Late goal edges out Bobcats

Special teams proved to be extremely special for the women's hockey team during its 2-1 victory over Quinnipiac last night. Princeton (8-3-2 overall, 5-1-1 Eastern College Athletic Conference Hockey League) edged Quinnipiac (6-10-3, 2-6-2) in the matchup, scoring both goals on power-play chances.

After two periods, the game was tied, 1-1. The deciding goal of the game, which came with eight minutes, 14 seconds left in the third period, came on one of seven five-on-four opportunities for the Tigers. Showing great passing skills in the offensive zone, which was familiar territory for Princeton in the matchup, sophomore forward Marykate Oakley got the puck to junior forward Laura Watt in front of traffic. Watt found the back of the net for her fourth goal of the season.

"We set up well on the power play," Watt said. "[Junior forward Kim] Pearce took the puck across the blue line. Then, MK [Oakley] drew the defender over to her and got the puck to me. I was able to slide it in with a backhand near the far post."

This excitement came late in a game that started out relatively slowly. Despite some early scoring chances for the Tigers, the team was unable to capitalize. A power play with six minutes left in the period came up fruitless. Fortunately, on the ensuing Bobcat five-on-four opportunity, the Princeton penalty-killing unit was able to keep the puck out of the net to keep the game at 0-0.

Oakley had an excellent scoring opportunity near the end of the first period. After receiving a pass from the blue line, she wristed a shot toward the upper right corner of the goal, but Quinnipiac goalie Connie Craig was able to make a sprawling save. Though the Tigers outshot the Bobcats, 13-0, they were unable to get on the board, and the period ended scoreless.

Quinnipiac scored with less than two minutes gone in the second period. Freshman defender Katherine Dineen was called for an elbowing penalty to give the Bobcats the five-on-four advantage. Quinnipiac forward Antoinette Maldonado snuck a close range shot past senior goalie Roxanne Gaudiel for her sixth goal of the season, putting the Bobcats ahead, 1-0. Shortly after, the Tigers had two power-play chances of their own but were unable to cash in on either occasion.

The third power play was the charm for Princeton. After Maldonado went to the penalty box for a high-sticking penalty, Oakley received a pass from Pearce on the left side. She quickly passed the puck to freshman forward Annie Greenwood, who was conveniently positioned on the right side of the goal. Greenwood flicked the puck past Craig for her 10th score of the season. The goal, scored 14:03 into the period, tied the game at one. At the end of two periods, the Tigers had outshot the Bobcats, 25-4.

Princeton continued with offensive firepower in the third period and had a few early scoring opportunities. Showing tremendous speed, Pearce flew past everyone with a breakaway chance, but she was thwarted at the last second by a diving Craig. Craig finished the game with 36 saves, while Gaudiel finished with seven. Ultimately, Watt's goal on the Tigers' seventh power play ended Quinnipiac's hopes of pushing the game to overtime.