Women's Ice Hockey: First weekend ends in split up north

The women’s ice hockey team avenged its 4-3 loss to Vermont on Friday with a commanding 7-2 victory over the Catamounts on Saturday afternoon. After falling behind early in the first period, the Tigers (1-1 overall) pulled even on a goal from sophomore forward Danielle DiCesare, and, in a one-sided second period, took a 4-1 lead that they never relinquished.

T,he team tightened its iron grip on the game, scoring three more times in the final period to ensure a Princeton win. The Tigers’ leading goal scorers were DiCesare, sophomore forward Heather Landry and freshman forward Kelly Cooke, each of whom had two goals. Cooke scored the final goal. The Tigers were efficient on Saturday, scoring seven goals on 35 shots, and they were particularly effective on the power play, converting on four of nine opportunities.

Saturday’s game was an extremely well-rounded performance for Princeton, with nine Tigers earning points. The team’s ECAC Hockey opener is just around the corner, and with this win, the Tigers have gained some momentum to carry them into the opening of their ECAC season this weekend. The team’s opener again Rensselaer (2-4-2) promises to be a test for the Tigers and a challenge for the freshmen playing in their first ECAC game.

Going into this season with a roster bursting with talent, the Tigers appear primed to repeat, if not improve on, the 2008-09 season, which they concluded with a record of 18-11-2. Four of the team’s top five scoring leaders are returning this year, which bodes well for the Tigers’ lineup of forwards.

The team’s biggest losses from last year’s senior class were goaltenders Megan Murray and Kristen Young. Young was an integral part of last year’s team: After averaging just 1.86 goals against and a .924 save percentage record, she was named to the second All-Ivy team. She holds several school records, not least of which is her record 14 career shutouts, and will be difficult to surpass.

Through the first two games of the regular season, however, sophomore Rachel Weber and freshman Cassie Seguin both appear up to the task in net. Weber, coming in as the veteran goaltender, has played the bulk of the minutes thus far and has been a force in keeping the Tigers’ goal safe.

The team also has great faith in Seguin, the freshman from Ontario, who was a member of the silver-medalist Canadian team at the Under-18 World Championships. She also led her club team to the national championship, and she has looked sharp in the preseason.

Aside from Seguin, this year’s freshman class looks to be a huge boost to the team. Cooke has already demonstrated the impact she can have on this team in her first two games, finishing Friday’s game with two goals and one assist. As a dynamic striker, she has immediately stepped into the Tigers’ frontline and begun to contribute in clutch situations.

Freshman forward Corey Stearns hails from the same school as Cooke — Noble and Greenough School — and she played with junior defender Sasha Sherry at the World Championships in Calgary, so she should jell perfectly with the team. Freshman defender Krystyna Bellisario’s strong work ethic and knack for breakout passes will allow her to bolster an already strong defensive line for the Tigers, and freshman forward Alex Kinney should contribute on offense.

Adding such a strong freshman lineup to an already potent squad can only move the team forward. The team’s defenders already ranked among the best in the country last year. Sherry narrowly missed making the 2010 U.S. Olympic Team by a few cuts, and with four of the Tigers having played together for a year, the team’s joint experience should allow it to work together.

Senior defender Stephanie Denino is this year’s captain, and her experience will be vital to the team as the season progresses.

The forwards have a good mix of new and returning players: Three- quarters of this year’s forwards have already spent a year playing together, and the three freshmen have already shown signs of how much they can contribute.

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The large number of returning players on the offensive as well as defensive sides could certainly help the team achieve a greater level of cohesion and be more prepared for the coming year.

Finally, head coach Jeff Kampersal ’ ‘92 is returning to his 14th year on the Princeton bench as the winningest coach in the program’s history. With nine straight winning seasons and coming off his third top-three finish in the ECAC, Kampersal looks ready to lead the Tigers to another great season. Maybe this will be the year that they beat the odds to challenge for the ECAC title.