With 14 games to go in the season, the Big Green (6-6-2, 4-4-1 ECAC) still has time to put together a winning season.
"We just really need to focus on what we've done wrong, on working hard and on getting the pieces together," Alyssa Boehm '11 said. "Then we'll have a successful run."
Dartmouth's rookies played a major role in Sunday's game, with Camille Dumais '13 and Sasha Nanji '13 contributing goals to tie Connecticut (9-6-5, 2-3-4 Hockey East), while Amanda Trunzo '11 also found the back of the net.
Stopping 19 shots in her fourth start of the season, netminder Whitney Woodcox '13 maintained her unbeaten streak and now stands at 2-0-2 on the season, with a save percentage of .863.
After the Big Green scored two goals in the first period, Connecticut retaliated at the end of the period with two more unanswered goals. Nanji finally tied up the game off a pass from Geneva Kliman '12 in the final period.
Dartmouth found less success in its first outing with the Huskies. Dartmouth fell behind early, but was able to recover from the deficit with goals from Erica Dobos '12 and co-captain Sarah Parsons '10. Once the Huskies regained the lead, the Big Green was unable to answer and Connecticut ultimately held on for the win.
The Huskies came out pressuring Dartmouth, and were able to break through for a 1-0 lead just 1:22 into the game. Casey Knajdek scored for the Huskies, with the assists going to Cristin Allen and Jessica Lutz.
The Huskies continued to be the aggressors in the first period and were rewarded for their strong play as the period came to a close. With 0:32 remaining in the frame, Amy Hollstein found the back of the net off a pass from Monique Weber to put the Huskies up 2-0. Connecticut dominated the first period, outshooting the Big Green 16-6.
The two teams reversed roles in the second period, as Dartmouth played with more aggression. The Big Green soon cut the lead to 2-1, as Dobos scored her first goal of the season 2:12 into the frame off passes from Sarah Toupal '10 and Nanji.
The Big Green continued to apply pressure throughout the second period, outshooting the Huskies, 11-5, and holding a 4-1 edge in power plays.
Dartmouth was unable to capitalize on its offensive effort until the third period, however, when Parsons finally broke through to even the score, 21 seconds after opening of the final frame. The unassisted goal was Parsons' team-leading ninth of the season.
The score did not last for long, however, as Michelle Binning put the Huskies up 3-2 only two minutes after Parsons' tying goal. Binning potted the game-winner off a pass from Weber, who added her second point of the afternoon with the assist.
The Big Green tried to battle back, outshooting the Huskies on the period, but could not get the puck past Connecticut's sophomore netminder, Alexandra Garcia, who finished the game with 23 saves.
Earlier in the break, Dartmouth tallied three power-play goals to defeat rival Vermont (5-12-1, 1-7-1 Hockey East).
"Any out-of-conference game is a good win," Trunzo said. "It's good for the rankings."
In a balanced team effort, eight Big Green players scored points in the 4-2 victory. With a goal and an assist apiece, Parsons and Trunzo each contributed two points against the Catamounts. Dumais and Sally Komarek '13 also notched power-play goals, while co-captain Jenna Cunningham '10 added two assists in the win.
After Dartmouth fell behind early in the second period, 1-0, Trunzo scored an extra-man goal with 1:00 remaining in the frame. The tally marked her second power-play goal of the season.
The third period was filled with action, as the teams combined for four goals. Power-play goals from both Komarek and Dumais helped the Big Green pull ahead, 3-1.
Vermont came back to within one goal with just over a minute left to play, but Parsons added an empty-net insurance goal just 20 seconds later to seal the victory for Dartmouth.
Boehm and Trunzo agreed that the players have a strong chemistry which helped them succeed against Vermont.
"I think that we played really well as a team," Boehm said. "There was lots of energy and team cohesiveness."
In net, Mariel Lacina '10 stopped 18 shots for her third win of the season, while senior goalkeeper Kristen Olychuck made 34 saves but still picked up the loss for Vermont.
The Big Green started off the break with a tough 4-1 loss to the University of New Hampshire on December 12 at Thompson Arena.
Although Dartmouth has found success with special teams and has strong team chemistry, there is still room for improvement, Trunzo said.
"Consistency throughout the game has been a struggle throughout the year," she said. "We need to play well for a full 60 minutes."
The Big Green heads south to Hamden, Conn., next weekend to face off against Quinnipiac University (7-7-6, 4-3-5 ECAC Hockey) at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, before traveling to Princeton on Saturday to take on the Tigers (8-8-2, 6-4-2 ECAC Hockey).
