Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Yale
Seniors Send Women's Hockey Out As Ivy Champs, In As No. 2 Seed
February 25, 2006 | Women's Ice Hockey
Feb. 25, 2006
Box Score
PRINCETON - This is what Senior Night is all about. Led by standout performances by Class of 2006 members Roxanne Gaudiel and Heather Jackson, the No. 6 Princeton women's hockey team clinched the Ivy League championship with a 3-0 home win over Yale Saturday afternoon. They will look for even more starting next weekend, when the Tigers will host Colgate in the ECACHL quarterfinals.
Jackson scored twice in the third period to give Princeton an edge, and Gaudiel made 20 saves in the shutout win.
"It was a fitting way for our seniors to go out," head coach Jeff Kampersal said. "They are such hard workers and class acts. It's a pleasure to coach them. Roxie was huge today, especially against a Yale team that's been a thorn in our side. Jacko has been huge her whole career, but she's been playing out of her mind the second half of the season, scoring big goals, blocking shots, you name it."
Yale nearly jumped out a 1-0 lead midway through the first period following a save by senior goaltender Roxanne Gaudiel. The puck redirected off her pads and into the front of the crease, where Yale's Jenna Spring had an open net and a clean look at the puck. She got off the shot, but Laura Watt came out of nowhere and saved the shot with her own stick. Yale avoided further problems seconds later, as the puck was sent out to Princeton captain Heather Jackson, who beat a Yale defender and went in on Yale's Sarah Love alone. Love made a play on the puck with her stick, and while she didn't make contact, she did enough to keep Jackson from getting a clean look and forced her shot to go wide. The Tigers would eventually break the deadlock minutes later. On a play started by Christina Foster, the puck was moved to Tarah Clark, who centered a pass to Sonja Novak. The Princeton sophomore went from Love's right side to her left and lifted a backhand shot above the sliding Yale goalie's pad. It was Novak's first goal of the season, and it broke a scoreless deadlock.
Yale came close to tying it before the end of the period following a Princeton turnover in its own defensive zone. The puck ended on the stick of Kristin Savard, who went in alone on Gaudiel. The senior standout stood strong, knocking away the shot. The puck deflected off a skate and just missed the left side of the goal, but it trickled harmlessly over the line to end the chance.
The second period was played fairly even, although neither team could muster a goal. Both teams battled between the blue lines, and each had a few good chance, but Love and Gaudiel were both up to the task. Princeton ended up outshooting Yale 9-6 for the period, but both teams left the ice just as they came on it, with Princeton ahead 2-1 and 20 minutes away from the Ivy League title.
Yale came out on a mission in the third period and had two terrific scoring opportunities in the first six minutes of the period. The first came on a shorthanded opportunity, when a pass was centered to Yale's Savard, who was alone on the doorstep. Savard attempted to stuff it in once, and following a Gaudiel save, tried to stuff it again. The result was the same, as Gaudiel stopped the shot and saved the shutout.
The second chance came on a point-blank shot from Danielle Koslowski, and again Gaudiel was too tough. At that point, Jackson decided she had enough with the one-goal lead. She scored twice in the span of 2:03 to turn a thriller into a countdown to the Ivy League title. Her first goal came early on a power play, as she took a pass from freshman Annie Greenwood and beat Love for the 2-0 lead. She then completed a textbook 2-on-1 break with Marykate Oakley, taking the feed to the right of Love and finding the open net for the insurance goal.
Princeton will host the ECAC quarterfinals next weekend against Colgate, which the Tigers swept this season. The best-of-three series will open Friday night at Baker Rink at 7 p.m., and the second game will take place Saturday at 4 p.m., also at Baker Rink. If necessary, a third and decisive game would be played at Baker Sunday at 4 p.m.