Women's hockey stuns league giant Dartmouth, routs doormat Vermont

There are certain teams that seem to always have a bullseye on their back. Perennial powerhouses draw the best that every team has to offer: the Yankees in baseball, the Lakers in the NBA and Duke in men's college basketball. In women's collegiate hockey, Dartmouth is one of those teams.

The Big Green (9-2-1 overall, 5-1-0 Eastern College Athletic Conference-North) came into last Saturday's matchup against Princeton (9-5-2, 5-2-0) ranked fourth in the country. The Tigers, however, had been playing some good hockey in their own right. Despite two recent losses to Ohio State, the Tigers remained one of the nation's hottest teams, going 6-2-2 in their last ten games leading up to the Dartmouth contest.

Both teams tried to get off to quick starts in the game, but stingy defense did not allow either offense much room to move.

After a scoreless first period, the Big Green drew first blood, with Carly Haggard slipping a shot past sophomore netminder Megan Van Beusekom two minutes into the second.

Sophomore forward Gretchen Anderson tied the game up a few minutes later with a power play goal. Both of her linemates, sophomore Susan Hobson and junior Nikola Holmes, recorded assists on the goal.

Tough play resulted in no scoring for either team for the remainder of the second period and most of the third. Then, with just over two minutes left in the game, the Anderson/Hobson/Holmes line struck again as Holmes scored off a rebound to give Princeton the lead. Anderson added an empty net goal a minute later to provide the final cushion. Van Beusekom finished the game with 34 saves, holding a potent Dartmouth offense to just one goal.

On Sunday, the team crossed over the state line to take on Vermont (1-15, 0-8). Still energized from their victory a day earlier, the Tigers jumped on the Catamounts early and often, pounding the hosts 5-1. Senior forward and co-captain Melissa Deland scored two goals and tallied one assist in the onslaught. Senior defender Aviva Grumet-Morris, the team's other captain, added one goal and two assists. Holmes also contributed two points by way of a goal and an assist, while junior Sarah Ahlquist got the win in goal.

After a successful weekend, the Tigers garnered a few awards. Van Beusekom was named ECAC Goalie of the Week for the second time this year after her impressive work against Dartmouth. Holmes was named ECAC Player of the Week after recording five points over the weekend, including three in the win over the Big Green.

Before the team left for winter break, it traveled to Columbus for a two-game series against Ohio State. Unfortunately for the Tigers, the Buckeyes greeted them in a manner not suited to the holiday season. Princeton dropped both games to the Big Ten powerhouse, a tough way to head into the Tigers' three-week layoff between games.

The Buckeyes came out fast and furious in the first matchup, jumping out to an early 1-0 lead. The score remained that way until midway through the third period, when Ohio State was able to tack on two insurance goals. Though it was a disappointing loss for Princeton, the team played well, outshooting the host school 29-19. Standout goalie Melissa Glaser played a flawless game for Ohio State as she recorded her second shutout of the season in the 3-0 win. Van Beusekom made 15 saves for Princeton in the loss.

The second game was a more competitive battle, as Princeton came out swinging early. Six minutes into the game, Hobson converted on a pass from Anderson to give the visitors a 1-0 advantage.

Ohio State then tied the game up early in the second period on a goal by Erin O'Grady. However, the Buckeyes were unable to capture the lead thanks in large part to the dominating play of Ahlquist. Ahlquist survived two OSU power plays and one penalty shot, as the score remained 1-1 heading into overtime.

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The game looked destined to end in a deadlock until Buckeye forward Heather Farrell slipped one past Ahlquist with 38 seconds left in the extra period.

After over a month on the road, the Tigers will return home this weekend for two very important conference matchups. On Friday night, Princeton will battle powerhouse Harvard. Last year, the Crimson (8-6-1, 3-1-1) made it to the ECAC finals and later fell in the semis of the NCAA tournament. On Saturday, the Tigers take on Brown (6-6-1, 4-3-0), a team that contends for the ECAC title on a yearly basis.