Ice, Ice, Baby: Tigers open season tonight

Entering the season without some of last year's strongest players, the women's hockey team is out to prove that it has more than just potential. The Tigers expect to have the talent and skill this winter to surpass last season's disappointing exit in the Eastern College Atlantic Conference Hockey League (ECACHL) Quarterfinals.

Princeton, however, is left with some big shoes to fill after losing five seniors to graduation last year. Among the graduated was forward Kim Pearce, who led the team in scoring for two consecutive seasons and had 127 points in 126 career games.

"As a team we really need to step up to the senior positions from last year," junior goaltender Kristen Young said. "Kim Pearce scored a lot of our goals, and Laura Watt assisted the majority of them. We lost a big class."

With the loss of three veteran defensemen, the Tigers are looking for younger players to strengthen their power from the back. Already showing potential as a defensive starter is freshman Sasha Sherry, whose explosive shots from the blueline during power plays have made her an early standout.

The Tigers will rely on the leadership of senior captain and forward Lizzie Keady, who played for the U.S. National Team in 2005, and senior forward Marykate Oakley, who ranked second behind Pearce in scoring last season. Princeton can also rely on sound coaching, as Jeff Kampersal '92, a former Princeton hockey player, returns to lead the Tigers for his 12th season.

"Over the years we've been a really good breakout team," Kampersal said. "This year we are not quite on that level. We are trying to play the game fast and spacing ourselves. We also need to pressure the puck, whether that be in the d-zone or the forecheck. Offensively we need to be putting more pressure on the goal. We are working on it one game, one weekend at a time."

Despite their emphasis on creating a solid defense, the Tigers will still focus on improving their offensive tactics. Taking more shots and controlling possession of the puck are aspects of play that could decide whether Princeton can dominate the scoreboard.

Many of these offensive strategies, however, rely on the Tigers' ability to communicate well with one another, which allows for faster, more accurate passes and plays. This is often a question of team chemistry, and though the Tigers are replacing many leaders from last year's team, players say they have been gelling well.

Princeton's strengths and weaknesses will be showcased tonight as the Tigers open their season at Hobey Baker Rink against Boston College and their conference schedule on Sunday against Quinnipiac. The Eagles enter the match with three wins under their belt and the mental backing of a 24-win season last year. Though Princeton boasts a 16-0-5 all-time record against Boston College, the Eagles' stacked roster has boosted them to a No. 7 national ranking. The Tigers are unranked.

"[The] BC women's hockey team has really come along as a program within the past three years," Kampersal said. "After our game against them last year they just got better and better and better. They made the Frozen Four last year. They have an amazing goalie, Molly Schaus, a lot of team speed and a lot of kids who can put the puck in the net. It will be a challenge for sure."

One of the major internal problems for Princeton, meanwhile, has involved its goalie situation. The Tigers went into the preseason with Young as their only goalie before calling up junior Megan Murray from the club hockey team to serve as Young's backup. Even with the addition of Murray, however, Princeton will rely heavily on Young to keep the puck out of its net. Given Young's strong resume — she had a .921 save percentage and an 11-5-3 record last year — the net might be one area the Tigers don't need to worry about.

Only seven months removed from a season that ended abruptly in the ECACHL Quarterfinals, Princeton is primed to make another run at the conference title. That quest starts tonight, when the Tigers will begin to find out just how far they've come since last year.