The victory over first-place St. Lawrence (21-8-3 overall, 15-4-1 ECAC Hockey) on Saturday was especially remarkable, as the Tigers (16-9-2, 13-6-1) have not fared well on the road against the Saints in recent years.
Senior forward Christine Foster noted the importance of the win to her team.
“That was one of the better 60-minute games we’ve played,” Foster said.
On Saturday, Princeton fell into a hole early when St. Lawrence found the net halfway through the first period on a power play. Saints forward Alison Domenico deflected a shot from Saints defender Britni Smith, and while Princeton senior goalie Kristen Young got a piece of the shot, Domenico’s redirection found its way past the goal line.
The Orange and Black, though, found firepower from an unlikely source, its power play. Princeton’s much-maligned power play scored twice in the second period, including the eventual game-winner. Foster and senior defender Katherine Dineen were the stars in the second frame, each netting a goal and an assist during the period.
Foster scored her sixth goal of the season off a rebound six minutes, 11 minutes into the second period. Dineen scored her sixth of the season off a rebound as well, 12:46 into the frame.
St. Lawrence, however, would not go down without a fight. While the Saints’ offense did not produce many scoring opportunities in the first two periods, the third period saw 12 shots come Young’s way. Even so, Young did not give in, and no goals were scored against her in the third period. Despite having a power play and pulling its goalie in the last minutes of the game, St. Lawrence could not find the twine, and Princeton emerged victorious, 2-1.
On Friday, Princeton recorded a 2-1 victory over Clarkson (16-11-5, 10-7-3). This time, the sophomores carried the team, as defenders Laura Martindale and Sasha Sherry scored the two Tiger goals. Martindale scored first, 2:25 into the first period, off an assist from senior forward Annie Greenwood, helping Princeton set the tone for the rest of the game. The Golden Knights tied the game at one with 6:18 remaining in the period with a goal from forward Marie-Jo Gaudet.
The game remained tied until 8:26 into the third period, when Sherry found the net off an assist from Greenwood and scored the eventual game-winner.
This weekend’s results kept the Tigers’ recent hot streak alive. Princeton is now 9-1-1 in its past 11 games, with its only loss coming in overtime against Brown two weeks ago. The Tigers will skate at Brown and Yale to finish the regular season, and they need two points to clinch at least fourth place in the conference and earn a first-round bye. Princeton could even move up to third, as it is currently only two points behind Dartmouth.
Most importantly, the Tigers’ recent performances indicate that the team is peaking at the right time and that it is building momentum for a playoff run. The return of the power play on Saturday is another good sign, and if that success continues in the coming weeks, there is no telling how far the Tigers can go in the playoffs.
Foster says she believes that the victory over St. Lawrence is indicative of things to come.
“We’re feeling pretty good about the playoffs,” Foster said. “Everyone’s playing with a little bit more of an edge. I think we’ve had some big wins against big teams and that adds more confidence. As hard as we play, it doesn’t really matter [who we face] in the playoffs.”
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