Women’s hockey remains unbeaten after facing Rensselaer and Union

This past weekend, the No. 6 women’s hockey team (19–4–1, 14–3–1 ECAC) played its second to last home weekend of the regular season, hosting Rensselaer (0–29–1, 0–18–0) and Union (5–20–5, 5–10–3). Princeton swept both games by a combined score of 6–1, extending its win streak to five games, and its unbeaten streak in 2020.

Against the Engineers on Friday, Princeton jumped out to a quick lead with a goal from sophomore forward Sarah Fillier less than 15 seconds after the game started. Fillier won the faceoff and got the puck back to freshman defender Kate Monihan, who passed to her partner, sophomore defender Mariah Keopple. The puck then found Fillier with a long pass up the ice, which Fillier buried.

Just under three minutes later, sophomore forward Maggie Connors scored the Tigers’ second of the night, again off a faceoff win by Fillier. Fillier won the faceoff to herself and then passed in front of the net to Connors, who put the puck in its home. After a long scoreless stretch, Rensselaer scored to make it a one-goal game with a little over eight minutes left.

Princeton took back control of the game with a goal from senior defender Claire Thompson on the 5-on-3 advantage. Fillier again won the faceoff leading to the goal, this time back to junior forward Sharon Frankel, who passed across to Thompson. Now with the puck, Thompson skated in and snapped a wrist shot that beat the Engineers’ goalie.

Senior goalie Stephanie Neatby helped secure the win, making 17 saves on 18 shots, leaving her five behind Rachel Weber ’12 for fifth place on the career saves list.

Saturday afternoon, Princeton shut out the Dutchwomen 3–0. The Tigers again jumped out quickly on top of their opponents with senior forward Carly Bullock scoring after freshman forward Daniella Calabrese found her with a pass across the goalie’s face.

The Tigers were unable to get another goal in the first period, but less than six minutes into the second, Bullock got her second, after Fillier forced a turnover. Fillier led the break forward finding Connors who passed it back to Fillier and then across to Bullock who finished the breakaway opportunity.

Then, approaching the end of the second period, Fillier herself went on the breakaway, collecting a pass from Bullock and scoring just off the inside of the post. Junior goalie Rachel McQuigge won the game for Princeton in the net, making 13 saves — good for her third shutout in her last four games.

With an eye on a few more records approaching, Fillier sits at 99 career points as she nears the end of her sophomore season. Meanwhile, Bullock, who achieved a three-point, two-goal weekend, moved two goals shy of sixth place all-time, with 85 career goals and one point shy of tenth all-time, with 141 career points.

Princeton has four games left in the regular season before the ECAC conference tournament. The Tigers have already guaranteed themselves a playoff position as one of the top eight teams, and need one more win to ensure a home quarterfinal. Their weekend sweep kept them alone in second place and four points behind Cornell. Princeton is the only team that could catch the Big Red for the ECAC regular season title.

The Tigers’ toughest remaining game is against No. 7 Clarkson next Saturday afternoon in Potsdam, N.Y. When these teams last met, Princeton won 2–1 in the Black Out Baker game.