Tucker & Neatby Pace Princeton in 5-2 Win Over Mercyhurst

Sunday, December 11

1:00 PM

Princeton University

9-6-1

Mercyhurst

6-13-1

Mercyhurst

Princeton

Photo by: Princeton Athletic Communications

Tucker & Neatby Pace Princeton in 5-2 Win Over Mercyhurst

December 11, 2016 | Women's Ice Hockey

Box Score

Senior Cassidy Tucker scored twice and added one assist, while freshman goalie Steph Neatby stopped 31 shots as the Princeton women's hockey team posted a 5-2 win over Mercyhurst on Saturday at Hobey Baker Rink for the series sweep.

Princeton (8-6-1) wasted little time getting its offense going, scoring twice in the first 44 seconds.

Karlie Lund net her 14th goal of the season just 18 seconds in, with a goal from the slot after Julia Edgar took one on net and Molly Contini collected the rebound off the pad of starting netminder Sarah McDonell and slotted it for Lund.

Twenty-six seconds later Tucker scored her first of the game with a one-timer off a pass from freshman defender Claire Thompson. Tucker added her second tally at 14:41 when she converted on a penalty shot. She was hauled down on a breakaway by Paige Horton, and deked McDonell on the shot. It marked her second penalty shot of the season – and Princeton's second.

"We got off to a good start," Princeton head coach Jeff Kampersal said. "Mercyhurst is very gritty and tough but they weren't in the first five minutes so we took advantage of it."

Jillian Skinner put the Lakers on the board with a power-play goal at 19:00 of the first, with Horton assisting.

The Tigers had arguably the best looking goal of the game, at 14:25 of the second. Lund skated into the zone and sent a backhanded pass to Bullock who put one on net between her two defenders and Contini was there for the rebound.

Princeton added to the lead 56 seconds later with a snipe from defender Kelsey Koelzer. Tucker sent her a cross-ice pass from in front of the benches. She skated past her two defenders and slipped the puck between McDonell and the right post.

Mercyhust (6-13-1) pulled McDonell after the goal, and she sat down with 14 saves, while Jessica Convery went in. Convery played the full 60 in yesterday's game, making 28 saves and allowing four. Today she made nine saves and did not allow a goal.

Rachael Smith finished off the scoring with the Laker's second goal at 17:49 of th second with Jennifer MacAskill and Michele Robillard assisting.

Princeton was 0 for 2 on the power play, while Mercyhurst was 1 for 7. The Tigers doubled the Lakers in power-play minutes lending Mercyhurst to take a 33-28 edge in shots on goal.

Princeton will take a break for the holiday and will be back on action on Dec. 31 & Jan. 1 when it hosts Penn State in a two-game series

"Roles to be solidified and special teams," Kampersal said when asked what they plan on working on the next couple weeks. "We're okay on PK but in terms of power-play it needs to be solidified. When a power play comes in a big, important game we need to be able to put one home so we've been getting away with just having an okay power play."