Princeton University Athletics
Women's Hockey Opens 2005-06 Season at Nichols Tournament
October 28, 2005 | Women's Ice Hockey
Oct. 28, 2005
Princeton, N.J. - The Princeton women's hockey team drops the puck on its 26th season tomorrow afternoon with a non-conference matchup with Boston College at the Nichols Ice Rink in Buffalo, N.Y. Princeton completes the weekend with a Sunday afternoon game against Vermont.
The tournament will begin when Niagara plays Vermont at 12 p.m., on Saturday and continue with the Princeton-Boston College game at 3 p.m. On Sunday the Tigers play Vermont at noon and Boston College and Niagara skate at 3 p.m.
Princeton is the only team of the four in the tournament that has not played yet this season. The Tigers first opponent, Boston College, is 2-0-1 overall and 1-0-1 in Hockey East. The Eagles opened the season with wins over Quinnipiac and Maine and tied Boston University 3-3 in their last outing.
Vermont is 0-5-2 on the season and 0-1-1 in Hockey East. The Catamounts have tied against Sacred Heart and Boston University. Last weekend Vermont hosted BU, earning a 3-3 tie in the first game, and falling 4-1 the next day. Niagara is 0-2 on the season with two home losses to New Hampshire.
The games will take place at the Nichols School in Buffalo, where three members of the Princeton women's hockey team¬¬-junior Dina McCumber and sophomore Marykate Oakley and Brittany Salmon¬¬-attended high school. The game will be Princeton's first games played at a neutral site since a game with Maine in Boston early in the 2003-04 season.
Princeton enters the weekend after facing Yale last weekend in a scrimmage. After two scoreless periods, each team scored twice in the third period in a 2-2 tie. Senior Sarah Butsch and Salmon scored for Princeton in the tie. Senior goaltender Roxanne Gaudiel held Yale scoreless through two periods while sophomore Rebecca Allen played the third period. Three members of the team, McCumber, junior Kim Pearce and Gaudiel will play with the ECACHL All-Star team next Tuesday night against the U.S. Women's National Team at Yale. Liz Keady, who is taking a year off from Princeton, will be playing for the U.S. The game will be broadcast on CN8 Tuesday night beginning at 8:30 p.m.
Princeton is 16-0-2 all-time against Boston College and has won the last three games, including a 3-2 overtime win last season on the road. In the game, Princeton rallied from a 2-0 deficit in the third period with goals by current senior Chrissie Norwich and Pearce to force overtime. Pearce then won the game with the overtime game winner. Princeton has never face BC at a neutral site.
The Tigers and Vermont have met nine times, but will meet for the first time as non-league opponents. Princeton is 9-0 in those games, including two wins last season, a 4-1 victory at home and a 2-0 shutout in Burlington.
The Tigers continue their early-season schedule away from home next weekend with league games at Dartmouth and Harvard.