Regular season to end at home

With only two games left in the regular season, the future is looking pretty bright for the women's hockey team. Having won eight of its last nine, Princeton currently sits second in the league standings.

After trouncing Union last weekend in two convincing wins, the Tigers end their season with two home games against Ivy League rivals Brown (12-11-4 overall, 10-5-3 Eastern College Athletic Conference Hockey League) and Yale (10-12-5, 7-7-4).

Princeton (17-6-4, 13-3-2) is currently just two points behind league leader St. Lawrence. If the Tigers win this weekend and St. Lawrence loses, Princeton will take over the top spot going into the playoffs.

"I believe we have already cemented the No. 2 seed," head coach Jeff Kampersal '92 said. "We are looking forward to try to better our situation, but we need to do well this weekend and get help from the teams playing St. Lawrence. The No. 1 through 4 seeds don't matter too much, it's just nice not to have to travel."

Aside from winning both games and possibly taking over first place from St. Lawrence, the Tigers would also like to get a bit of revenge. Earlier this season, Princeton suffered a 4-3 loss to Brown in Providence, R.I.

In that early January game, the Tigers were a different team. The tough road game against then league-leading Brown came the day after Princeton had battled to a 5-5 tie with Yale. And the team was in the midst of adjusting to a demanding road schedule after a long winter vacation.

But the Tigers have also gotten better as the season has progressed. Since the loss at Brown, Princeton's only loss has been to St. Lawrence.

One big reason that the Tigers have been so successful lately is the consistent production of scoring chances and goals by key players. Junior forward Kim Pearce leads the team with 36 points, having racked up 10 goals and 26 assists this season. Freshman forward Annie Greenwood, two-time ECACHL Rookie of the Week, has also made major scoring contributions with 24 goals and six assists.

Kampersal believes that his senior players, the leaders of the team, have also had a lot to do with the success.

"The seniors have set the tone this year," Kampersal said. "They have been really focused in each and every game."

One senior who has played particularly well is goalkeeper Roxanne Gaudiel. She has recorded three shutouts this season and has allowed just 1.58 goals per game on average. Gaudiel's effectiveness in goal and enthusiastic team spirit has helped Princeton climb to second place in the standings.

"The team has always had the mentality that we can play anyone," Gaudiel said. "No matter what class year, everyone on the team is very focused. We all know we can count on each other and we are excited about these big games."

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Although Brown has struggled as of late, it still maintains the fourth seed in the standings. And Yale, with playoff hopes still on the line, could prove to be a formidable opponent.

Brown is coming off a 3-1 win over No. 8 Clarkson, in which the Bears received two goals from forward Hayley Moore, who, as a sophomore, leads the team in goals with 19, and in assists with 14.

In goal, Brown utilizes a trio of capable underclassmen, all of whom boast a save percentage above 91 percent. Receiving the bulk of the time has been sophomore O'Hara Shipe, who has been credited with eight of Brown's 12 wins.

In stark contrast to the Bears' youth both in and out of goal, Yale's marquee players are overwhelmingly seniors. Two potent senior scorers, Deena Caplette and Crysti Howser, lead the Yale offensive attack, having combined for 20 goals and 23 assists on the season.

Meanwhile, the Bulldogs' senior goalie, Sarah Love, is looking to bounce back from one of the most frustrating performances of her career. Love allowed seven goals in a six-goal loss to No. 3 St. Lawrence last Saturday, but her veteran savvy and save percentage of 92 percent mean that the Tigers cannot view her as a pushover.

Kampersal, of course, will do everything in his power to make sure his team is ready for both games. And he has confidence that his players know what's at stake.

"We deal with so many variables in each game, it is hard to look ahead to the next stage," Kampersal said. "Our players do an excellent job of getting themselves ready for practice and for games. They put their work in."

With the final two games being played at Baker Rink, Princeton will get a chance to show the home crowd what it's made of.

"Finishing the season at home is great because we have had a long road season," Gaudiel said. "But in the end, we still have unfinished business to take care of, and nobody is interested in something you didn't do."

The team can take care of this unfinished business by ending the regular season with a bang and taking revenge on the Bears and the Bulldogs. With the smart coaching of Kampersal and effective play of Gaudiel and company, the team has every reason to believe that sweet vengeance will be theirs.