When Big Green hockey fans dress up for a game, it is usually in green and white. But on Friday night, in a sea of black Northfaces and grey hoodies, community member John Smyrski sat and cheered on Dartmouth's women hockey with a hot pink feather boa wrapped around his neck for the annual "Pink at the Rink" event.
"My daughter Clara gave it to me to wear," Smyrski said. "I'm trying to get her to come and see some hockey."
In conjuncture with the Norris Cotton Cancer Center at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, tickets to Friday night's matchup against Yale University were just $1 if fans donned pink clothing in support of breast cancer research. The event is an attempt to raise awareness among the Dartmouth students and the outside community.
Fans certainly got their money's worth, as the Big Green (10-12-2, 7-10-1 ECAC Hockey) women's hockey team completed its eight-game home-stand by clinching the last pair against Yale University (9-13-3, 7-10-1 ECAC Hockey) on Friday, and Brown University (2-18-4, 0-15-3 ECAC Hockey) the following day. Saturday's game also celebrated National Girls and Women in Sports Day. The games marked the last time this season that the women will take the ice in Hanover, and as a final farewell to the crowd on Saturday, Sarah Parsons '10 netted her 150th career point.
On Friday, Parsons and Camille Dumais '13 each notched a goal late in the final frame, putting Dartmouth comfortably ahead of Yale.
Alone out of the neutral zone, Parsons maneuvered around a one-on-three situation in front of the crease and tucked in a wrist shot that allowed Dartmouth to rise from its slim one-point advantage.
Less than 30 seconds later, Dumais came off of a breakaway and lodged the puck past Yale's junior goaltender Jackee Snikeris to close out the night at 6-3.
The Bulldogs stayed on Dartmouth's heels throughout the entire game, staying within a point of the Big Green until the final period.
With 40 seconds left in the first frame, sophomore Aleca Hughes had the opportunity to knot things up at 3-3 with a penalty shot as Parsons was whistled for tripping.
Hughes beat Mariel Lacina '10 on the glove side, but the puck hit off the crossbar and Dartmouth maintained its lead.
The Big Green now boasts the top-scoring offense in ECAC Hockey with an average of 3.21 goals per game and 27 power play goals.
Sarah Toupal '10 led the offensive output against Yale with two goals for a career-high four points in one match. She slipped through a scramble in front of the net and fired the puck off the near post and into the net to put Dartmouth on top in the opening frame.
"We played smart and kept it simple," head coach Mark Hudak said. "I think we just outplayed that team and outsmarted them. We had a couple little breakdowns but we were able to bounce right back from them."
The Big Green was unable to convert on five power-play opportunities Friday night, but still claims second in the conference with a 21.3 power play percentage.
On Saturday, as the seniors geared up for their final 60 minutes on the Thompson Arena ice, Dartmouth crushed Brown's hopes of winning its first conference game.
While Hudak said that the team played an inconsistent game, he attributed the lack of focus to the sentimental value of the match. Seniors Parsons, Lacina, Toupal, Jenna Cunningham '10, Sarah Kennedy '10 and Sue Schmitz '10 were all honored before and after the match, which was the last they will play in Thompson Arena.
"Today I think was a tough game because there were a lot of emotions involved," Hudak said. "There were a lot of distractions and even though we didn't play a great game, we found a way to win."
Brown broke open the scoreboard three minutes into the opening frame. Freshman forward Erica Farrer in the prime position near the net scooped up a rebound and got a backhand on the puck, sending it past Lacina on the far side.
Hudak attributed part of the Big Green's lackluster start to the team's adjusted play mimicking the Bears' instead of keeping consistent pressure.
"We played their type of game with a lot of north-south instead of east-west," he said. "It was only until the third period that we picked it up a little bit."
After Brown tied up the game at 2-2 early in the final frame, Dumais answered back within 14 seconds, notching the game-winning goal as she lodged the puck over the goaltender's left glove.
Dartmouth ended the game with 36 shots on net and was one-for-three in man-up chances.
As the season winds down, Hudak said that the pairs of wins over the weekend put Dartmouth in a more comfortable position in the conference.
"I think we're in a place right now that allows us to have a little more control over our destiny," he said. "Every game for us now is a playoff game. We need to think of each game as that in order to make sure that we get to that next level."
While both Dartmouth and Yale hold 15 points in the ECAC standings, the Big Green took the eighth-place ranking over Yale because of Friday's victory, according to the tiebreak procedures.
Dartmouth revisits old foes next weekend as the team hopes to replicate its rout of Union College on Friday and avenge a previous loss against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on Saturday.
Both the "Pink at the Rink" and the celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day were put on by the Dartmouth athletic department. Jillian Frey, the athletic department's varsity sports coordinator, said that Thompson Arena is logistically ideal for events that aim to raise the community's exposure to such critical issues as cancer research and gender equality in sports because it can accommodate a large number of individuals.
While the Norris Cotton Cancer Center treats patients with all types of cancer, 17 percent of the center's patients are battling breast cancer, according to Rebecca Gray, a breast cancer survivor and a senior project manager at the Friends of Norris Cotton Cancer Center.
Increased awareness among college students is pertinent because of the increasing number of younger women who suffer from the disease, Gray added.
"It used to be called a disease of older women," she said. "Now, we're seeing that it's more and more the 30-year olds, the 20-year olds and even 18-year olds that have it."
While fans watched Dartmouth crush Yale, 6-3, they also had the opportunity to swing by the Friends' table. In addition to providing information, the Friends raffled off socks, hats and a HOPE sterling silver bracelet to the attendees.
On Saturday, approximately 175 fans watched Dartmouth edge past Brown during the team's final home-stand match. In celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day, women from five other Big Green teams also attended the game and encouraged younger generations to continue participating in all sports, Assistant Athletic Director for Student Enhancement Anne Hudak said.
Members of the women's volleyball, golf, softball, lacrosse and swimming teams came to the event to listen to the community children. By interacting with the kids, the athletes gained a heightened sense of responsibility towards the local community, Hudak said.
"One of them asked if one of our athletes was famous and she didn't know what to say," Hudak said.
Molly Khalil '12, who plays third base and catcher for the Dartmouth women's softball team, said that the teams also signed shirts and equipment for the participants.
Khalil added that each girl had a unique story to offer to the women.
"There was one girl on a learn-to-play hockey team," she said. "When we gave her the raffle ticket to win the hockey stick, she was just in awe."
Anne Hudak emphasized that the event allowed the athletes to forge connections with the children.
"What I want the students to do is go out there and build relationships with the kids," she said. "I know that they enjoy reaching out to the community."
In addition to allowing the athletes to get in touch with the participants, the day also emphasized the historical background underscoring the event, Frey said.
"Everyone was really enthusiastic this year," she said. "We tried to incorporate more of an educational aspect to the event."
A nation-wide event, NWGSD commemorates Flo Hyman, the 1984 Olympic volleyball silver medalist who died unexpectedly of Marfan Syndrome during a volleyball game in 1986.
Hyman actively championed women's participation in sports and Congress set up the first NGWSD in tribute to her efforts, according to the Women's Sports Foundation's web site.
NGWSD is supported by various organizations, including the Girl Scouts of the USA, Girls Incorporated, the National Association for Girls and Women in Sports, National Women's Law Center and the Women's Sports Foundation.
The Big Green women's hockey team will not see its home crowd again until the start of next year's campaign, but the pair of matches over the weekend made for great entertainment for Smyrski and his daughter. The father and daughter bonded over the Big Green's victories and gained some insights on issues pertaining to the community, Smyrski said.
"Anything that can bring awareness to such causes is great," he said.