No. 8 Big Green Season Ends in Loss at Cornell

Saturday, March 12

Ithaca, N.Y.

2:00 PM

Dartmouth College

Cornell

Women's Hockey Ranked 10th in USCHO.com Preseason Poll

No. 8 Big Green Season Ends in Loss at Cornell

3/12/2011 1:23:00 PM | Women's Ice Hockey

By: Dartmouth

ITHACA, N.Y. — The eighth-ranked Dartmouth women's hockey team's season came to an end on Saturday in a 7-1 loss at second-ranked Cornell. The Big Green end the season with a 22-12-0 record, which marked a 10-win improvement from last season. The Big Red move on to the Frozen Four in Erie, Pa. next weekend with a 31-2-1 record.

The first period was closely contested with Cornell and Dartmouth battling back and forth to gain the momentum. It appeared the Big Green had gained it, but the Big Red had other ideas. With 5:53 left in the opening period, the first penalty of the game went against Cornell to give the Big Green a man advantage. Dartmouth turned the puck over on the ensuing faceoff when the Big Red's Brianne Jenner intercepted a pass to give herself a one-on-one with Big Green goaltender Lindsay Holdcroft (Pittsburgh, Pa.). Jenner faked Holdcroft to the right and then scored on the left side for the shorthanded goal. It was the fifth time this season Dartmouth allowed a shorthanded goal.

Dartmouth responded on the same power play to tie the game. Sophomore Margaux Sharp (Carleton Place, Ont.) received a pass from junior Geneva Kliman (Toronto, Ont.) and fired the puck at Cornell goaltender Amanda Mazzotta. Mazzotta blocked the puck out, but sophomore Camille Dumais (Beaconsfield, Que.) was waiting and stuffed the puck back into the net to tie the game with 4:33 remaining in the first. It marked Dumais 18th goal of the season.

It didn't take long for the Big Red to regain their one-goal advantage. Senior Karlee Overguard had the puck behind the Big Green net, and centered the puck to junior Kendice Ogilvie in front of the net. Ogilvie took a quick shot that beat Holdcroft to give Cornell the 2-1 lead. Each team took six shots in the opening frame and each team committed one penalty.

In the second period, Cornell provided all of the scoring and Dartmouth missed out on a couple of chances. Seven minutes into the period, Cornell received the puck in its own end and skated out on the break. Amanda Young passed it to Hayley Hughes on the left side at center ice. Hughes made a quick pass to Catherine White who skated to the top of the left faceoff circle. White slapped a shot that found the top right side of the net.

Just over two minutes later, the Big Red controlled the puck in the Big Green end. Chelsea Karpenko dumped the puck down to White behind the net. White quickly advanced the puck to the Laura Fortino who was standing at the top of the right faceoff circle. Fortino ripped a shot that gave the Big Red a 4-1 lead.

Dartmouth had a couple of opportunities in the period, but it couldn't take advantage. With 7:50 left in the period, junior Reagan Fischer (Irma, Alta.) fired a shot that Mazzotta blocked to the right side, but left the right side of the net open. Junior Kelly Foley (Boston, Mass.) found the puck, but her shot sailed high on the scoring opportunity. Later in the period, Mazzotta lost her stick, but the Big Red defense blocked consecutive shots to prevent a Dartmouth score. Each team took 11 shots in the period with Dartmouth committing two penalties to Cornell's one.

In the third period, the Cornell attack proved too much for Dartmouth with the Big Red scoring three goals in the final frame to push the score to 7-1. The Big Green finished the game with 21 shots, but Mazzotta was there for 20 saves. Cornell took 26 shots with Holdcroft making 19 saves. Dartmouth committed five penalties and went 1-for-4 on the power play. The Big Red had four penalties and went 2-for-5 on the power play.

It marked the last game for four Big Green seniors; Amanda Trunzo (Andover, Minn.), Larissa Roche (Thorhild, Alta.) Alyssa Boehm (Waterford, Conn.) and senior Katie Horner (Brooklyn Park, Minn.). Dartmouth will return nine of its top 10 scorers next season.

"We weren't supposed to make it here, and the fact that we did was just incredible," said Horner. "It's too bad you don't win national championships on heart, because this is the closest team I've ever been a part of."