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Women's Hockey Shuts Out Cornell, Will Host Colgate In ECACHL Quarterfinal Round
February 17, 2007 | Women's Ice Hockey
The Princeton women's ice hockey team knew it needed to wins to clinch home ice for next weekend's ECACHL quarterfinal showdown against Colgate. The best way to ensure that success was to simply make sure it was never scored upon this weekend. The Tigers picked up their second straight shutout, a 3-0 win over Cornell, to wrap up home ice next weekend and to send the Class of 2007 out with a win on Senior Night.
Princeton dominated the matchup, outshooting Cornell 43-14, including a 16-3 edge in the third period, when the Tigers made sure that their hard work all season would be rewarded. Freshman Brittany Parisi was perfect in net for the win, just as fellow goaltender Kristen Young was last night.
Junior Sonja Novak gave Princeton a 1-0 when she fired a shot from the right circle that deflected off Cornell goaltender Beth Baronick and crossed the goal line 4:22 into the game. It was the second goal of the season for Novak, and it gave Princeton an early comfort zone in its chase for home ice in next weekend's quarterfinals.
The comfort zone grew midway through the opening period, as Kim Pearce sent a pass to Brittany Salmon, who found open ice between the two circles. She shot her seventh goal of the year above the right shoulder of Baronick, and Pearce picked up her team-best 18th assist of the season.
As it was in Friday's tense 1-0 win over Colgate, the Princeton defense was outstanding as the Tigers held the lead. Freshman Brittany Parisi made several tough saves, and the Tiger defense made sure there would be few second chances. The Princeton offense built a 3-0 lead by converting on its own second chance, as a saved shot by Salmon was knocked in by Katherine Dineen late in the second period.
The Tigers will now face Colgate, which they defeated in a pair of tense one-goal matchups, including Friday's 1-0 win in Baker Rink.
Prior to the game, Princeton honored the five members of its Class of 2007: defenseman Kate Hession (Bedford, N.H.), defenseman Dina McCumber (North Tonawanda, N.Y.), Kim Pearce (Ottawa, Ont.), Alison Ralph (Sudbury, Ont.) and Laura Watt (Ajax, Ont.). Along with their talented teammates, the Class of '07, nicknamed "The Cult," made sure it was only the final regular-season game at Baker Rink. There will be at least two more home games next weekend, with a spot in the ECAC semifinals on the line.