The women’s ice hockey team had mixed success this weekend, coming away with a 2-2 tie against Princeton University and a 3-1 loss against No. 5 Quinnipiac University. The Big Green’s record moved to 10-10-2 overall and 6-8-2 in conference.
In Friday night’s game against Princeton, Dartmouth came out strong, putting two unanswered goals on the board by the middle of the second period. The first goal came unassisted from Laura Stacey ’16 eight minutes into the first period after she intercepted the puck and took a long shot out just past the blue line.
The Dartmouth offense maintained the pressure, holding Princeton scoreless in the first period. Both Robyn Chemago ’17 and Princeton’s Kimberly Newell made 11 saves in the period.
“Princeton had very strong goaltending,” Lindsey Allen ’16 said. “We knew [that] going into the game, so we had to try and get as many shots possible from inside the half.”
In the second period Princeton’s offense stepped up its pressure. Chemago was forced to make 21 saves in the 20-minute period. In comparison, the Dartmouth offense stepped back, only forcing nine saves for Newell.
The Big Green increased its lead to 2-0 in the second period following a power play goal by Eleni Tebano ’17, assisted by Allen and Kennedy Ottenbreit ’17.
Five minutes later, the Tigers answered back with a goal off a loose puck in front of the net after three consecutive saves by Chemago.
Entering the third period, Dartmouth came on the ice fired up, forcing Princeton’s goalie to make three saves within the first 15 seconds. Both teams laid heavy offensive pressure, but neither could score until just over halfway through the period. Princeton’s Molly Contini, with the assist from Kelsey Koelzer, was able to get the tying goal past Chemago after a deflection.
The third period ended without another goal, sending the game into overtime. The five-minute overtime gave four scoring chances to both teams but neither capitalized, ending the match in a tie. Chemago made 43 saves in the game, a career high for her, while Newell made 32.
“Whether I get 10 shots a game or 50 shots a game, I’m thinking about the same things, the things that make me successful,”Chemago said. “I usually focus on staying square to the puck, knowing where all the players are on the ice so I can read the play and trying to keep a visual...on the puck.”
The next afternoon, Dartmouth took the ice against the nationally ranked Quinnipiac team.
The players worked with new lines in this game, as a method of shaking up the offense and trying to incite more offensive success, Allen said.
“I think it helped motivate people a little bit more,” Brooke Ahbe ’18 said. “It was hard at first, but I think there could be some new combinations that could work out well.”
The first period of the game was dominated by the defenses, which kept it scoreless. Dartmouth had a goal recalled by the referee after it was judged that the puck had been kicked into the net rather than simply deflected.
Quinnipiac struck first in the second period, taking advantage of an interference call against Dartmouth. The Bobcats scored again in the second, with Nicole Connery shooting after receiving a cross-ice pass.
The Bobcats would score again five minutes into the third, gaining a three-goal lead over the Big Green.
Ahbe would score the solitary goal for the Big Green in the 16th minute of the third period, pouncing on a deflected puck in front of the net. Chemago made 27 saves in the effort, with Quinnipiac outshooting Dartmouth 30-17.
“Our whole team was really trying to get pucks to the net,” Ahbe said. “I think the score wasn’t exactly showing how the game was going because we could have capitalized on a few more opportunities.”
Next weekend, the team hopes to take advantage of the opportunity to shake up the standings, Allen said.
“It’s going to be a very big weekend for us,” Allen said. “We know that both teams are going to put up a fight but we have to push back harder.”
The Big Green will have two important Ivy games in the upcoming weekend, hosting Brown and Yale Universities at 7 p.m. Friday and 4 p.m. Saturday, respectively.
