This weekend the women's hockey team said parting words to its seniors, as the members of the class of '98 squared off in their final two home games at Baker Rink.
After losing to Colby, 4-2, Saturday and to New Hampshire Sunday, Princeton (11-14-1 overall, 8-12-0 Eastern College Athletic Conference) must get out of its current slump, or risk having to say goodbye to the postseason as well.
In Sunday's game, the offensive statistics for each team were quite similar. Both teams recorded 28 shots on goal, but it was Colby (5-13-3, 3-13-3) who managed to capitalize on these efforts.
Looking at the storyline, Princeton should have been the victors. The Tiger defense played much better than it did last weekend, allowing the offense ample opportunities for scoring. And last time the the two teams met on the ice, Princeton was victorious, 4-3.
Mystery
So what happened?
"We were not mentally prepared," junior center Ali Coughlin said. "We had a really hard time shutting down their No. 1 line, one of the best lines in college hockey."
"We were pretty inconsistent," freshman forward Annamarie Holmes said. "We've had trouble getting started in the beginning (of the game). That's our downfall."
After falling behind 2-0 in the first period, the only relief for the Tigers came in the second period. After yet another Colby score, goals by junior forward Liz Shea and freshman forward Beth Schmierer narrowed the gap to one goal, 3-2.
However, the Tigers would not come back, allowing an additional Colby goal with 40 seconds left in the second period and failing to find the net in the remainder of regulation.
Shorthanded
Princeton was only one for four in power-play scoring, while shutting out the White Mules in three tries.
Princeton's troubles continued into Sunday's game, as the Wildcats (5-13-3, 8-12-0) handed the Tigers yet another loss.
When the Tigers took the ice Sunday, they already had their work cut out for them, as they faced the No. 1 team in the ECAC.
UNH attacked with full strength from the first drop of the puck, scoring just nine seconds into the game.
"Their scoring in the first nine seconds of the game was not a positive start to the contest," Coughlin said.
Loaded guns
The Princeton defense was unable to counter the powerful Wildcat offense, which launched 15 more shots in the remainder of the period, scoring twice more to take the lead, 3-0.
The second period saw four UNH penalties and one on senior goalie Tammy Orlow, demonstrating the physicality that both teams brought to the ice.
Nevertheless, Princeton had trouble using these power plays to their advantage, as the Tigers could not score a goal, but once again gave up three to the Wildcats in the second period, making the score 6-0.
The final period saw heightened intensity on the ice as tensions rose on both sides. Late in the third period, Orlow was taken down by a stick-blow to her back, causing head coach Jeff Kampersal '92 to come out on the ice and the Tigers to get fired up.
Great wall
Nevertheless, Orlow still managed to hold the Tigers even with the Wildcats in the third period, as each team tallied two goals in the final period of the game.
As has been the pattern this season, Princeton's offensive attack came in the third period, when sophomore center Danya Marshman and Coughlin scored two power-play goals to bring the score to 8-2.
"The third period is our characteristic period," said Holmes.
"We come out slow and start to rev it up after that," Coughlin said.
The attitude of the team was that the score did not accurately reflect the intensity with which the Tigers played.
"We lost the game," Coughlin said, "but we played so much better than on Saturday. A lot of people stepped it up."
"We played well as a team. We put our hearts out there," said Holmes.
The Tigers have a difficult stretch ahead of them as they take to the road to battle Harvard and Northeastern next weekend, with the postseason at stake.
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