The team was "giddy" during the pregame skate, according to captain Kelly Foley '12. The players spent the morning taking pictures and getting the jitters out of its system.
"The pregame skate was emotional," Camille Dumais '13 said. "After that, we had to focus."
Despite concerns over the quality of the ice and visibility, "it wasn't as tough as I thought," goalie Lindsay Holdcroft '14 said. For many of the players, such as Morgan Illikainen '15, it was their first time at Fenway.
"It was the most awesome time of my life," Illikainen said. "I walked into the park and stood still for like five minutes in awe. Playing at Frozen Fenway is an awesome accomplishment as a player, and I'm glad our team got the opportunity to do it and made the most of it with a win."
Once the puck dropped, both teams took a while to get used to the action, according to head coach Mark Hudak. The Friars (9-12-3, 6-3-2 Hockey East) were the first to adjust to the new surroundings, notching the game's first goal shorthanded just over halfway through the first period. Despite this hiccup, the Big Green outplayed Providence in the first period, outshooting the Friars 11 to seven and controlling most of the play.
The second period saw five penalties between the two teams and the game slowed as a result. Providence was able to draw even in the shot column, but the Big Green was able to force a draw on the scoreboard.
Just over halfway through the frame, Dartmouth gained a powerplay. The Big Green had a flurry of chances on the advantage and was finally able to capitalize with a goal from Sasha Nanji '13. Reagan Fischer '12 passed the puck off to Dumais, who fired a shot from the slot. The Friars' goalie was able to make the first save, but was unable to respond to Nanji, who came slashing in untouched to bury the rebound goal.
The primarily pro-Dartmouth crowd erupted as the team celebrated at the end of the ice closest to its fans.
Late in the second and into the third, the Big Green freshmen stepped up their play. Abbie Lund '15 attempted to make a diving poke at a loose puck near the goal but her attempt was blocked. Illikainen played big all day on defense, helping to break up Providence's high-tempo offense and many odd-man rushes.
Karlee Odland '15 was the only Dartmouth freshman to get her name on the score sheet, with just under nine minutes left in the game. Nanji, Dumais and Odland started a three-on-one rush into the Providence zone. Nanji slid the puck to Dumais, who fired a pass low and hard across the net to Odland, who was able to bury the puck for her first career goal. Dumais and Odland said they practice the play regularly.
"It truly was a special moment," Odland said. "Scoring my first [goal] at Fenway is something I'll remember for the rest of my life."
The Big Green dominated the rest of the third, notching many chances. With less than five minutes to play, the Big Green went on the penalty kill and gave up a goal on a deflection. To their credit, the Dartmouth players were not disheartened and continued to create good scoring chances throughout the period.
The Big Green earned a power play with less than three minutes left in the game and started feeding Foley the puck. She managed several shots but was unable to score. Dumais, however, was able to put home a Foley rebound with just 1:14 left in the game, granting the Big Green an important win in dramatic fashion.
Dartmouth tried to make the game personal with its fans. Fischer gave a young fan one of her game sticks, and between periods, the Jumbotron ran videos of the team thanking its fans, its families, the Red Sox, the Friars and everyone else who made the event possible. Another such video showed the team's dedication to improving, something that Hudak said was evident in the result of this game.
"There are so many great moments in this park, and this is one for us," Foley said. "We were extremely lucky to have this opportunity."
Dumais noted that it was the team that won the game, not just one or two players.
"The game brought the team closer," she said. "It's something we'll talk about for the rest of our lives."
Hudak said he hoped that the win would "build momentum for the rest of the season."
The Big Green returns home to Thompson Arena for games against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on Friday and Union College on Saturday.
