Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Quinnipiac
Watt Goals Lifts Women's Hockey to Win Against Quinnipiac
December 06, 2005 | Women's Ice Hockey
Dec. 6, 2005
Box Score
PRINCETON, N.J. - Junior Laura Watt scored on a backhander at 11:46 of the third period to snap a 1-1 tie and lift the sixth-ranked Princeton women's hockey team to a 2-1 win over Quinnipiac in ECAC Hockey League action at Hobey Baker Rink. After being held shotless in the first period, Quinnipiac took a lead 1:16 into the second period, but the Tigers answered with two power-play goals to win their fourth-straight game.
Princeton climbed to 8-3-2 overall with the win and is now 5-1-1 in ECACHL play. The Bobcats fell to 6-9-3 overall and 2-6-2 in the league. The win lifted Princeton ahead of Colgate and Harvard, and a point behind Clarkson in second in the ECACHL standings.
The Tigers controlled play all night, outshooting Quinnipiac 38-8 for the game and holding them to no shots in the first period. Princeton has 12 shots in the period but Bobcats goaltender Connie Craig stopped them all.
As fate would have it, Quinnipiac found itself on a power play 30 seconds into the second period and took a 1-0 lead on its second shot of the game. Karrah Stephen received a Kathryn Dallimore pass at the blue line and fed Antoinette Maldonado on the far side of the crease. Maldanado redirected the puck before Princeton senior goaltender Roxanne Gaudiel could slide across for the power-play tally.
After Quinnipiac took their third shot of the period, play swung back to the Bobcat zone as Princeton outshot Quinnipiac 12-1 over the final 18 minutes of the period. Princeton eventually broke through at the 14:03 mark when freshman Annie Greenwood scored her 10th goal of the season. Watt worked the puck from the point down to sophomore Marykate Oakley at the face off dot. She then sent a centering pass into the slot that Greenwood redirected to even the score on the power play. The goal extended her streak of games with a goal to five. Greenwood and Watt extended their point streaks to seven games.
The period ended with the teams deadlocked at 1-1.
The score stayed tied through the first half of the third period despite Princeton continuing to outshoot Quinnipiac. At the 11:00 mark, a Tiger flurry in front of the net resulted in a Quinnipiac penalty to Ashley Jaffray and that gave Princeton the power play that decided the game. After a faceoff win in the zone, Pearce dug the puck out of the corner and fed Oakley high on the circle, Oakley then fed Watt as she circled out from behind the net. On the backhand, she slid a shot just inside the far post to give the Tigers a 2-1 lead. The goal was her fourth of the year. Pearce's assist extended her point streak to eight games.
From there, the Tiger defense continued to hold up, limiting Quinnipiac's chances as the Tigers claimed the 2-1 win. Gaudiel finished the night with seven saves for the win, while Craig made 36 saves in the loss.
Princeton completes the first half of the season on Friday and Saturday with afternoon games against Wayne State.