Princeton University Athletics
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Women's Hockey Opens ECAC Slate This Weekend at Home
October 29, 2009 | Women's Ice Hockey
GAMETIME: Friday, Oct. 30 at 7 p.m.
RECORDS: Princeton (1-1, 0-0 ECAC); Rensselaer (2-4-2, 0-0 ECAC)
RANKINGS: Princeton (Poll: RV); Rensselaer (Poll: NR)
SERIES RECORD: Series tied 4-4-0, Rensselaer leads 3-2 in Princeton
LAST MEETING: Rensselaer won 1-0 on Feb. 28, 2009 in Princeton
STREAK: Rensselaer has won the last two meetings
Game 4: Union at Princeton
GAMETIME: Saturday, Oct. 31 at 4 p.m.
RECORDS: Princeton (110, 0-0 ECAC); Union (2-4, 0-0 ECAC)
RANKINGS: Princeton (Poll: RV); Union (Poll: NR)
SERIES RECORD: Princeton leads 12-0, is 5-0 at home
LAST MEETING: Princeton won 3-1 on Jan. 10, 2009 in Schenectady
STREAK: Princeton has won the last 12 meetings
MULTIMEDIA: Livestats | Live Video
PRINCETON (10/29/09) - The Princeton women's hockey team opens up its ECAC Hockey and home schedules this weekend as Rensselaer and Union visit Hobey Baker Rink.
The games will be part of two doubleheaders with the men's hockey team. On Friday, the men play Brown at 4 p.m., followed by the women's game against Rensselaer at 7 p.m. On Saturday the women open the schedule against Union at 4 p.m., and the men conclude against Yale at 7 p.m.
The Tigers opened the 2009-10 season last weekend with a non-league series at Vermont. Princeton split the two games, falling 4-3 on Friday and winning 7-2 on Saturday. In Friday's game, Princeton was done in by a poor second period as Vermont scored three-straight goals to build an insurmountable lead. The teams traded first period goals, but the Catamounts outshot Princeton 7-3 in the second period on its way to building a 4-1 lead. Princeton outshot Vermont 11-3 in the third period and sophomore Julie Johnson and Danielle DiCesare scored as the Tigers inched closer, but Princeton was unable to get the equalizing goal and fell 4-3.
Princeton rebounded on Saturday with a 7-2 win. The teams once again traded first period goals, but this time it was Princeton scoring three-straight goals to start the second period as the Tigers took control in an eventual five-goal win. Princeton outshot Vermont 35-9 in the win as DiCesare, classmate Heather Landry and freshman Kelly Cooke each scored two goals. Nine players had points in the win and six had more than one.
DiCesare's five-point weekend has her atop the Princeton scoring charts after two games, with Landry one off her pace. Cooke and Johnson have three points each, and seven other Tigers have registered a point or two this season.
Princeton opens its ECAC Hockey schedule this season as the Tigers look to finish in the top four for the third time in four seasons. Princeton was picked to finish fourth in the league's preseason poll after finishing third in the standings a season ago. A full slate of league games is scheduled for this weekend as there will be six league games played each day. Ten of the 12 teams are opening their league slates since Clarkson and St. Lawrence played their first game on Tuesday, with the Golden Knights downing the preseason favorite Saints 4-1.
Princeton opens the weekend on Friday night against Rensselaer. The Tigers and Engineers played four times last season with the Engineers taking three of the four meetings, including a sweep of the ECAC quarterfinal series at Baker Rink. RPI goalie Sonja van der Bliek stopped 63 of the 64 shots she faced in the series as the Engineers won 2-1 in double-overtime and 1-0. The all-time series is tied at 4-4 and RPI holds a 3-2 series edge at Baker.
Rensselaer is 2-4-2 this season and has dropped its last four games after opening the season 2-0-2. The Saints have played four series, gaining three of four points against Wayne State and Niagara. Top-ranked Mercyhurst and Syracuse also swept RPI. Senior Laura Gersten leads RPI with six points and Whitney Naslund and Sydney O'Keefe are tied for the team lead with three goals.
The Tigers complete the weekend on Saturday against Union. The Tigers have taken all 12 meetings with Union since the teams began playing in the 2003-04 season. Last season the Tigers won 6-0 at home and 3-1 on the road.
Union is 2-4 this season with both wins coming over Sacred Heart. The Dutchwomen were swept at Vermont and also have losses at Northeastern and Connecticut. Union's Lauren Hoffman leads the team with six points and Jackie Koetteritz leads the way with three goals scored.