The women's hockey team crushed Middlebury on its own ice yesterday afternoon, arriving back in Hanover with a 5-1 win over the Panthers. The game brings the team's record to 9-6-3, 5-3-3 in the ECAC.
The game started out slowly for both teams. "We played sloppy in the first period. People were trying to pass without skating which doesn't work very well," senior Captain Rachel Rochat said.
Each team took five shots on goal during the period, but Dartmouth scored the only goal. Left-wing Michelle Erickson '96 scored off a pass from defenseman Sarah Vogler '96, putting the puck right past Middlebury goalie Christy Picard.
In the next period the team came out stronger, and managed to score its second goal. Left-wing Rochat lit the lamp, padding her season total to 13. She leads the team in goals.
"We started skating and dominated the period," Rochat said. The team's domination is reflected in its shots on goal; Dartmouth outshot Middlebury 15-0.
In the third period, Middlebury gave Dartmouth a wake-up call, scoring its first and only goal of the game. This cut Dartmouth's advantage to 2-1. "That kind of triggered us," Rochat said.
And that is an understatement. Dartmouth scored three more goals third-period goals, all within four minutes of each other.
The first goal of the series went to right-wing Sarah Devens '96, eight minutes into the period. Just a few minutes later, center Sarah Howald '96 got the puck past the goalie and brought the score up to 4-1.
Center Sarah Hood '98 scored the game's final goal. Hood, from the top of the circle, had a slapshot to the upper right-hand corner to give Dartmouth the 5-1 win.
Freshman goalie Sarah Tueting had another great game in goal, saving all 12 of Middlebury's goals. She was recognized this week as the ECAC Rookie of the Week for her excellent play last weekend against Brown and Providence where she had 32 and 38 saves, respectively. Last week, Tueting had a .95 save percentage.
"I am honored. It is indicative of the great team I have in front of me," Tueting said.
"We are trying to work on intensity, for all the games, not just the big ones," defenseman Amy Coelho '97 said.
After the weekend, the team was in seventh place in the ECAC and tied for first in the Ivy League. "Looking ahead, the win today, hopefully along with two more wins this weekend, should put us into a better position going into the playoffs a month from now," Hood said.
The team faces McGill on Saturday at 3:00 at Leede Arena.
