Club team call-up debuts in first scrimmage

Having added four outstanding recruits to a squad that has already proven itself capable of holding its own against top competition, the women's hockey team is here to win in the 2007-08 season.

On Saturday, Princeton had its first preseason opportunity to see how it stacks up against Ivy League competition, with scrimmages against Yale and Brown. Hosting both games at Baker Rink, the Tigers began the day with a definitive 3-0 win over the Bulldogs before earning a 1-1 tie against the Bears.

The scrimmages gave the Tigers a chance to test out the four freshman recruits as well as the newest member of the team, junior goalie Megan Murray. Pulled from the women's club hockey team to serve as the backup to junior goalie Kristen Young, Murray started the Yale game and set the tone for the shutout.

While Murray was only on the ice for a few minutes, she left without allowing a goal, an important first step for a last-minute roster addition.

"Though this was Megan's first day playing in a game with us, she did really well," senior captain and forward Lizzie Keady said. "She is an incredible addition and fits in really well with the team."

Upperclassmen dominated the scoreboard during the Yale match, beginning with junior forward Annie Greenwood's goal during the opening minutes of play. Keady followed with a shot lodged over the Bulldog goalie's right shoulder, and senior forward Marykate Oakley ended the game with a second-half goal.

The new recruits did not get to play as much as the team veterans, but their limited time was enough to give Princeton a sense of what to expect. One standout among the freshmen was defender Sasha Sherrey, a former member of three USA Hockey National Championship-winning teams, who showed defensive mobility while ruing power plays in the Yale game.

Sherrey will be one of many Tigers whose role on the team will become clearer over the next few weeks.

"Our team has only been playing together for a week, so we still need to make a lot of improvements before our next game," Keady said. "We're still figuring out the lineup, trying out different combinations and seeing what works best. Nothing is set in stone yet."

Like most teams, Princeton views scrimmages as an opportunity to assess areas where it can improve as a team. So after their tie with Brown, the Tigers see lots of potential study material.

"We definitely weren't consistent for the full 80 minutes we played during both games," Keady said. "We were off the ice for an hour and 20 minutes while Brown played Yale."

The Bears opened the scoring in the first 20-minute period, sneaking a goal past Young, who played during the bulk of the Yale game and the entirety of the match against Brown. While the Tigers tied up the game during the second half with an offensive play from the back made by junior defenseman Monica Brennan, they couldn't coordinate their passing and placement enough to get a second goal.

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

"We just didn't come out with as much intensity as we needed to after sitting," Keady said. "There is no excuse for losing, but sitting out didn't help us. We need to improve all facets of play and are trying to take our season day by day, game by game."

Princeton now has less than a week to make any last-minute lineup changes and harmonize its team before hosting Boston College, a 2007 NCAA Frozen Four team, to open the regular season Friday night at Baker Rink.