Women’s Ice Hockey sweeps Mercyhurst en route to four-game winning streak

The Princeton Women’s Ice Hockey team swept Mercyhurst in their annual two-game series this past weekend. The Tigers beat the Lakers 4-2 and 5-2 to improve their overall record to 9-6-1.

In a repeat of last year’s result, the Orange and Black once again proved too much for the Lakers to handle, grabbing both games of the series. The matches proved to be much closer than the end results would suggest, however.

The Tigers struggled during the first two periods of the game, with Mercyhurst making the better opening. However, it would be the Princeton squad that would find the back of the net first. Senior forward Cassidy Tucker linked up with fellow forward junior Kiersten Falck for the opening goal of the game.

Early in the second period, Princeton conceded two penalties, giving Mercyhurst a five-on-three power play. The Lakers took full advantage of this opportunity, tying the game at a goal apiece.

The Tigers would later return the favor by converting on a power play of their own, regaining the lead 2-1. But the Lakers would show their resilience, managing another goal to tie the game at 2-2.

Falck would notch her second goal of the game with 6:22 left in the second to give Princeton the lead into the next period. While the third period produced only one goal, it proved to be a thriller. The Lakers had four of their seven power plays in the third period. Yet the lone goal would come with 38 seconds remaining on the clock, as sophomore forward Karlie Lund iced the game for the Tigers.

Carrying the momentum of a close win, Princeton opened the second leg of the series with a strong start. Indeed, the Tigers would score twice in just under 44 seconds. Lund and Tucker would both score under the one-minute mark. Later in the period, Tucker added to her tally with a goal from the penalty spot.

The Lakers managed to put themselves on the score sheet late in the first period with a power play.

The Princeton squad continued to look sharp in the second period. Senior forward Molly Contini scored at 14:25, adding to the Princeton tally. The Tigers would follow up that goal with another one just 56 seconds later, as senior defender Kelsey Koelzer added another goal to the effort.

The Lakers would respond with another goal late in the second period. However, this would not be enough, as neither team managed to score in the final periods. The Tigers would grab the win with a 5-2 victory.

Princeton will now take a break for the holidays and will not return until New Year’s Eve. The Tigers will no doubt be looking to carry their momentum over the break, as they face Penn State and conference rivals Quinnipiac on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1, respectively.