UW-River Falls Cements Dynasty With Third Straight Title

UW-River Falls Cements Dynasty With Third Straight Title

Minnesota roots and team-first play drive River Falls’ continued success.

By Robert Brent

Throughout the history of college hockey, certain time frames have been dominated by dynastic programs. The University of Michigan men’s team ran in the early to mid-1950s. More recently, the University of Wisconsin women have won five of the last seven championships.

University of Wisconsin-River Falls recently inked its name in that pantheon as a true dynasty of Division III women’s hockey after capturing its third-straight national championship in late March. 

Leading up to this season, the Falcons’ calling card has been their dominance over Division III hockey. UW-River Falls went 31-0 in 2023-24 on their way to the team’s first national championship. The Falcons followed that up with a 26-3-2 record in 2024-25 before winning their second title. 

The Falcons have become accustomed , a habit that permeates throughout the entire program. For example, first-year forward Sophia Hess has only just won her first national title, but says the leadership and culture of the team have been paramount to her early success.

“Our junior class has won the national championship every year they’ve been here. The seniors have won three years in a row now, too. They showed us (the team’s young players) that it takes hard work and teamwork to be able to do that,” Hess said. “It isn’t exactly pressure. We just want to win so bad. We get every team’s best game because they want to beat us.”

The Falcons captured their third-straight title this year after another commanding season with a 30-1-0 record. River Falls defeated Nazareth University 4-0 in the championship game to cap off the three-peat. 

Sophia Hess scored two goals in the game, including an empty-net tally that put the game to bed. Hess reflected on the empty-net moment as a surreal experience.

“I scored that empty net goal and got back to the bench and started crying, because I didn’t believe that it was actually happening. We were winning a National Championship,” Hess said. “I remember the final buzzer going off, and it was all a blur. I don’t know why I was crying, but I think it was just happy tears.”

Hess played a key role for the Falcons in the game and throughout the season, scoring 60 points in 31 games. Still, she points to the contributions of the rest of the team as the most important factor in the team’s win.

“I scored two goals, but all our other lines and the rest of the team gave to that win, too,” Hess said. “Of course, our goalie (Jordan O’Kane) got a shutout. The defense played great. It’s special to be able to score twice, but all I really care about is winning the game.”

During the conversation with Hess, it’s clear that the team is close-knit and works well together. One reason could be the common background many of the players share. Of the 26 players listed on the Falcons’ roster for the 25-26 season, 24 of them are from Minnesota. Nearly all of that contingent comes from an MSHSL background, including Hess who played high school hockey with River Lakes. In 31 games, the UW-River Falls Falcons scored 158 goals. Each one came from a Minnesota player.

Sophia Hess said that built-in chemistry is crucial to the team’s success. 

“We all play a similar game. Minnesota hockey is a little different than playing teams from other places. We all work hard together,” Hess said. “And for me, I knew every single freshman coming in this year. So we come to campus, and all hang out. We had that team chemistry right away.”

The Falcons are masterminded by coach Joe Cranston, who has been at the helm of the team since 2000. In that time, River Falls has reached the Division III Frozen Four seven times and produced 44 All-Americans.

Cranston’s grade-A program and welcoming team are what lead players of Hess’ caliber to choose River Falls. While the talented forward talked to some D1 programs, she says UW-River Falls felt like home on her very first campus visit.

While the team is already one of the blue bloods of Division III women’s hockey, they have no intent to rest on their laurels. The team plans to continue improving and staying humble despite their recent success. Sophia Hess is a spokesperson for that drive, outlining plans for her second year and beyond.

“Just continue to get better. Every team is going to want to beat us, and I would too if I were on a different team,” Hess said. “Winning another one would be so much fun, but I don’t think we can look too far ahead. We need to focus on getting better this summer. The first game of next year is what we’re worried about.”