Contini Scores Twice as Tigers Move Back Into Fourth

Friday, February 17

6:00 PM

Princeton University

17-8-3, 13-6-2

Union

5-27-1, 2-18-1

Union

Princeton

Photo by: Princeton Athletic Communications

Contini Scores Twice as Tigers Move Back Into Fourth

February 17, 2017 | Women's Ice Hockey

Box Score

Princeton senior Molly Contini scored twice and goalie Alysia DaSilva stopped 19 of 20 shots as the Tigers defeated Union, 4-1, on Friday night at Hobey Baker Rink. With the win Princeton (17-8-3, 13-7-2 ECAC Hockey) moves ahead of Colgate into fourth-place in the ECAC Hockey standings, following the Raiders' 5-2 loss to Clarkson tonight.

The Tigers can clinch a home playoff series tomorrow afternoon with a win or a tie against visiting Rensselaer in the final game of the regular season. They could also take fourth with a loss, a Quinnipiac loss or tie, and a Colgate loss or tie - based on the Tigers' head-to-head tiebreaker scenarios with sweeps of both squads.

"It was a good win," said Princeton head coach Jeff Kampersal.

The Tigers came out strong, dominating the territorial play against the Dutchwomen, outshooting Union (5-27-1, 2-18-1 ECAC) 15-4 in the first. Princeton did not allow a shot on goal until there were nine minutes left in the first.

Freshman Carly Bullock opened the scoring for the Tigers with 4:34 remaining in the first, depositing the puck into the net after a nice cross ice pass from Princeton leading scorer Karlie Lund. The goal was Bullock's 18th of the season and the sophomore Lund leads all Tigers with 21 assists.

Defenseman Julia Edgar, who had the secondary assist on Bullock's goal, had her second assist of the game moments later, springing Lund for a breakaway with a pass from her own end to Lund at the Union blueline. The Eden Prairie, Minn., native made a nice move on Union freshman goalie Amelia Murray for her 21st goal of the year to make it 2-0 with 58 seconds left in the first.

Defender Sylvia Wallin was credited with an assist on the play, starting the break with a cross ice pass to Edgar. Tigers' defenders were credited with seven of the eight Princeton assists in the game.

"They seemed to have a lot more room back there," said Tigers' assistant coach Cara Morey said when asked if that was by design.

Contini made it 3-0 with her 10th goal of the year five minutes into the second, corralling a shot from the point by Molly Strabley on her back hand and then tucking the puck into the net with some nifty stick work. Kimiko Marinacci also assisted on the play and it looked like Princeton would pull away but that was not the case.

"Union played well," Morey said. "They work hard and they played their systems."

The Dutchwomen took advantage of their only power-play opportunity, ending DaSilva's shutout bid with 8:08 left in the second. With the puck deep in the Princeton end, Katelynn Russ intercepted a Tigers' pass in front of the net and tucked the puck in for her fourth goal of the year.

For the game there were just two penalties called and like the Dutchwomen the Tigers scored on their only power plays.

With 5:38 left in the third, Murray made the initial stop on a point shot from senior Kelsey Koelzer but Contini was there to bury the rebound. Murray, making just her eight career start in place of last week's ECAC Goalie of the Week Kate Spooner, finished with 34 saves.

PLAYOFF PICTURE

With tonight's win over Colgate, Clarkson clinched the top spot in the regular season and will host the eighth-place finisher, either Rensselaer or Harvard. The Engineers head to Hobey Baker Rink tomorrow after losing 5-0 at Quinnipiac tonight night and could be playing for their playoff lives. A win or a tie will make seed them eighth, but so will a loss coupled with a Harvard loss or tie to Brown.

St. Lawrence (33 points) tied third-place Cornell (31 points) tonight in Canton, N.Y., and those two teams will finish in second and third place, respectively.

With 28 points Princeton is one point ahead of both Colgate and Quinnipiac but holds the tie-breaker advantage with both teams. Colgate hosts St. Lawrence in its final game of the year while the Bobcats will be at home against Union.

The Tigers can clinch home ice and the fourth seed with a win or a tie; or if they lose and Quinnipiac ties/losses to Union and Colgate ties/losses to Clarkson because of the head-to-head tiebreakers. A loss with a win by either Quinnipiac or Colgate tomorrow afternoon puts on the road for the playoffs.