Women's Ice Hockey: Princeton heating up at home

Against Quinnipiac, Princeton (5-6-1 overall, 3-4-0 ECAC Hockey) scored two goals in the final six minutes of play to secure the much-needed victory. With a 3-3 tie against Boston College still fresh in the players’ minds, the win over Quinnipiac was all the more sweet.

The insurance goal, which put the Tigers ahead, 4-2, came from junior defender Stephanie Denino.

Denino described her goal as a huge momentum-changer in the matchup. The goal also served as a reminder for her team to remain mentally tough late in the game.

“After the goal, everyone understood the importance of being accountable and doing their own job,” Denino said. “All lines were firing, and we had great energy. The game was ours, and we all came together to secure the win in the last few minutes.”

The Orange and Black will look to recreate this relentless mentality when it takes to the ice against Union (2-13-1, 0-6-0) on Friday afternoon. The Bulldogs are winless in the ECAC but are coming off two straight wins, emerging victorious by scores of 3-2 and 5-2 over Sacred Heart on Nov. 28 and Nov. 29.

In the Nov. 29 matchup against Sacred Heart, Union came up with a season high of 39 shots. Forward Lauren Cromartie notched two goals in the win. The Bulldogs’ current leading scorer is forward Suzy Pocock, who has earned four goals and two assists this season.

In goal for Union is Lundy Day, who boasts a .905 save percentage and a 3.97 goals-against average. This matches up well against Princeton’s senior goaltender Kristen Young, who has a .904 save percentage and a 2.70 goals-against average.

While the game against the Bulldogs cannot be overlooked, the tougher test for the Tigers will come Saturday afternoon when they face off against Rensselaer (8-5-2, 4-1-1), a team that currently sits in fourth place in the ECAC standings behind Dartmouth, Harvard and St. Lawrence.

The Engineers have a young, talented athlete in freshman forward Alisa Harrison, who was recently named ECAC Rookie of the Week for her efforts in Rensselaer’s 2-2 tie and 2-0 win over Robert Morris on Nov. 21 and 22. Harrison ranks second on the team in scoring with four goals and eight assists.

Princeton will have its hands full with the Engineers, who present a balanced scoring attack. Along with Harrison, forward Whitney Naslund has also notched 12 points this season, and several other forwards pose a scoring threat. Rensselaer has outshot its opponents 499 to 288 this season.

But the Tigers have also proven that they can put the puck on net, amassing 382 total shots as they approach the midpoint of the season.

To prepare for an offensive threat like the Engineers, Denino noted, her team is working on fundamentals in practice this week.

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“Emphasis has been placed on skating with speed, getting pucks off the wall and driving hard to the net,” Denino said. “Practicing special teams has also been important, as we are constantly striving to both increase our percentages on the power play and our penalty kill.”

Denino said she sees this weekend as a chance to extend the Tigers’ unbeaten streak and to redeem themselves after the draw against Boston College.

“Last week’s tie against BC was disappointing because we expect a lot from ourselves, and we are not satisfied with a tie,” Denino said. “[Against Quinnipiac], we showed character as a team in coming back in the third period and getting the job done. The win also helps set the tone for this huge upcoming weekend against RPI and Union.”