DiCesare’s OT goal tops No. 4 Clarkson

The women’s hockey team approached the close of its season with two consecutive shutout victories, raising the team’s conference rank as the postseason draws near.

The weekend began with an upset on Friday. Princeton (12-11-4 overall, 10-6-4 ECAC Hockey) broke a scoreless tie against No. 4 Clarkson (20-8-4, 14-4-2) with an overtime goal for a 1-0 victory. The Tigers maintained their momentum for Saturday’s game against St. Lawrence (14-11-7, 10-7-3) in a 3-0 win. Entering the weekend in seventh place in ECAC Hockey, Princeton’s performance bumped the team up to sixth place for its final two season games.

Clarkson — currently tied for first in the conference — appeared evenly matched against Princeton for the duration of the game. The Golden Knights were slightly more assertive than the Tigers on the offensive front, taking 21 shots to Princeton’s 14. Freshman goalie Cassie Seguin and a responsive defense kept Clarkson’s score blank, however.

With the scoreboard unmoved after 60 minutes, the game went into overtime. Early on, Princeton gained a power play, but a determined defense from the Golden Knights allowed the Tigers only a single shot for the play’s duration. But Clarkson’s victory would be short-lived. Barely 10 seconds after killing their penalty, the Golden Knights let in a quick goal from sophomore forward Danielle DiCesare. Assisting DiCesare were sophomore forward Paula Romanchuk and senior forward Melanie Wallace.

Princeton’s defense and Seguin’s 21 saves were the key to victory. Additionally, the Tigers killed all four of Clarkson’s penalties.

The following night saw a more decisive Tiger victory, but there was no less heat on the ice. Both teams exchanged shots and saves throughout the first period, with a near Princeton goal denied by the St. Lawrence defense. Late in the period, sophomore forward Heather Landry finally broke the tie and gave Princeton a 1-0 lead.

The second period was similarly well-matched. The Tigers pulled through, however, with a goal by freshman forward Alex Kinney. The final goal of the game came midway through the third period courtesy of Romanchuk, and Wallace was credited with the assist.

With about five minutes of game time left, Saints head coach Chris Wells opted to give his team an on-ice advantage by pulling his goalie. The Saints’ well-organized formations kept the puck from drifting anywhere near their untended goal.

Constantly moving, both teams rotated their subs heavily. Numerous shots near the Princeton goal created a couple close calls, and a mad scramble in front of the goal during the game’s final minutes drew a hush from the crowd. Princeton’s defense, however, hung tough until the clock ran out.

Princeton again showcased its goaltending talent with sophomore goalie Rachel Weber’s shutout, matching Seguin’s performance the night before. Though power plays were rare, St. Lawrence’s aggressive half-rink game tested Princeton’s defense in the third period.

A small but dedicated crowd showed strong support for the Tigers, enthusiastically cheering at every goal and close save. Saturday’s game drew a younger audience as well for the heartwarming “Skate with the Tigers” post-game celebration. As the Saints and Tigers respectfully congratulated each other over the tough game, young hockey fans could be seen changing into their skates in the lobby of Baker Rink.

The Tigers’ performance this weekend positioned them well for the approaching ECAC tournament. Princeton trails No. 5 Quinnipiac (16-8-8, 9-4-7) by only one point and is just two points shy of a place among the conference’s coveted top four spots.

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In the last weekend before the postseason, the Tigers will play against Brown (2-20-4, 0-17-3) and Yale (10-14-3, 8-11-1). Victories in these games will increase the chances of Princeton receiving a first-round bye in the conference tournament.