Princeton University Athletics
NCAA Appearances
| 2006 |
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21-7-4, 7-2-1 Ivy |
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MINNEAPOLIS - Minnesota's Melanie Gagnon broke a scoreless tie with 1:33 remaining in the second period to lift fourth-ranked Minnesota to a 4-0 shutout against the sixth-ranked Princeton women's hockey team on Friday night at Ridder Arena. After an even first period, Princeton controlled play throughout the second period but a collision late in the period caused a turnover and Minnesota capitalized on it for the win. Princeton completes its 2006 season with a record of 21-8-4. The 21 wins is a program record. The 21 wins also capped the careers of the five members of Princeton's senior class, who graduate with the most wins, 77, of any class in school history. The group was also a part of 20-win seasons in 2002-03 and 2003-04. Princeton started the game with the first four shots, before a pair of penalties gave the momentum to Minnesota through the middle part of the period. Princeton killed the two chances and picked things up late in the period to finish the first period with shots tied at 11-11. Princeton had a long two-man advantage late in the period and put five shots on goal during the span while controlling play, but were unable to crack Minnesota netminder Brittony Chartier and the period ended with no score. Princeton kept that momentum going as the second period began and outplayed the Golden Gophers during that 20-minute stanza. Princeton put 15 shots on Chartier during the period and had several close chances but could never get the perfect shot. The closes chance came when a point shot from junior Laura Watt tipped off of Chartier's glove, then the cross bar, before heading up into the protective netting behind the end boards. Moments after Watt rang the puck off the cross bar, Minnesota put pressure on the Tigers late. There was a collision behind the Tiger net that left the puck on the stick of Whitney Graft. Graft through the puck out from behind the net and hit Gagnon at the top of the circles and she one-time the pass through the legs of Princeton senior Roxanne Gaudiel to give Minnesota the 1-0 lead. Minnesota took a penalty late in the second period and Princeton would begin the third down a goal, but with 58 seconds of power-play time. But Minnesota came out for the third as it finished the second and scored a shorthanded goal 10 seconds into the second period to go ahead 2-0. Bobbi Ross won the opening face-off and skated into the Tiger zone. She split the defense and took a shot that Gaudiel saved but Graft jumped on the rebound and scored to make the score 2-0. Minnesota took over control of the game from there and played in the third, just as Princeton played in the second. Penalties got the Tigers in trouble midway through the period when Minnesota's Ashley Albrecht made it 3-0 with a 5 on 3 power-play goal. Becky Wacker closed the scoring at 13:02. Gaudiel made 30 saves in the final collegiate game of her career, while Chartier made 34 saves. |
| 2016 |
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22-9-2, 14-6-2 ECAC, 8-2 Ivy |
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Box Score l Photo Gallery l Video MINNEAPOLIS - Princeton senior Jaimie McDonell had only dreamed of that moment. Scoring a goal on her first shift and to have it come in the NCAA quarterfinals no less. McDonell scored just 29 seconds from the opening face off to give No. 7 Princeton a 1-0 lead over No. 3 Minnesota. The defending national champions took over however, going on a six-goal run en route to a 6-2 win to advance themselves into their 12th Frozen Four. McDonell’s goal was the fastest goal that Minnesota has allowed all season by nearly six minutes, besting Minnesota State’s goal at 6:26 of the first on Jan. 17. Junior Kelsey Koelzer started the play with a shot from the top of the point. Junior Molly Contini was on the doorstep but after being pushed off the puck by a defender the puck squirted free to the right post and McDonell roofed it over the shoulder of Amanda Leveille. “You dream of it, think about it, visualize having a goal on your first shift but to have that actually become a reality was a big start unfortunately it didn’t continue and go our way,” McDonell said. “We set the tone and did our best.” Three Minnesota special team goals followed as the Golden Gophers took a 3-1 lead into the first intermission. Senior captain Hannah Brandt converted on the first power-play opportunity at 4:47 as she slipped by her defender along with extended red and skated to the front and went back door on senior netminder Kimberly Newell. A short-handed goal by Olympian Amanda Kessel followed after Lee Stecklein sent a long wrap around to the opposite side of the boards and Kessel skated down the left side and crashed into Newell, scoring the goal. It would be the first of three goals for Kessel, who finished with four points including a hat trick. Kessel added the team’s second power-play goal at 17:35 with Brandt and Stecklein assisting. "We had 27 shots on goal and we had good ideas in how we wanted to set things up," Princeton head coach Jeff Kampersal said. "But they capitalized and produced goals and we didn’t. We had a number of three-on-one, four-on-two...we had chances to score and didn’t get it done. But it was exciting to have those opportunities to score. There are times in the East where you can have 20 shots on goal and it's an absolute grind. This was a little more wide open. It hurt us some times and helped us at other times." Minnesota scored three goals in a span of 3:22 in the second period to increase its lead to 6-1. Left winger on the Brandt-Kessel line, Sarah Potomak got things started at 14:24 when she put a shot under Newell as she fell on her back trying to prevent the goal from going across the goal line. Dani Cameranesi picked up a great outlet pass from Kelly Pannek right after Leveille had made a stop on ECAC and Ivy League Rookie of the Year Karlie Lund. Kessel completed the hat trick at 17:02 of the second. After trailing 31-18 in shots after 40 minutes, the Tigers never gave up hope and outshot the Gophers in the third period. Junior Molly Contini scored with 2.8 seconds left, tipping in a shot by senior Karen MacDonald. Junior Fiona McKenna earned the secondary assist. Newell finished the game with 37 saves. She finishes an illustrious career as the program’s all-time winningest goalie with 52 wins, 3,096 career saves and a .921 save percentage. Minnesota’s all-time winningest goalie Leveille stopped 25 shots. Princeton completes its season at 22-9-2, the most wins in program history. During the season the Tigers set a program record for longest win streak, at 16, and won the Ivy League title and earned the No. 3 seed in the ECAC Hockey tournament. This was Princeton second bid to the NCAA Tournament. "We had an awesome season, an emotional season," Kampersal said. "Our kids battled all year long and were relentless all year long. Even in the third period, we played hard until the final whistle blew. I’m really proud of our group. We have a good process in place. We have an awesome culture. Winning the Ivy League and having a tough quarterfinal series. We’ve had tough real-life issues that have gone on in our program, but they’ve preserved and have really been relentless." |