After the team struggled in the Jan. 1 game, head coach Mark Hudak devised a new defensive scheme for Friday's game. The Big Green implemented a trap-style forecheck against UNH.
"It is the first time we've used it all year and it took a while to really start to figure out how to take advantage of what we were doing," said Hudak. "UNH had the first 12 shots of the game in the first 10 minutes. After that, we outshot them for the next period and a half."
The game was much closer than the final score would indicate. After the midpoint of the first period, the team started settling into its new strategy.
"Although UNH had plenty of shots, I don't think they had a lot of real good scoring opportunities," said Hudak. "Playing the system we did, will often make it look like the other team is in control, but in effect, they are doing what you expect and it's us trying to take advantage of that. We did at times, but in the end, we did not finish on our opportunities and we made a couple of critical individual errors which really cost us," Hudak said.
The game was knotted at 1-1 until UNH scored on a power play midway through the third, and stayed within reach until the Wildcats netted a third goal with just under three minutes left in the third period.
Dartmouth played the game without captain Tiffany Hagge '06. The second- leading scorer on the team despite playing in only 13 of the team's 16 games, Hagge may be out for up to eight weeks. She broke her fibula in two places in a 2-2 tie with Colgate on December 8.
"She is one of the few players who understood the new systems -- she could have helped in our transition," Hudak said.
While the team struggled with the loss of Hagge, there were a number of bright spots for the Big Green.
Carli Clemis '09 saw action between the pipes for the third time in her career, having finally recovered from an injury suffered in only her second college game.
While the 3-1 final score left her with her first loss, she managed to snag a career-high 34 shots in the process.
"Carli had a great game," Hudak said. "She did what she needed to do to give us a chance to win,"
Clemis's solid play has not made Hudak's job any easier. He will now have to decide how to divide playing time between Clemis and Kate Lane '06, who started every game in Clemis's absence. Lane's career numbers put her in the top five in Dartmouth history in save percentage, goals against average and wins.
While Clemis certainly played well, she credited her teammates with her success.
"I think everyone in front of me did an awesome job executing," she said. "My defensemen especially did a great job backchecking and saved me from more than a few breakaways."
Dartmouth's offense was not completely stifled on the afternoon. Alex Zagaria '05 fired home the Big Green's lone goal 14 minutes into the second period. The goal -- the senior's first of the season -- was assisted by Emily Nerland '06 and Nicole Ruta '08.
The first period held a few bright spots for the Big Green as well. The team had some tantalizingly close calls on a few of the rebounds that bounced out in front of the UNH goal during the period, but never could find the back of the net and finished the period with only three shots on goal.
The Big Green managed only 15 shots on goal on the game. However, worry that the loss of Hagge has left the offense toothless doesn't seem to be particularly well-founded.
Even with Hagge, Dartmouth only managed 20 shots on goal in its last game against UNH, and on New Year's were not implementing a trap-style forecheck. Also, the team took on the University of Connecticut without Hagge a week ago and unleashed 31 shots on goal. So, while the loss of a top offensive player and captain is surely painful, it isn't quite time to start waiting until next year.
Dartmouth's chances were not helped by its inability to control the puck off the faceoff. The UNH ended up taking 36 of 58 faceoffs, forcing the Big Green to defend what turned out to be just a few too many possessions.
Dartmouth women's hockey team next takes the ice in Schenectady, N.Y, against Union College, on Friday, Jan. 27 at 7 p.m.
