Women's Hockey: No. 3 Cornell poses tough test for sliding skaters

Following a tough pair of losses last weekend against ECAC Hockey foes St. Lawrence and Clarkson, the women’s hockey team will be looking to get back on track tonight at Baker Rink. The Tigers will take on No. 3 Cornell tonight at 7 p.m., followed by Colgate on Saturday.

Going into last weekend’s road trip, the Tigers(4-3-1 overall, 3-2-1 ECAC Hockey)hadnot lostin theirfirst fourconference-play games. However, a St. Lawrence goal just three minutes into the first period gave the Tigers a swift wake-up call. Freshman forward Brianna Leahy tied up the game 1-1 with her second goal of the season seven minutes later, but her unassisted breakaway was the only time the Tigers would find the back of the net. The three-goal split in the 4-1 loss was the largest of any Princeton loss thus far this season.

While the defense was able to rebound and limit Clarkson to one goal, the Tigers' offense couldn’t produce any as the team fell 1-0 to the Golden Knights.

Leahy attributed the lack of offense to the turnovers at the blue lines that prevented the Tigers from sustaining pressure on the offensive end. “We are going to focus on getting the puck deep in the offensive zone and making sure we have bodies in front of the net to screen the goalie,”she said.

Looking forward, the upcoming weekend will not be any easier for the Tigers. Cornell(5-1, 4-1)is coming off a weekend that saw its first loss of the season against Dartmouth, but the Big Red was shorthanded, with four of its top players participating in the 4 Nations Cup for Team Canada in Sweden. Cornell rebounded with a 5-3 win Saturday night over No. 10 Harvard, snapping the Crimson's unbeaten mark.

Cornellis averaging a terrific seven goals and 50.2 shots per game, while it has held opponents to only two goals and 15.8 shots per game. The Tigers, though they do have a strong attack line, play more of a defensive game. They have averaged 2.2 goals per game in eight contests and have held opponents to 1.8 goals per game.

The Big Red has five skaters with 10 points or more, and the Tigers’ defenders, led by senior goalie Rachel Weber, will have their work cut out for them against the reigning ECAC champs.

Colgate(4-7-1, 1-3-1), which was swept by Harvard and Dartmouth last weekend, should be a more even match for the Tigers. Over the past 10 seasons, Princeton has led the all-time series with Colgate, winning 17 of24 meetings, and the hosts have also won the last four encounters at Baker Rink. The Raiders’ only win in league play came against Yale, a team that the Tigers pummeled 7-1. The weaker defense of the Colgate squad should provide a good setup for the strong forward line of the Tigers.

The starting forward line, including sophomores Sally Butler, Denna Laing and Olivia Mucha, have combined for 11 of the team’s 18 goals. They also have provided half of the team’s assists, and Butler and Laing are tied for the team lead with nine points apiece.

The Tigers are currently in the middle of the pack of the ECAC with seven points. Quinnipiac and Cornell lead the conference with nine and eight points, respectively. Dartmouth is the only team still undefeated in theconference with a 3-0-1 record.

When asked what the team’s main goals will be tonight against the Big Red, Leahy said, “Get shots to the net, stay disciplined and capitalize on our power play.”