Molly Garin put on a show stopping performance for a full house at TRIA Rink Saturday. The freshman forward recorded her second hat trick of the season and Bre Simon added a goal and three assists as the Hamline women's hockey team sealed a return to the NCAA D-III semifinals with a 5-1 win over Wis-River Falls. 

The Pipers (22-3-3) used three power play goals and a shorthander to subdue the Falcons before an appreciative crowd of 1,527.

Garin got things going when she converted a Simon goalmouth pass 17:57 into the game. Simon, the leading pointgetter in women's D-III hockey with 63, then scored a shorthanded unassisted tally early in the second period. Later in the period, Garin (4) finished off a three-way play with Simon and Leah Schwartzman to make it 3-0. The Falcons (23-6) came to life on a power play goal by Bella Wagner in the last minute of the third period to make it 3-1. 

WRF kept up the pressure at the start of the third period but HU freshman Jaela O'Brien stymied them, making 12 of her 25 saves on the game in that frame. 

HU then pulled away late with power play goals from Hansen and Garin to seal the deal. Hamline outshot the Falcons, 35-26 for the game, holding an advantage in all three periods. Simon was the top gunner with eight shots with Garin right behind her with seven efforts.

As a result, the Pipers move to the semis for the second year in a row. This time, a familiar face awaits them. St. Thomas defeated Wis-Eau Claire, 4-3, and will be the Pipers' next foe March 15. The tournament will be played at St. Thomas Arena. The Piper-Tommie game will face off at 7:00 p.m. Plattsburgh (NY) and Adrian (Mich.) will play a 3:00 p.m. The winners play at 7:00 p.m. the next night with the third place game set for 3:00 p.m.

The Pipers ended the Tommies' 36-game unbeaten streak with a 3-2 OT win in the final game of the regular season. UST defeated HU, 2-0, in the MIAC Championship game a week later.