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Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Harvard
Women's Hockey Knocks Off No. 2 Harvard 6-3
January 30, 2004 | Women's Ice Hockey
Jan. 30, 2004
Box Score
Princeton, N.J. - The Princeton women's hockey team played two strong periods and held off Harvard for the third, as the ninth-ranked Tigers knocked off the No. 2 Crimson 6-3 Friday night at Baker Rink. Tiger freshmen Kim Pearce and Liz Keady each scored a pair of goals in the game and senior goaltender Megan Van Beusekom made 36 saves as the Tigers improved to 12-5-0 overall and 5-3-0 in the ECAC.
The loss was only Harvard's second of the season, but second in a row as Dartmouth and princeton have now handed them back-to-back losses. Princeton's win also snapped a five-game losing streak at the hands of Harvard, dating back to Jan. 11, 2002. Harvard took an early lead a mere 1:39 into the game when Angela Ruggiero scored a shorthanded goal from center ice. Julie Chu won a faceoff and Ruggiero dumped the puck on net, but an awkward boucen on the way to the net fooled Van Beusekom and it beat her to make the score 1-0. Play balanced out and Princeton broke even at 13:34 when Pearce tallied her first goal of the game. Junior April Brown fired a shot from the point that Harvard goaltender Ali Boe stopped, but Pearce collected the rebound and fired into the open net.
Harvard answered back 1:15 later to make it 2-1 on the power play. Ashley Banfield fired a point shot wide, that Lauren McAuliffe redirected on the doorstep past Van Beusekom. not willing to enter the first intermission down a goal, the Tigers answered back at the 18:19 mark when Keady posted her first goal of the night on a similar play to the first goal. Pearce had a shot blocked and Keady beat the defense to the rebound and fired it into the open net. Junior Katharine Maglione also assisted on the goal.
The first period ended with the score 2-2 and Princeton holding a 13-8 shot advantage. There were also 10 penalties called in the opening stanza.
Princeton took its first lead of the game early in the second period on an outstanding individual effort from Keady, resulting in her fourth goal of the season. Keadys tole the puck in the neutral zone and came in on Boe. She took one shot which was saved, but beat the Harvard defenders to the loose puck and backhanded the rebound by Boe to make the score 3-2.
Harvard warmed up and a little over 10 minutes later drew even on a goal from Nicole Corriero as she deflected a Lindsay Weaver point shot by Van Beusekom. Back even, both teams created strong chances, but it was a transition goal for the Tigers that proved to be the eventual game-winner. Junior Becky Stewart fed Pearce in the neutral zone. Pearce carried the puck into Harvard's end and drove to the net. Just at the hashmarks, she wristed a shot that beat Boe high on the glove side and gave Princeton a lead it would not surrender.
Harvard outshot Princeton 11-8 in the period, despite being outscored 2-1.
Harvard came out pressing in the third period and fired six quality chances on Van Beusekom before the Tigers were able to muster a shot. Princeton's goaltender was equal to the task and received a bit of insurance when Stewart scored on Princeton's first shot of the period to make the score 5-3. Senior Gretchen Anderson fed Stewart in front and she beat Boe for her third goal of the season at 5:23.
With a two-goal lead, Princeton's next hurdle came when it had to kill off 1:02 of a two-man advantage just shy of the midpoint of the third period. Van Beusekom and the Tiger defense stopped all shots towards the net and held the Crimson at bay through the penalty.
Princeton finally found a little more insurance at the 17:42 mark when Anderson tallied her 20th goal of the season to make the score 6-3. Anderson intercepted a pass and scored an unassisted goal on the backhand to all but seal Princeton's win.
Harvard outshot Princeton 20-4 in the third period, but it was Princeton that scored twice, while Van Beusekom steered away all 20 shots to hold the Crimson off the scoreboard. She finished the night with 36 saves to earn her ninth win of the season, while Boe stopped 19 shots and fell to 9-2-1 on the year.
The win vaulted Princeton into a tie with Harvard, St. Lawrence for fourth-place in the ECAC standings, one point behind third-place Brown, Princeton's opponent tomorrow afternoon at Baker RInk. Game time is set for 4 p.m.