Women's Hockey: Momentum, offense stall as hosts fall twice at Baker Rink

Going into the weekend, the Tigers were looking to redeem earlier defeats dealt by Clarkson (20-7-5 overall, 14-4-2 ECAC Hockey) and St. Lawrence (19-8-4, 13-5-2). Freshman defender Ali Pankowski cited improvements in the team’s “defensive zone and ability to score goals” as the two major differences between the team’s play earlier in the season and the current play, but only one translated onto the ice. While the Tigers (10-13-4, 8-10-2) only gave up three goals on the weekend and outshot their opponents, they had a hard time finding the back of the net.

The losses should not make a difference in the playoff chances for the Tigers, as they are still solidly in seventh place in the conference with 18 points.

The third-place Clarkson Golden Knights continued their winning streak en route to clinching the home advantage for the first round of the playoffs. A lopsided first period that saw 11 shots on goal by Princeton to a mere six by Clarkson did not deter the Golden Knights, as they came out strong in the second and scored only two minutes in. The Tigers responded to the Clarkson goal within the period when freshman forward Brianna Leahy edged her way between the Clarkson defense and the goal to follow up on a blocked shot by senior defenseman Charissa Stadnyk. A well-placed shot over the shoulder of Clarkson goalie Erica Howe gave Leahy her fifth goal of the season, and after once again outshooting Clarkson in the second, the Tigers entered the third with momentum on their side in the 1-1 tie.

In the end, however, the total shots tally was not enough. A four-on-four goal by Clarkson forward Brittany Styner midway through the third went unanswered by the Tigers, and they fell to the Knights 2-1.

The loss on Saturday night was even harder to take, as Princeton almost doubled St. Lawrence’s shot count but could not score. A quick first period goal by St. Lawrence forward Jessica Hon, coupled with the impressive play of goalie Carmen MacDonald, resulted in a 1-0 shutout by the Saints.

The opening goal by the Saints came off a lost face-off by the Tigers. Though Weber blocked the initial shot fired her way, Hon stuck with the play and found the top corner of the net from close range. The Tigers continued to blast shots at the other end, but MacDonald held firm and tallied a remarkable 31 saves. In the loss, senior Tiger forward Paula Romanchuk had a noteworthy number of her own, contributing 12 face-off wins to the team total of 24. This advantage also failed to produce results, as impressive goaltending on both ends meant Hun’s would be the only goal of the game.

In the final minutes of the third period, head coach Jeff Kampersal ’92 pulled Weber from the goal for the six-on-five advantage. Despite two minutes of solid pressure and multiple quality shots on goal, the Tigers couldn’t beat the St. Lawrence defense. The squad helped MacDonald clear the puck out of the front of the net to hold out for the win and the fourth-place ranking.

With two games remaining in conference play, the Tigers stand alone in seventh place with 18 points, four behind Quinnipiac and four ahead of Brown and Rensselaer. One point next weekend will assure the Tigers of the seventh seed in the ECAC Tournament.

After the weekend sweep, the Tigers will be looking to end the regular season on a positive note at Baker Rink this weekend. The Tigers take on ninth-place Rensselaer and 11th-place Union, both teams the Tigers played well on the road back in October.