Loss to Yale means Tigers will have to hit road

The advantage of playing at home is one of the most often-cited sports truisms thrown around by the talking heads on ESPN. But the women's hockey team will now have to prove that talk false after a loss at Yale dropped the Tigers out of contention for home-ice advantage in the upcoming ECACHL playoffs.

On Wednesday night, the Bulldogs (14-14-1 overall, 12-6-1 Eastern College Athletic Conference Hockey League) defeated Princeton (14-8-5, 8-7-3), 4-2, dropping the Tigers into a tie for fifth place in the league.

For the second time this season, the Tigers managed to score first against Yale only to have the Bulldogs come roaring back for the win.

After a scoreless first period, Princeton's first goal came from an unexpected source. Six minutes, five seconds into the second period, freshman forward Sonja Novak scored her first career goal, knocking in the rebound off a shot by junior forward Heather Jackson.

Three in a row

But Yale would then score three times before the Tigers could muster a response. The first goal came at 14:48 in the second period, when forward Jenna Spring clawed the puck off the boards to the left of the Princeton goal. She then crossed the puck to forward Helen Resor, who had set up camp at the opposite face-off circle. Resor slammed home a slap shot through heavy traffic.

With the second period winding down, it appeared the two teams would go into the second intermission tied at one. But when sophomore forward Laura Watt was sent to the penalty box for roughing, the Bulldogs took advantage of the ensuing power play. Defenseman Erin Duggan intercepted a clearing pass and fired off a shot. Though junior goalkeeper Roxanne Gaudiel made the save, Spring was waiting in front of the goal and put away the rebound to give Yale a 2-1 lead.

The third period started off with a strong Yale attack that created a scrum in front of the Princeton goal. Into this scrum snuck Bulldog forward Ali Turney, who poked in the game-winner.

Princeton responded with a power-play goal by Watt with 4:31 remaining, closing the gap to 3-2. In desperation, the Tigers pulled Gaudiel with just under a minute left in the game. But Yale ended any hopes of a dramatic comeback when forward Deena Caplette scored an empty-net goal with 30 seconds remaining, sealing the 4-2 win for the Bulldogs. With the victory, Yale secured fourth place and the final home-ice playoff spot.

"We knew it was going to be a really tough game," sophomore defenseman Dina McCumber said, "but we were really hoping to come out with a win. Hopefully, this loss can fire us up as we go into the playoffs."

Plenty to play for

Princeton hosts Union this weekend at Baker Rink. Even though home ice is out of reach, the Tigers are playing for more than just pride.

Currently in a three-way tie with Brown and Colgate for fifth place in the League, Princeton can secure the fifth seed in the ECACHL playoffs with a sweep, which would give the Tigers another crack at Yale.

"We really want to end the regular season on a high note," McCumber said. "We are confident that there won't be any letdown against Union.

Get the best of the ‘Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

Anything less than a sweep would be a major disappointment, as Union has lost every conference game this season and is last in the ECACHL. Overall, the Tigers have outscored the cellar-dwelling Dutchmen offense, 37-15, this season; meanwhile, Princeton has allowed just 37 goals this season, while Union has given up 112.

In contrast, Brown must play top-ranked Dartmouth, while Colgate faces off against third-ranked St. Lawrence, making the Tigers the favorite to win the fifth seed. In which case, they can only hope that the third time will be a charm against the Bulldogs.