UPDATED March 20, 9:55 p.m.
SCHENECTADY, N.Y. -- Being the nation's second-most penalized team certainly has its risks. Those risks made themselves very apparent in the Big Green's ECAC semifinal matchup against St. Lawrence Saturday at Messa Rink. The Saints scored on three early power plays, and rode the early advantage to a 4-2 win.
"I thought the game would come down to mistakes and who would capitalize on them," said Big Green head coach Mark Hudak. "St. Lawrence did an awesome job doing that, and that's how it ended up."
"Penalties are mistakes," Hudak added. "On our part, not the refs'."
St. Lawrence got the game's first goal, scoring on a "mistake"-induced power play 12 minutes into the game. Saints captain Ricki-Lee Doyle one-timed a pass from line-mate Emilie Berlinguette past Dartmouth goalkeeper Stephanie Cochran '06 and into the back of the net. Despite out-shooting the Saints, 10-9, during the opening frame, Dartmouth headed to the first intermission down 1-0.
Dartmouth got a power play early in the second period, but was unable to convert. The high-powered trio of Tiffany Hagge '06, Gillian Apps '06 and Cherie Piper '06 did not stay down for long, though, as Hagge tied the game on a shot from the left face-off circle less than three minutes into the period.
But the tie didn't last. Another Dartmouth penalty yielded another power-play goal for the Saints. St. Lawrence freshman Chelsea Grills came up with the go-ahead tally. That power-play goal was followed by another one, as Doyle got her second of the afternoon during a penalty to Apps. Dartmouth was unable to come up with a response, thanks to a stalwart performance from Saints goalkeeper Rachel Barrie (38 saves), and the Big Green headed to the locker room down by two goals at the second intermission.
The two-goal deficit became three with 14:14 to go, as SLU senior Gina Kingsbury launched a low shot that slid past the outstretched leg of Cochran and found the back of the net. Dartmouth got a glimmer of hope as the Big Green scored another goal. Piper roofed the puck in from the slot with just over two minutes to go, and Dartmouth called timeout shortly thereafter. The Big Green retook the ice with Cochran pulled in favor of an extra skater, but the advantage was neutralized when Katie Weatherston '06 was called for hitting from behind with 56 seconds to go. 56 seconds later, the Saints were headed to the ECAC final against Harvard. The Big Green, on the other hand, was headed home to await the decision of the NCAA selection committee to see if Dartmouth will be invited to the NCAA Frozen Four, to be held next week at the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence, R.I.
"There is subjectivity in there," said Hudak of the selection process. "I just don't know what's going to happen with [the selection committee]. I think that if we had won today, we would have put ourselves in a great position. Now, we've got to play a bit of the waiting game."
If and when Dartmouth does head to Providence, it will be without Apps and Piper, as the dynamic duo will be training with the Canadian national team in preparation for the World Championship, which will be played beginning March 30.
"It's definitely hard," Apps said of leaving her team at this point in the season. "I'm hoping just as much as anyone else on this team that our team goes to the Final Four, and has the opportunity to play for a national championship."
The NCAA selections will be announced at 5:30 p.m. Sunday afternoon.
