Princeton University Athletics
Early Season Women's Hockey Showdown Friday Night in Hanover
November 21, 2003 | Women's Ice Hockey
Nov. 21, 2003
Princeton, N.J. - The Princeton women's hockey team visits No. 2 Dartmouth (5-0-0; 2-0-0 ECAC) Friday night in an early-season ECAC showdown. No. 9 Princeton (4-2-0; 0-0-0 ECAC) enters the game following a strong showing last Sunday in a 4-2 win over Providence. Princeton completes the weekend on Saturday afternoon at Vermont (3-7-1; 0-2-0 ECAC).
Last season Dartmouth and Princeton locked horns three times. Dartmouth took a 4-0 win on Feb. 1 on Thompson Arena ice. Exactly one month later Princeton answered back with a 3-2 triumph at Baker Rink, a win that clinched the third seed in the ECAC playoffs for Princeton. The two met one more time in the ECAC semifinals at Brown. Tied 1-1, Dartmouth rallied to take the lead and won 4-2 with an empty-net goal to advance to the ECAC championship where they fell to Harvard. They did however earn an at-large bid to the Women's Frozen Four in Duluth, Minn.
Princeton leads its all-time series with Dartmouth 31-19-3, and holds a 14-10-0 advantage in Hanover. Dartmouth has held the advantage lately, going 5-2-0 in the last three seasons. Current Tigers that have posted goals against Dartmouth are seniors Lisa Rasmussen (2), Gretchen Anderson (2), Susan Hobson (1) and sophomore Sarah Butsch (2). Butsch's third-period game-winner on March 1, 2003 was one of Princeton's biggest goals of the season. Saturday, Princeton completes its road trip at Vermont at 4 p.m. Princeton is 5-0-0 all-time against Vermont, which is only in its third full season at the Division I level. Princeton is 3-0-0 at Gutterson Fieldhouse and has shutout the Catamounts in the last three meetings.
The Tigers enter their ECAC opening weekend fresh off an impressive showing against the then sixth-ranked Providence Friars. Senior Gretchen Anderson led the attack scoring a hat trick. All three goals were consecutive, and they came in all facets of the game. One was on the power play, one was shorthanded and one came at even strength. Anderson's performance led to her receiving accolades from the ECAC, the Ivy League. GoPrincetonTigers.com, and USCHO.com. Additionally she was mentioned in Wednesday's New York Times college hockey column. Anderson currently leads the nation in goals per game among players with more than three appearances.
Sophomore Heather Jackson also had a solid performance at Dartmouth. She opened the scoring while shorthanded, then assisted on two of Anderson's goals.
Additional Notes... -For the second consecutive weekend, Princeton split a set of non-conference games, dropping a 3-0 decision to No. 9 New Hampshire on Saturday, before topping No. 6 Providence 4-2 on Sunday afternoon.
-Princeton's 4-2 win over Providence was only its seventh all-time win against the Friars, however, Princeton has had a lot of success against providence lately and is now 3-0-3 in its last six meetings with the Friars.
-Princeton's top line of senior Gretchen Anderson, senior Lisa Rasmussen, and sophomore Heather Jackson sparked the Princeton offense against Providence. Anderson tallied a hat trick, scoring on the power play; at even strength and while short-handed, while Jackson scored a short-handed goal and added two assists.
-Junior defenseman Katharine Maglione and senior defenseman Angela Gooldy each tallied assists in the win.
-Senior Megan Van Beusekom backstopped Princeton to its win over Providence. She stopped 20 Friar shots in the game to improve to 3-2-0 on the season.