Women's Hockey in the NCAAs

The Princeton women's hockey team made its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2006, the second in 2016 and the third in 2019. The Tigers earned a bid in 2020 after winning the ECAC tournament, but the NCAAs were canceled due to the COVID-19 virus.

2006

21-7-4, 7-2-1 Ivy

Rebecca L. Allen, Monica V. Brennan, Sarah M. Butsch, Vicki Chen, Tarah A. Clark, Katherine M. Dineen, Christine F. Foster, Roxanne D. Gaudiel, Anne C. Greenwood, Katharine C. Hession, Heather A. Jackson, Micol T. Martinelli, Mariesa P. Mason, Dina L. McCumber, Christina A. Norwich, Sonja G. Novak, Marykate T. Oakley, Kimberly D. Pearce, Alison C. Ralph, Brittany L. Salmon, Laura E. Watt, Kristen A. Young, Head Coach: Jeff Kampersal.

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

22-9-2, 14-6-2 ECAC, 8-2 Ivy

Emily Acheterkirch, Molly Contini, Alysia DaSilva, Keiko DeClerck, Kiersten Falck, Kelsey Koelzer, Hilary Lloyd, Karlie Lund, Karen MacDonald, Kimiko Marinacci, Jaimie McDonell, Fiona McKenna, Kimberly Newell, Maddie Peake, Audrey Potts, Cristin Shanahan (captain), Morgan Sly, Molly Strabley, Stephanie Sucharda, Cassidy Tucker. Head Coach: Jeff Kampersal. Associate Head Coach: Cara Morey. Assistant Coach: Tony Maci.

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."

2019

20-8-5, 15-4-3 ECAC, 8-0-2 Ivy

Carly Bullock, Maggie Connors, Keiko DeClerck, MacKenzie Ebel, Kayla Fillier, Sarah Fillier, Sharon Frankel, Shannon Griffin, Amanda Harris, Chloe Harvey, Mariah Keopple, Karlie Lund, Annie MacDonald, Kimiko Marinacci, Rachel McQuigge, Stephanie Neatby, Cassie Reale, Stephanie Sucharda, Claire Thompson, Sarah Verbeek, Sylvie Wallin Head Coach: Cara Morey. Coach: Cara Morey. Assistant Coaches: Ashley Kilstein, Kelly Nash.

Box Score

Sarah Fillier scored twice for Princeton but the Gophers net the game winner in the third period and then tacked on two empty-net goals in a 5-2 game at Ridder Arena in the NCAA Quarterfinal this afternoon.

The freshman duo of Fillier and Maggie Connors teammed up to light the lamp just 5:26 into the game. On a quick transition Fillier flipped the puck across the ice to Connors on the left wing. Connors skated into the circle and sent the puck back to Fillier who had broken by her defender and had a wide open back door.

Sarah Potomak answered back less than two minutes later, on an unfortunate bounce. Stephanie Neatby made a pad save on Potomak but the puck rolled down off the toe and just over the line. Neatby made a big save on Kelly Pannek as she attempted to slide across the crease and stuff one in. Pannek had a chance to score again three minutes later but Neatby closed in to cut off the angle and Pannek shed the puck to the right wing were Amy Potomak backhanded in the go-ahead goal.

Freshman Mariah Keopple helped Princeton gain possession of the puck along the half wall, chipping it up ahead to Carly Bullock. Bullock slotted the puck to Fillier and she rifled one in blocker side on Sydney Scobee to even the game at 2-2 at 2:43 of the second period.

Neatby had arguably her best save at 15:40 of the second as she slide across the paint to hold onto a Taylor Williamson second-chance effort.

Shannon Griffin had a solid attempt before the close of the middle frame, when she skated into the zone and fired one on Scobee. Scobee fumbled the puck and dropped in and Connors was there to take a whack it before the official blew the whistle.

Princeton had the only power-play opportunity of the game, 1:38 into the third, but the No. 1 ranked special team couldn't get anything going as the teams continued to play knotted at 2-2.

Pannek net the game-winning goal at 11:47 when the Gophers came in on quick transition and Neatby was taken down on a collision with the puck popping free for the trailer.

Princeton put the extra attacker on to try to tie the game back up and Connors and Frankel both had excellent chances before the Gophers got possession and sent the puck down the length of the ice into the empty net. Minnesota added a second empty-net goal with 13.9 seconds remaining.

"I know that this was a critical learning experience that the majority of our team is going to take forward next year," Princeton head coach Cara Morey said. "We graduate four seniors so the bulk of our team is back and the bulk of this team went through some really critical experiences today that we haven't had. You know when you're playing a program like Minnesota, who is consistently in this position, and in their home rink you know you're going to have to play that much better to win because they've been through these moments so many times. They can weather the storm and bounce back. They have resiliency to them because they've been here, they've done it, and there's a calm to that. For our players it's pretty new. It's pretty new to Princeton so I think next year we're going to have a good chance of winning this game. Next year when that critical time comes, we've already been though it once, and I think this is going to make all our players stronger.

Neatby finished the game with 34 saves, while Scobee stopped 24 shots.

Senior Stephanie Sucharda who played against Minnesota in the 2016 NCAA Quarterfinal said this year's game was not deja vu.

"You'd think it would be. I didn't feel like it was at all. Freshman year we came in and got that lucky goal and after that it was Minnesota's game," she said referencing an surprising early goal just 29 seconds into the game before falling 6-2. "I think this year we were right with them and we had a pretty even game. We had our fair share of chances and I don't think it was very similar to my freshman year at all."

Playing her final game as Tiger, Sucharda was poised when responding to questions regarding Princeton's chances by Connors and Frankel late in the game.

"It was tough. I, on the bench, thought it went in and was already celebrating. That definitely hurts. Especially a play like that where it's just inches from going in and that's what determines the end of your college career. It's very tough. But I think the prep work we did to put ourselves in that position, to tie the No. 2 team in the country, that we were inches away from that, I think that says a lot about our program and especially moving forward I think our future is looking really good."

Princeton's season ends with a 20-8-5 overall record, an Ivy title, a 20-game unbeaten streak during the season and the best ranking in program history.

2020

26-6-1, 17-4-1 ECAC, 6-3-1 Ivy

Front row, left to right: Cassie Reale, Sylvie Wallin, MacKenzie Ebel, Claire Thompson, Stephanie Neatby, Sarah Fillier, Carly Bullock, Amanda Harris, Rachel McQuigge. Second row: Rink manager Seth Sherman, assistant coach Mel Ruzzi, student manager Max Garlock, head coach Cara Morey, Sharon Frankel, Kayla Fillier, Annie Kuehl, Stef Wallace, Mariah Keopple, Solveig Neunzert, Chloe Harvey, Emma Kee, equipment technician Kaitlyn Scales, director of operations Ryan Holland, assistant coach Courtney Kessel. Third row: Athletic trainer Karlie O'Reilly, student manager Genna Garlock, Shannon Griffin Hear how to pronounce Shannon Griffin

, Kate Monihan, Maggie Connors, Catherine Kerin, Daniella Calabrese, Annie MacDonald, student coach Julia Edgar.

A program-record 26 wins and the program's first-ever ECAC tournament title added up to an NCAA tournament bid for Princeton for the second straight season.

Just hours after a 3-2 overtime win on Sunday, March 8 over national No. 1 Cornell in the ECAC tournament final, a game in which Princeton gave up two goals in the first three minutes before clawing back and winning on a Mariah Keopple goal less than a minute into OT to secure the NCAA automatic bid, Princeton learned it would be headed to third-seeded Northeastern for an NCAA quarterfinal game on Saturday, March 14. Two days before the game, the NCAA announced it would cancel all remaining 2020 winter and spring NCAA championships due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Princeton was ranked in the national top 10 by USCHO and USA Hockey throughout the season, finishing ranked sixth in both polls.

Though this Princeton team did not get the chance to pursue the program's first NCAA tournament win and trip to the Frozen Four, the season was still replete with accomplishments and memories. Princeton's path to the ECAC tournament title began when it finished with 35 ECAC standings points, six back of leader Cornell and three in front of third-seeded Clarkson to draw seventh-seeded Quinnipiac in the quarterfinals. Despite the seed, the Bobcats were ranked 10th in the nation in both polls.

Princeton opened the ECAC quarterfinals with a 5-1 win over the Bobcats, including two goals in the first two minutes on the way to four in the first 11. Though Quinnipiac responded with a 3-2 overtime win in Game 2, Princeton won by the same score the following night after 28-plus minutes of overtime in what was the third-longest game in program history. Sarah Fillier, Princeton's points leader on the season at 57, had the game-winning goal.

Princeton rolled past national No. 7 Clarkson 5-1 in the ECAC semis five days later and then rallied to beat Cornell to win the ECAC tournament title. Fillier and seniors Carly Bullock and Claire Thompson were ECAC All-Tournament Team honorees.

Fillier was a second-team AHCA All-America, and Fillier and Bullock were national All-USCHO second-team honorees. Princeton had three players in the top 12 in the nation in points per game, with Fillier second (1.84), Bullock eighth (1.64) and sophomore Maggie Connors 12th (1.42). The same three were in the top 11 in goals per game, with Bullock second (0.91), Fillier ninth (0.79) and Connors 11th (0.67).

Fillier and Bullock were first-team All-ECAC, while Thompson and Connors were third-teamers. Fillier and Bullock were both top-three finalists for ECAC Best Forward, and Fillier was a top-three finalist for ECAC Player of the Year. Fillier and Bullock were first-team All-Ivy as well while Thompson, Connors and junior netminder Rachel McQuigge were second-teamers.

Bullock finished as Princeton's goal leader with 30, becoming the fifth Tiger all-time to reach that number and the first since 2004 to score 30. Fillier's 57 points led the team and marked the second year in a row that she finished on 57, the most for any Tiger since 1995.

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