Tigers eye season sweep of Ivy foes

After hitting the books for two weeks during exams, the well-rested women's hockey team returns to the ice over Intersession in a pair of home games against Ivy League foes Brown and Yale. The Tigers face off against the Bears at 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 2 and skate against the Bulldogs at 4 p.m. the following afternoon.

Princeton (12-9-2 overall, 10-5-1 ECAC Hockey) is currently tied with Colgate for fourth in the ECAC. Yale (11-8-0, 7-7-0) shares the fifth spot in the rankings with Rensselaer while Brown (6-13-2, 4-11-1) is ranked eighth with only seven points.

In a weekend of games in early November, Princeton defeated Brown 2-1 in Providence and proceeded to overcome Yale in a 3-1 victory the following day. Brown and Yale will face off against each other on Tuesday night before traveling to Baker Rink this weekend.

Though the Tigers came out of this previous weekend's matchups with two more tallies in the win column and are currently ranked above the Bears and the Bulldogs in league play, neither team can be taken lightly. With the playoffs fast-approaching, every game from here on out is crucial. Princeton will need to earn two victories this weekend to help its chances of being awarded one of the four home weekends during the ECAC quarterfinals, which will begin the last weekend in February.

The Tigers' last game against Brown was dominated by a pair of Brittanys. Junior forward Brittany Salmon carried the offense on her shoulders and scored both Tiger goals while freshman goaltender Brittany Parisi was an unstoppable force in net, making 12 saves and translating her first collegiate start into a win.

Princeton outshot Brown 31-13 in the victory and must look to maintain this offensive strength against the Bears this weekend if it wants to put the puck past Brown's sophomore goaltender Nicole Stock. In a recent 3-0 victory against Cornell, Stock made 21 saves to earn the shutout and currently boasts a 0.919 save percentage and a 2.47 goals-against average. The Tigers must also keep a close eye on junior co-captain Hayley Moore who tallied a goal and an assist in the win against Cornell and currently leads the Bears in points with 24.

Princeton also played well in its November contest against Yale. In a 3-1 Tiger victory, Salmon followed up her strong showing against Brown with another goal, while the two others came off the sticks of junior forward Marykate Oakley and junior forward Lizzie Keady. Keady, freshman forward Melanie Wallace and senior forward and co-captain Kim Pearce all added assists, Pearce's being the 100th point of her Princeton career.

This balanced attack will have to come out in full force again against Yale, as Bulldog goaltender Shivon Zilis was recently named ECAC Goaltender of the Week. Bulldog scoring threats include senior forward Sheila Zingler and sophomore forward Crysti Howser, who share the lead in the points race with 21 apiece.

In a recent 5-0 victory over Union, Princeton outshot the Dutchwomen 50-10 in its barrage of scoring. Hard-earned goals came from senior defender and co-captain Laura Watt, Oakley, Salmon and senior defender Dina McCumber while sophomore defender Katherine Dineen, senior defender Kate Hession, sophomore forward Christine Foster and senior forward Allison Ralph all contributed assists.

This balanced attack, involving every skater on the ice, has been the Tigers' key to success all season. Princeton will need to continue this offensive momentum and attacking pressure if it wants to find the net against Brown and Yale. The Tigers should have little to worry about on the defensive end as Parisi and Kristen Young boast 0.908 and 0.910 save percentages, respectively.

The Tigers have relied heavily on their seniors this season, looking especially to captains Pearce and Watt for their experience and resilience. This leadership will be needed to focus the team on this weekend's goal of earning another pair of victories and will become more important as the team tries to make the playoffs.