With the wins, the Big Green improves to 5-1-0 for the season and takes over first place in the ECAC conference standings.
"These two wins are huge for our team," captain Katie Horner '11 said. "Any Ivy game is big because we are looking to win the Ivy League."
In the game against Princeton (3-5-0, 3-3-0 ECAC), the Big Green found itself on the wrong end of a 2-1 score with less than two minutes remaining. With the whole Dartmouth bench standing and cheering, Nanji scored the game-tying goal with 1:36 left in the third period to send the game into overtime.
"[Nanji] got the puck into the net, and it was what we call a grinder goal," Horner said. "We felt like we were on cloud nine."
Riding the momentum into overtime, Nanji completed her hat trick at 2:11 into the first overtime period by scoring the game-winner. After receiving a pass from Horner, Nanji took a slap shot from the point and put the puck past Princeton goaltender Rachel Webber.
"I was so happy that I scored the goal that won the game for our team," Nanji said.
Amanda Trunzo '11, Reagan Fischer '12 and Horner all notched an assist for the Big Green. Nanji scored an unassisted goal early in the second period.
Dartmouth outshot Princeton 29-23 in the game, with goaltender Lindsay Holdcroft '14 registering 21 saves to secure the victory for the Big Green.
One day later, in a back-and-forth game against Quinnipiac (8-5-1, 3-4-0 ECAC), the Big Green and the Bobcats exchanged four goals in the first period. Kelly Foley '12 and Camille Dumais '13 both scored to give Dartmouth an early 2-1 lead, but Quinnipiac freshman Kelly Babstock scored twice in the period to keep the score even at the buzzer.
Dartmouth regained the lead on a power play goal by Trunzo in the second period, but Babstock scored her third goal of the contest and tied the game once again late in the second period. The three goals scored by Babstock marked the second consecutive game she has tallied a hat trick. She now has 13 goals on the season.
At the end of the third period, the Big Green killed off a critical 5-on-3 power play for the Bobcats to send the contest into overtime.
Forty-nine seconds into overtime, Dartmouth was awarded a power play when Quinnipiac freshman Amanda Colin was called for a tripping penalty, and the Big Green was quick to take advantage. Less than 20 seconds into the power play, Nanji scored her second game winning goal in a row with assistance from Dumais and Trunzo.
"I was really relieved that the puck went in," Nanji said. "It was really important for us to win that game."
For Trunzo, the assist marked her 100th career point as a member of the Big Green, joining 31 previous Dartmouth women's hockey players in the 100-point club. After her overtime goal, Nanji leads the team with six goals and nine assists on the season.
"[Nanji] has been a consistent offensive defenseman," Horner said. "It is very good to see a sophomore taking a leadership role, and she has been great for us all year."
In the contest, Dartmouth outshot Quinnipiac, 26-19. Goaltender Whitney Woodcox '13 made 16 saves to earn the victory.
"These two games really showed that if we keep working and never give up, we can beat anyone," Nanji said.
Head coach Mark Hudak did not travel with the team for these two games, as he is coaching the U.S. Select Team at the Four Nations Cup. Assistant coaches Sara Simard and Holley Tyng took over the head coaching duties for the weekend.
The last time Dartmouth got out to a 5-1-0 start was during the 2008-2009 season, in which the team went on to win the ECAC Conference Championship.
The team will attempt to echo that season's success Tuesday when it faces next face Providence College at home at 7 p.m.
