Van Beusekom, Gaudiel in net for women's hockey

The expectations are high for the women's hockey team this year. They have gotten off to a solid start, including last weekend's sweep against Yale and Boston College. Their record currently stands at 7-3 with a 2-1 mark in the Eastern College Athletic Association.

A large part of the team's success has been a result of solid defense, especially in net, which has allowed an average of only 1.6 goals per game. The goalkeeping duties are mainly in the hands of senior goalie Megan Van Beusekom, who has a 4-3 record so far this season. The other three Princeton wins came from the defensive efforts of sophomore goalie Roxanne Gaudiel. Both netminders are highly capable of leading the Tigers on a successful campaign this year, a testament to how deep the goaltending position is.

"Goaltending is probably our strongest position," head coach Jeff Kampersal '92 said. "Both Megan and Roxanne are considered among the best in college hockey."

The goalies form the core of the team, providing good support for the rest of the squad. By providing a solid backstop, the goalies and the rest of the defense allow for the offense to be more aggressive on their end of the ice. This plays a major role in the success of the team.

The effectiveness of each goalie has allowed the Tigers the option of specialization in front of the net. Coach Kampersal is able to match up the specialties of each goalie with the strengths of the opponent in each game.

Van Beusekom, who starts most games, is an intimidating force in goal. She is capable of stopping strong, powerful teams that crash the net with frequency. She also is very aggressive, shutting off potential shot alleys very quickly. So far this year, her save percentage is .913, while her goals-against average hovers around two per game, representing a slight improvement from last year.

"Megan can withstand hard charges at the net," Kampersal said. "Opponents don't see many openings when Megan is in."

Gaudiel is a very athletic goalie, who can change angles very quickly. This makes her able to match up well against quick, good-passing teams. Her stats, although based on fewer games, are equally as impressive as Van Beusekom's. So far she has allowed 1.47 goals per game while maintaining a .917 save percentage.

As far as playing time goes, the decision about who plays each game can be a tough one for Kampersal.

"Megan's a senior, and this is her year," Kampersal said. "But we also must develop Roxanne for the future."

An example of this focus on development was on display on Nov. 8, in a 3-2 overtime win against Maine in which Gaudiel played the entire game. This provided an excellent chance for Gaudiel to experience first hand the pressure associated with being in net in tight situations.

Van Beusekom still gets most of the playing time, however, and has been impressive throughout the early season. Two of her four wins have been shutouts, one against Connecticut, and the other coming last weekend against Boston College, a game in which both goalies played.

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Each goalie has a positive effect on the other, especially in practice, where they are quite competitive. Having the other one there really pushes each to improve, which only helps the team. Despite the competition, there is no animosity between the two, as they are close friends.

Gaudiel may benefit the most from the relationship because she has the opportunity to learn from one of the best in the business.

"Megan is one of the top five goalies in all of college hockey," Kampersal said.

Van Beusekom also received the honor of being selected to the USA Hockey Women's Select Festival, an incredible accomplishment for a college goalie. Her experience has no doubt aided in the younger Gaudiel's development.

Not that Gaudiel is lacking too much in experience.

This summer she was given the opportunity to play for the 2003 USA Women's Hockey under-22 team. She was invited to the USA Women's Hockey festival in 2000, 2001, and 2002.