
📉 Dealing With the Demographic Upheaval
📢 Plays of the Weekend

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TOP STORY
1. Twice as Nice For River Falls

“The UW-River Falls Women's Hockey team etched its name in history, winning its second consecutive NCAA Division III National Championship today at Hunt Arena. The Falcons defeated Amherst 3-1, capitalizing off a huge second period, to win the 2024-25 national championship on their home ice.

The victory marked the first time a Division III women's hockey program has won back-to-back national titles since Plattsburgh State did so in 2016 and 2017. Across the two-year run, the Falcons have accumulated a total record of 57-3-2. Head Coach Joe Cranston, who earlier this season became just the fourth head coach in D3 history to eclipse 500 career wins, notched another national championship on his impressive career resume.”

» The Wrap. After a scoreless first period, the Falcons struck just 40 seconds into the second, as MaKenna Aure took a feed from Bailey Olson and scored her 15th goals of the season. Madison Kadrlik made it 2-0 at the 7:08 mark, before the Mammoths broke through on a tally from Bea Flynn just about five minutes later. But Olson’s 27th goal of the season with just three minutes left in the second provided insurance for UWRF.

Jordan O’Kane made the two-goal advantage stand up, making 16 saves in goal for the Falcons. Her counterpart, Natalie Stott, turned away 25 shots.

» Honors. Olson was named the most outstanding player of the tournament.

ICE HOCKEY (M)
2. Three-Peat For the Statesmen

“Junior forward Kahlil Fontana scored with 1:36 remaining in the first overtime to give the top-ranked Hobart hockey team its third consecutive national championship, defeating sixth-ranked Utica 2-1. For his heroics, Fontana was named the Tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

First-year forward Easton Ryan scored the game-tying goal. Junior goaltender Damon Beaver made a season-high 39 saves to earn his Hobart record 53rd career win Ryan and Beaver were joined on the NCAA All-Tournament Team by senior forward Matthew Iasenza and sophomore defenseman Calum Chau.

Eric Vitale had the goal for the Pioneers, who finished their year with a 24-5-2 overall record. Ryan Piros played every minute in goal for Utica and made 44 saves.”

» Worth Noting. The Statesmen become the first team since the 2004-06 Middlebury squads to win three consecutive national championships. The 1995-99 Panthers won five straight NCAA titles, while Wisconsin-Stevens Point “three-peated” from 1989-91.

ADMISSIONS
3. Here Are Top College Admissions Rates For The Class Of 2029

MIT

by Christopher Rim, Forbes

“Thursday marked the 2025 “Ivy Day,” when students across the globe received their admissions results from Ivy League and select top schools. Though students received their individual results, many Ivy League schools — including Cornell and UPenn — chose to withhold much of their institutional admissions data, as they did in previous cycles. These institutions are seeking to distance themselves from the negative stigma associated with hyperselectivity and elitism. Meanwhile, schools that were once considered “safe” or “match” options have become just as competitive as schools in the Ivy League, signaling that shifts in the current admissions landscape require new strategies to succeed.”

» Of Note. “As the Ivy League schools continue to come under fire, other prestigious institutions have become increasingly desirable—and competitive—amongst talented applicants. NYU had a record-breaking year, receiving over 120,000 applicants, a 3% increase over last year and the largest pool in its history. Students anticipating future admissions cycles should take note—these schools are no longer back-up options for the Ivy League; they are reach schools in their own right. Elite institutions like MIT aare not looking for students who excel at everything, but they do not want a student’s specialization to come at the expense of a dynamic personality or perspective.”

» The Early Bird. “Given the emphasis on yield rate at top schools, early admissions pathways are becoming increasingly desirable options for top students, as early admissions rates at top schools tend to be significantly higher than regular decision rates. For instance, Emory accepted nearly one-third of early applicants, with early admits typically accounting for roughly half of the student body.”

» What They’re Saying. “As hard as it may be, families should recognize that the idea of a ‘safety school’ has changed dramatically,” says Dr. Rachel Rubin, CEO of Spark Admissions, a top college consulting firm based in Boston. “Many of these once more accessible institutions now have acceptance rates in the single digits. This means students must take a more strategic approach.”

STUDENTS
4. ‘You Can’t Create 18-Year-Olds’: What Can Colleges Do Amid Demographic Upheaval?

by Ben Unglesbee, Higher Ed Dive

“This is a moment for higher education 18 years in the making.

By the latest estimates, 2025 will be the year that the number of high school graduates peak. The long-dreaded demographic cliff — caused by declining birth rates starting in 2007 — is coming.

But the coming decline in traditional-aged college students might not be a “cliff,” exactly, and it doesn’t necessarily spell a disaster for the nation’s colleges.”

» Situational Awareness. “A more gradual decline would give institutions and policymakers time to prepare and manage the change. After all, diminished numbers of high school graduates don’t necessarily have to translate into fewer college students — though they probably will for certain institutions. The college-going rate, along with college student body makeup and retention, all play a role in mitigation strategies amid the decline.”

» Why It Matters. “Meanwhile, some locations and regions will experience steeper-than-average declines. Between 2023 and 2041, WICHE researchers estimate, graduates will drop 27% in New York and 32% in Illinois, for example. By contrast, are projected to grow by double digits in some states, including Tennessee, South Carolina and Florida. Many struggling colleges “are in the Northeast and Midwest, which are on the higher side in terms of expected enrollment declines,” said Robert Kelchen, an educational leadership and policy studies professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. That means those institutions are likely more vulnerable.”

» Worth Noting. “The higher education sector “really needs to go on the offense,” Jeff Strohl, a professor and director of Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce said, focusing on skills graduates need in the job market and recognizing that “education is, in fact, putting together packets of skills that match with occupations and packages of need, while not losing our commitment to general education.”

NEWS YOU CAN USE
5. Lightning Round ⚡️ 

🏃‍♂️ Track and Field. Simpson’s Kendrick Achebe ran the fourth-fastest 100-meter dash in NCAA Division IIII history, hitting the tape in 10.10 on Friday night.

⚾️ Baseball. Cortland RHP Luis Misla struck out 16 New Paltz hitters in a complete-game shutout as the Red Dragons blanked the Hawks, 6-0.

🥍 Lacrosse (M). Marymount’s Bryan Maguire handed out 13 assists as the Saints drilled Manhattanville, 24-12.

🏠️ Finances. “Webster University has sold the “Chancellor House” for $1.2 million. The 4-bedroom 3,430 square-foot home, located at 102 Mason Avenue in Webster Groves, was purchased by the University in 2012 for $935,000 to be used as the official residence of the University Chancellor. However, when new Chancellor Tim Keane was recruited and hired, he turned down the offer to live in the home and directed that it be sold to support Webster's financial turnaround.”

TRANSACTIONS
6. Comings and Goings

BROOKLYN - Akilah James named head women’s tennis coach
THIEL - Dylan Lasher resigned as head women’s volleyball coach
WISCONSIN-STEVENS POINT - Christian Diaz will step down as head women’s lacrosse coach effective immediately. Katie Lindsley named interim head coach

HIGHLIGHTS
7. Plays of the Weekend 

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