Women's Hockey Drops Heartbreaker to Ivy Rival Harvard

Wednesday, November 25

Cambridge, Mass.

7:00 p.m.

Dartmouth College

Harvard

Conference Push for Big Green Begins This Weekend at Quinnipiac and Princeton

Women's Hockey Drops Heartbreaker to Ivy Rival Harvard

11/25/2009 9:00:00 PM | Women's Ice Hockey

By: Dartmouth

Box Score

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The Dartmouth women's hockey team dominated the play in the first two period, but Harvard came through in the final frame to hand the Big Green a 3-2 loss on Wednesday night.

Dartmouth (4-4-1, 4-4-1 ECAC, 3-2-0 Ivy) got goals from sophomore Jenna Hobeika (Alpine, N.J.) and freshman Sally Komarek (Minneapolis, Minn.) with Komarek tallying her first collegiate goal. Senior co-captain Jenna Cunningham (Medicine Hat, Atla.) chipped in with a pair of assists. Senior Mariel Lacina (London, Ont.) pushed aside 26 shots in the loss.

The Crimson (6-3-1, 6-3-0 ECAC, 3-2-0 Ivy) earned the win with Jillian Dempsey posting two points on a goal and an assist, while Josephine Pucci also added two points with a goal and an assist. Liza Ryabkina gave Harvard the 3-2 win with the game-winner coming in the final period. Christina Kessler was great in net for Harvard in the first two period, when the Crimson needed and finished with 27 saves.

After allowing just two shots to Harvard in the first 14:30, Dartmouth gave up the first goal of the game to the Crimson during a scrum in front. Kate Buesser circled behind the net and shoveled a pass to the top of the crease and Dempsey connected with the puck, beating Lacina between the pads.

Dartmouth answered back with Hobeika adding her second of the season. Her initial shot was denied by the official, but somehow the puck trickled past Kessler to tie the score at 1-1. Cunningham assisted on the play for the Big Green.

The first period was filled with neutral zone play with the shot advantage going to Dartmouth at 11-2. The Big Green had two power play opportunities and failed to score, while Harvard had no chances on the power play.

The Crimson went back on top at 2-1, 2:34 into the second period. On its first power play opportunity, Harvard got a clean-up goal from Pucci as she found the back of the net while skating into a crowd.

Dartmouth continued to be unfazed as Komarek tallied her first collegiate goal to tie the game at 2-2. Freshman Sasha Nanji (Markham, Ont.) took a shot from the point that was blocked. Cunningham collected the puck and put a shot on Kessler that was saved. Komarek was there for the rebound and beat Kessler low to the blocker side.

Junior Amanda Trunzo (Andover, Minn.) almost gave the Big Green its first lead late in the second period. Sophomore Geneva Kliman (Toronto, Ont.) put a shot on net that was tipped by Trunzo, but the puck hit the cross bar and deflected out of the crease.

Harvard had a great opportunity to begin the final period with a breakaway, but Kliman did a great job getting back on defense and dove to break up the play.

The Crimson came through with 3:25 remaining to make it 3-2 on a goal by Ryabkina. Assists went to Pucci and Dempsey on the play. Pucci put a shot on net that was saved by Lacina and when she went to cover the puck, Ryabkina swooped in with the stick and knocked it into the net for the game-winner.

With the domination of the third period from Harvard, the Crimson evened the shots at 29 apiece after outshooting the Big Green, 18-4.

Dartmouth will be back in action Saturday night as the Big Green heads north to Vermont for a 7 p.m. face-off at Gutterson Field House.