Women's Hockey: Defense falters in twin home defeats

Penalties and power plays were the three big “P”s at Baker Rink this weekend, and the women’s hockey team came out on the losing side.

The Tigers (4-5-1 overall, 3-4-1 ECAC) fell to No. 3 Cornell (7-1, 6-1) on Friday night 3-1 after the Big Red scored the go-ahead goal in the second period with just five seconds left on a power play opportunity. On Saturday night, Colgate (5-8-1, 2-4-1) used two power-play goals in the second period to launch them back from a 3-0 deficit.

The Tigers also converted two of six power-play opportunities against Colgate, but it was not enough. The Raiders would eventually take the high-scoring game 6-4.

“I think both teams were able to gain momentum off our power plays,” senior forward Danielle DiCesare said. “Colgate definitely had the edge in the second after cutting their deficit to 3-2 off two power-play goals.”

The Tigers continued to play their strong defensive game against the Big Red, with senior goalie Rachel Weber making a season-high 36 saves. Cornell outshot the Tigers 39-18, but, as the Big Red had been averaging seven goals per game going into Friday night’s match-up, the defense clearly formed a formidable force against the Cornell offense.

After a scoreless first period, Emily Fulton of the Big Red opened the second with a bang, sliding a close-range shot past Weber less than two minutes into the period. Princeton responded within the frame, as DiCesare scored her first goal of the season, following a well-executed assist by freshman defender Ali Pankowski. The tie didn’t last for long, however, as a checking penalty gave the Big Red the advantage it needed to regain the lead just five seconds before senior defenseman Charissa Stadnyk would return from the penalty box.

The 2-1 score persisted into the final moments of the game when the Tigers pulled Weber for an extra skater and Cornell netted an empty-net goal to finish the game 3-1.

“I think we were pretty even offensively five-on-five; however, they capitalized on their power-play opportunities, and we did not,” DiCesare said of the Cornell match.

Against Colgate, the game was less about defense and more about momentum. In the first period, goals from DiCesare, Stadnyk and sophomore forward Denna Laing gave the Tigers what seemed to be a definitive lead. However, the second period was an exact mirror of the first, with the Raiders blasting the puck past Weber for three unanswered goals.

With the game tied at three goals apiece going into the third, the momentum shifted once again. Sophomore forward Sally Butler gave the Tigers the lead on a power-play shot, with assists coming from Pankowski and senior forward Paula Romanchuk.

But the tides turned once again. Colgate responded with an equalizer three minutes after Butler’s goal and clinched the win with goal number five, which came with only three minutes left to play. An empty-net goal in the final 30 seconds again sealed the fate for the Tigers, ending the game 6-4. Princeton was once again outshot by its opponent, this time by a closer margin of 38-29.

Following the weekend, Cornell now leads the conference with 12 points and a 6-1 ECAC record. Princeton, with seven points, is currently placed in seventh of 12 teams. When asked what the Tigers hope to do moving forward, DiCesare said they will be looking to improve their consistency throughout the two-game weekends.

Get the best of the ‘Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

Princeton will look to stop its four-game losing skid this weekend as it travels north to take on No. 4 Boston College on Friday and New Hampshire on Saturday in non-conference contests.