ROCHESTER, NY – Graduate student Nikolle Van Stralen scored twice and added an assist to lead he Nazareth Women's Hockey team, seeded No. 1 in the United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) tournament, to a convincing 6-0 win over No. 8 Stevenson Wednesday afternoon to advance to the semifinal round of the tournament.

Nazareth (20-5-1) will face Chatham Saturday in a tournament semifinal game at the Bill Gray's Iceplex. No. 5 Chatham was a 3-1 winner over No. 4 Alvernia to advance. In the other half of the tournament bracket, No. 2 Utica beat No. 7 Lebanon Valley 4-0 and No. 3 Manhattanville avoided elimination with a 3-2 overtime win over No. 6 Arcadia. The championship game is scheduled for March 4.

Against Stevenson (8-16-1), the Golden Flyers jumped out to an early lead as senior Ally Watrous, senior Ali Fujiyoshi and freshman Abby Flanagan each scored goals in the first 15 minutes of action. Van Stralen set up the first goal while graduate students Delaney Carle and Abbey Luth each added single assists to the second and third goals.

Just preior to the end of the first period, senior Makenna Wiljanen tipped in a shot by junior Julia Holmes for a power play goal to put Nazareth up 4-0. Sophomore Sydney Swanson was credited with a second assist on the play as she started the passing from the point.

Van Stralen added her two goals in the second and third periods to seal the victory. Both goals were the result of rebounds left unattended in front of the goal and the opportunistic forward found herself in the right place at the right time on both plays. Carle had assists on both plays and Watrous added a second assist on the second-period tally.

Junior McKinley Hoff stopped all eight shots she faced for her 14th win of the season and her school-record eighth shutout of the season.