Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Women's Hockey Hosts Colgate and Cornell in Final Home Weekend of Regular Season
February 05, 2009 | Women's Ice Hockey
Colgate at Princeton
GAMETIME: Friday, Feb. 6 at 7 p.m.
2008-09 RECORDS: Princeton (13-9-1, 10-6-0 ECAC); Colgate (15-9-3, 9-4-3 ECAC)
SERIES RECORD: Princeton leads 17-3-2 overall and is 9-2-1 at home
LAST MEETING: Colgate won 3-1 on Nov. 8, 2008 at home
STREAK: Colgate won the last meeting
Cornell at Princeton
GAMETIME: Saturday, Feb. 7 at 4 p.m.
2008-09 RECORDS: Princeton (13-9-1, 10-6-0 ECAC); Cornell (11-10-2, 7-7-2 ECAC)
SERIES RECORD: Princeton leads 40-21-2 overall and is 21-8-2 at home
LAST MEETING: Princeton won 6-3 on Nov. 7, 2008 at Cornell
STREAK: Princeton won the last meeting
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The Princeton women's hockey team hosts Colgate and Cornell this weekend at Hobey Baker Rink in its final home weekend of the regular season. The Tigers currently sit fifth in the ECAC standings with eyes on the top four and the home-ice playoff series that comes with a top-four finish. The weekend marks the final home weekend for the six members of Princeton's senior class.
Princeton split its games last weekend, edging Yale 3-2 but falling in overtime to Brown 2-1. The loss to Brown snapped a six-game winning streak, Princeton's longest in nearly three seasons, and dropped the Tigers into fifth in the standings.
All four goals over the weekend came off the sticks of defensemen as senior Katherine Dineen had three goals and sophomore Laura Martindale had one. Dineen scored the first and third goals against Yale and the lone goal versus Brown, while Martindale had the other goal. In Friday's win, the team's traded goals in the game's first 20:08, then remained tied at 2-2 until Dineen's game winner midway though the third period. On Saturday, Brown struck first scoring on a two-man advantage in the second period, only to have the Tigers even it up midway through the third. Brown won the game with less than a minute left in overtime.
Dineen and Martindale became the 11th and 12th Tigers to reach double digits in points this season. Junior Melanie Wallace currently leads Princeton with 21 points after a pair of assists on the weekend. Freshman Paula Romanchuk and sophomore Sasha Sherry have 16 points apiece to tie for second. Freshman Danielle DiCesare (13) and senior Christine Foster (13) round out Princeton's top five scorers.
Princeton enters the weekend fifth in the ECAC standings with 20 points and six league games remaining. The Tigers are a point behind fourth-place Colgate and two behind third-place Harvard. St. Lawrence tops the standings with 25 points, one ahead of second-place Dartmouth. The Tigers have a one-point buffer on sixth-place Clarkson and four points on seventh-place Cornell and Rensselaer. Each of Princeton's next four games is against a team that is currently holding down a playoff spot.
Princeton starts the weekend on Friday against Colgate, the team one point ahead of it in the ECAC standings. Princeton owns the all-time series from Colgate by a 17-3-2 margin, but fell at Colgate 3-1 in November as the Raiders picked up their first regular-season win against Princeton. Romanchuk scored Princeton's lone goal in the loss as Colgate goaltender Kimberly Sass made 46 saves to stymie the Tigers. Princeton is 9-2-1 against Colgate at home.
Colgate is currently 15-9-3 overall and 9-4-3 in the ECAC to hold down fourth place in the standings. Colgate is one of the hottest teams in the league, entering Friday night unbeaten in eight games at 7-0-1. Last weekend Colgate tied Clarkson 1-1 and knocked off first-place St. Lawrence 3-1.
Princeton finishes the weekend Saturday afternoon against Cornell. Princeton won 6-3 at Cornell in November, rebounding after Cornell swept the Tigers last season. Princeton is 40-21-2 all-time against the Big Red and is 21-8-2 in the series at home. The Tigers never trailed in the November win, building a 3-1 lead, only to have Cornell tie it, before three straight goals in the third period got Princeton the win. DiCesare led the attack with three points in the win, while Foster, Wallace and Sherry each added two points.
Cornell is currently 11-10-2 overall and 7-7-2 in the ECAC and tied for seventh in the standings. The Bog Red has split in each of the last two weekends, getting wins over Brown and Clarkson and falling to Yale and St. Lawrence. Cornell has limited its opponents to two goals or less in five of its last six games.
The game also marks the final home game for Princeton's six seniors. Below are write-ups about each player written by head coach Jeff Kampersal that will appear in this weekend's game program.
It is with great pride that I write to you - our families, friends, and fans - about the distinguished Class of 2009. In addition to being great hockey players and extraordinary students, they are compassionate and caring teammates. They are tough, resilient and love to compete.
#1 Kristen Young ? Younger is a pure student of the game, always striving to perform better. Her enthusiasm, intelligence and competitiveness have made her an amazing goalie and indispensable asset to our team. She is a presence in net. She has the desire to be the best. Her teammates feed off her passion and intensity. She ranks near or at the top of all goalie categories in PWIH history. Younger will be remembered for her resolve, her dependability, her weird noises, and the example she set for her teammates.
#2 Annie Greenwood ? Annie plays with passion and is a true competitor. Her success is linked to her remarkable athleticism and devotion to the game. Her skill set is top-notch, as is her hand-eye co-ordination. Any puck that comes Annie's way, she is knocking it down or tipping it in. She strives to score goals and is particularly good around the net. On the penalty kill, she sacrifices her body to block shots and has the strength to clear the puck 200ft. Overall, Annie loves to play the game and is a proven survivor.
#3 Katherine Dineen ? Katherine has the curiosity and quickness of a cat. She is a dynamic skater and a shut-down 1 on 1 defender. She is very effective in transition situations and very smooth on the pivot. Katherine is arguably the best breakout defenseman in Princeton history. Her decision-making is impeccable, and she can control an entire game with her poise, smarts, and speed. Katherine puts on her skates one foot at a time, just like everyone else, but when her skates are on, she delivers.
#4 Christine Foster - Christine is a very determined and well-conditioned athlete. She never cheats herself out of a hard day's practice. During her career, Christine mastered skills that the most tenacious centers possess. She has the ability to carry a line and matches up against our opponents' best players. She works tirelessly in the d-zone and battles on the face-offs. She is a deft passer and all-time great penalty-killer. On and off the ice, she displays toughness and leads by example as assistant captain. She has repeatedly proven that she will do whatever it takes to win.
#8 Monica Brennan ? The word resilient best describes Monica. Mon is tough and responsible with a boundless work ethic. On the ice, she hustles, grinds in the corners and defends well. She blocks shots and kills penalties with grit. She takes away time and space from opponents. Monica was elected captain by her teammates because she is mature, humble, and approachable. She listens and advises. In her role as captain, she helped the coaching staff gain perspective and maintain stability. With frau-like authority she sets the tone for her team.
#30 Megan Murray ? Megatron has been a blessing since she joined our team her junior year. With limited goalie experience, she jumped in net armed with tremendous athleticism, courage, and heart. Meg immediately displayed a quick glove, and has worked for two years to strengthen her game. She not only pushes herself and tests her own limits, but she drives her teammates to excel as well. Meg is an inspirational teammate and competitor and has helped shape the culture of our team. We are lucky have her on the ice and in the locker room.