Princeton University Athletics
Women's Hockey Visits North Country For Final Games Before Exam Break
January 06, 2005 | Women's Ice Hockey
Jan. 6, 2005
Princeton, N.J. - The 10th-ranked Princeton women's hockey team (9-4-3; 3-3-1 ECACHL) will visit the North Country of New York to take on No. 8 St. Lawrence (12-3-3; 2-1-1) and Clarkson (6-6-5; 2-3-1). Following the weekend, the Tigers have a three-week break for first-semester exams and intercession.
Princeton enters the game having played just once in the last month, that game coming on New Year's Day at New Hampshire. In that game Princeton battled back to tie No. 6 New Hampshire by a score of 1-1. It was the first time in 21 visits to the Whittemore Center that Princeton came away with a point.
In the game, the tying goal came off the stick of junior Sarah Butsch with an assist from freshman Marykate Oakley. Junior goaltender Roaxanne Gaudiel made 27 saves for the tie. All three were named to the ECAC Hockey League's honor roll last week. The game concluded Princeton's non-conference schedules as all 13 remaining games are against league opponents and nine of those games are away from the friendly confines of Baker Rink. Princeton played nine non-league games this season and was 6-1-2 in those games. By conference, Princeton was an unbeaten 5-0-2 against Hockey East and 1-1 against College Hockey America.
The Tigers will look to begin the race for playoff positioning this weekend. Both St. Lawrence and Clarkson sit behind the Tigers in the standing, but have games in-hand. The Tigers currently sit fifth in the league standings, which would mean heading to Brown for the first round of the ECAC playoffs.
Princeton will have to make due this weekend without two important contributors. Senior captain Becky Stewart and junior Chrissie Norwich will both be out of the lineup due to injury. Since both are defensemen, the Tigers will move sophomore Laura Watt back to the blue line to help bolster the defensive unit.
Princeton was ranked ninth in the recent uscho.com pairwise rankings. The ranking mimic the selection criteria used by the NCAA in selecting the field for the Frozen Four. Mercyhurst, New Hampshire and Harvard occupy the spots directly in front of the Tigers. Friday night's opponent, St. Lawrence, sits fourth.
Princeton and St. Lawrence meet Friday night for the 34th time in a series that dates to January of 1982. Princeton is 13-4 all-time at St. Lawrence's Appleton Arena and last won there in 2002. St. Lawrence has taken the last three meetings including victories of 2-1 and 3-1 in Princeton last year. Overall, the Saints have won nine of the last 10 meetings.
The Tigers and Clarkson have not met each other since the 1982-83 campaign. Princeton has won both of its meetings with Clarkson. The Golden Knights are currently in their first season as a member of the ECAC Hockey League and in their second as a Division I varsity team. Princeton has never played at Cheel Arena.
Following Saturday's game, Princeton visits Harvard and Brown the last weekend in January after a three-week break.