Princeton University Athletics
Last-Second Goal Pushes Mercyhurst Past Princeton in Women's Hockey
November 25, 2005 | Women's Ice Hockey
Nov. 25, 2005
Box Score
PRINCETON, N.J. - Mercyhurst's Valerie Chouinard scored her second goal of the game with one second remaining in regulation to lift the seventh-ranked Lakers to a 3-2 win over the sixth-ranked Princeton women's hockey team on Friday night at Baker Rink. The game appeared destined for overtime after Princeton knotted the game with 4:43 left in the third, but Chouinard's goal ended the game in regulation.
The team's played a see-saw first period that saw Mercyhurst outshoot Princeton 11-10, but neither team could score as Princeton senior goaltender Roxanne Gaudiel made 11 saves and Mercyhurst Laura Hosier made 10.
The Lakers went ahead 1-0 just 51 seconds into the second period when Chouinard fed the puck from behind the net in front to Samantha Shirley who sent a backhanded shot by Gaudiel for her fifth of the year. The Lakers continued to pressure through the period and outshot Princeton 11-7, keeping play in Princeton defensive zone for the majority of the period,
Late in the period, however, the Tigers were able to work the puck in the Mercyhurst end, and a strong forecheck resulted in the Tigers' first goal of the game. Junior Kim Pearce worked the puck along the boards. As she was nudged off the puck, junior Laura Watt picked up the puck and moved to the net, feeding freshman Annie Greenwood, who one-timed it under Hosier for her third goal of the season. The goal sent the teams to the second intermission tied at 2-2. Mercyhurst reassumed the lead when Chouinard scored her first goal of the game. After a hot in front by Shirley, the puck trickled out to Chouinard who scored on the rebound from a short angle for her ninth goal of the year. Stefanie Bourbeau assisted on the goal.
The Lakers seemed confident to sit on their lead, but found themselves in trouble midway through the period when two Lakers were called for penalties and the Tigers had 1:18 of a five-on-three advantage. It did not take Princeton long to take advantage of the power plays and at 15:47, sophomore Marykate Oakley took the puck from the corner, skated out in front and beat Hosier along the ice for her fourth of the season. Watt and Pearce each picked up their second assist of the game on the goal.
The game's final four minutes went back-and-forth. Princeton had a rush up ice as the clock ticked but Mercyhurst stole the puck and worked it the other way. Stephanie Jones fired a shot through traffic on Gaudiel, who struggled to gather up the loose puck. Chouinard fished it out and then scored from a tough angle to give Mercyhurst the 3-2 lead at 19:59 of the period.
Hozier got the win after making 21 saves. Gaudiel stopped 30 shots as Mercyhurst held a 33-23 shot advantage.
Princeton and Mercyhurst conclude their two-game series tomorrow afternoon at 3 p.m.