Women's Hockey: No. 6 Boston College poses tough test

Boston College will be a formidable opponent for Princeton, as the Eagles have posted better results than the Tigers against mutual opponents so far this season. Boston College has wins over Dartmouth, to which Princeton lost, and Harvard, which Princeton tied.

Princeton’s season has been relatively streaky thus far, which makes it hard to assess where the Tigers stand. After breaking a six-game drought earlier in the year, the Tigers have won their last three games by a two-goal margin or better.

Junior forward and co-captain Paula Romanchuk explained why the Tigers’ early struggles may not accurately predict what lies ahead.

“A lot of our losses were close games, and we actually played fairly well. It was tough to continue to drop games,” she said. “I think our team has done a good job of keeping our heads up and is focusing on the games we still have left to play.”

A big part of Princeton’s recent success is attributable to strong play by both Romanchuk and freshman forward Sally Butler, who are tied for the team lead in goals with six. Butler is also the current ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Week.

The Tigers’ strong offense will have to penetrate Boston College’s solid defense to be successful. The Eagles’ goaltender, Molly Schaus, has given up only nine goals in conference play so far for a goals-against average of only 1.11.

Princeton’s second game over winter break is against Quinnipiac, a team that Princeton lost to in November. Despite the loss, the Tigers learned about the Quinnipiac squad in their last meeting and will hopefully be able to use it to their advantage when the teams open the 2011 portion of their schedule.

“Quinnipiac has a very clear, work-horse identity,” Romanchuk said. “They have also picked up a couple very skilled forwards that have contributed quite a bit for them in terms of points.”

To be competitive, the Tigers will have to fight for every loose puck and match the intensity that the Bobcats bring to every game they play. If Princeton sticks to what it has been working on in practice, Romanchuk said the Tigers have a good chance to score a revenge win.

“If we play our systems as we are taught, [we] will … [have] the opportunity to win games like this,” Romanchuk said.

Both of the upcoming games will be played at Baker Rink, and the Tigers have had recent success on their home ice. Beyond practicing hard and preparing well, Princeton hopes the uniqueness of the atmosphere at Baker Rink will play to their advantage.

“Playing at home is always special. Baker Rink … has a lot of history and character,” Romanchuk said. “We’re very accustomed to it, so it’s comfortable and it always feels good to be on our home ice.”