HANOVER, N.H. – Katie Gray's (Calgary, Alta.) second goal of the season proved to be the game-winner, as the Big Green women's hockey team defeated the Princeton Tigers, 3-1, Saturday afternoon at Thompson Arena.
Freshman Jenna Cunningham (Medicine Hat, Alta.) got the Big Green on the board just two minutes into the first when she took a no-look backhand pass from Sarah Toupal (White Bear Lake, Minn.) at center ice and moved into the Princeton zone. Cunningham took a Tiger defender on one-on-one, muscling her way to the net and lifted a backhand shot inside the near post to give Dartmouth an early, 1-0, lead.
Strong Princeton pressure resulted in the Tigers out shooting Dartmouth, 8-6, in the period, but with four minutes remaining in the opening stanza, Gray rifled a slap shot from the point off a face-off win by Shannon Bowman (Leamington, Ont.) that deflected past Princeton netminder Kristen Young, giving the Big Green a 2-0 lead going into the first intermission.
Princeton began the second period armed for a comeback, but the Big Green's offensive pressure quickly had the Tiger's caught up on defense. Midway through the period a fancy spin pass by Sarah Parsons (Dover, Mass.) found the tape of Gillian Apps (Unionville, Ont.), but the captain couldn't connect with the shot. Dartmouth out shot the Tigers, 12-7, in the period.
Although there were no goals scored in the second, Dartmouth had a slim, but safe, 2-0 advantage heading into the final frame.
An energized Princeton team came out of the locker room in the third period giving plenty of pressure to the Big Green back line and goalie Carli Clemis (Taber, Alta.). At 12:29, the Tigers brought the game within one, as Kim Pearce broke free from the Dartmouth defense and beat Clemis five-hole on a breakaway.
With momentum on their side, but still down by a goal, the Tigers were forced to pull Young for the extra-skater advantage. Dartmouth's constant pressure disrupted the rhythm of Princeton causing a breakout of the Big Green zone. Parsons tipped the puck past a Tigers defender and slid a cross-ice pass to Apps, who tapped in it in the open net, capping off Dartmouth's fourth win in a row.
With Apps' goal, she extends her point streak to 10 games, while the Big Green remain on a 10-game unbeaten streak. Clemis recorded 24 saves for Dartmouth giving her her 12th win of the season.
The squad will take to the ice again next weekend as they travel to Harvard and Connecticut.
