Women’s Hockey Looks to Sweep Home-And-Home Against Merrimack

GAME 15
Dartmouth (4-10-0, 1-8-0 ECAC Hockey) vs. Merrimack (5-13-1, 4-11-1 Hockey East)
Date: Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022 – 4 p.m.
Location: Hanover, N.H. – Thompson Arena (4,500)
All-Time Series: Dartmouth leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: Dec. 7, 2022 | W, 2-1 (OT) | North Andover, Mass.

HANOVER, N.H. — The Dartmouth women's hockey team looks to close out a sweep of Merrimack in the second half of a home-and-home series. The Big Green knocked off the Warriors in overtime on Wednesday in North Andover, Massachusetts and look to secure a second-straight win, this time at Thompson Arena.

LAST TIME OUT
Annie King scored an overtime goal against the Warriors on Wednesday, December 7 to lift Dartmouth to a 2-1 victory. The Big Green snapped a four-game skid with their non-conference win over Merrimack and took the first-ever meeting between the programs. King's goal clinched Dartmouth's first win in overtime on the road since November 16, 2019 against RIT.

Sophie Robinson joined her fellow defender on the scoresheet, as the junior cleaned up a rebound in front of Merrimack's net in the third period. Robinson's goal was her second of the 2022-23 season. CC Bowlby, Jenna Donohue and Cally Dixon each recorded assists.

Freshman goaltender Elle Sullivan stopped 13 of 14 shots on goal enroute to her first collegiate victory. Dartmouth limited Merrimack's opportunities and outshot the Warriors 28-14 over the course of the game.

KEYS TO VICTORY
Dartmouth is 4-0-0 when allowing one goal or less. Sophomore Maggie Emerson has recorded a pair of shutouts for the Big Green in wins over RPI and Post, while Elle Sullivan allowed just one goal on 14 shots against Merrimack on December 7. Emerson also recorded a one-goal win over Saint Anselm on the road, stopping 17 of 18 chances.

The Big Green will look to score first in Saturday's game against Merrimack. Three of Dartmouth's four wins have seen the Big Green score first, with a 2-1 win over Saint Anselm serving as the lone exception to this rule.

Special teams will be a major point of emphasis for Dartmouth this weekend. The Big Green have yet to win a game when allowing a goal on the penalty kill, while three of Dartmouth's four victories have featured a power play goal.

Success in the faceoff circle has also led to success in the win column for Dartmouth. The Big Green have won a majority of draws in three of their four wins and have won 55.1 percent of faceoffs in victories. Sydney Herrington leads the Big Green, winning 61.5 percent of her faceoffs in Dartmouth's wins.

SCOUTING MERRIMACK
Merrimack enters Saturday's series finale with a record of 5-13-1 and a 4-11-1 record in Hockey East competition. The Warriors have dropped their last five games against the likes of Providence, Vermont and Dartmouth.

The Warriors have struggled on the road, with a 1-6-1 record outside the confines of Lawler Rink. Merrimack's last road victory came on November 4 against Holy Cross in conference competition.

Senior forward Katie Kaufman leads the Warriors with 12 points through 18 games. The Lake Elmo, Minnesota native also leads Merrimack with six assists and is tied with Alexa Pongo for the team lead with six goals.

Emma Gorski and Calli Hogarth have combined for a .908 save percentage between the pipes. Despite Merrimack's struggles, Gorski and Hogarth have kept the Warriors in games with a combined total of 563 saves this season.

Merrimack is led by head coach Erin Hamlen, who is in her eighth season with the Warriors. Last season, Hamlen's team went 8-25-1 with a record of 6-20-1 record in Hockey East contests.

ALL-TIME AGAINST THE WARRIORS
Dartmouth knocked off Merrimack in the first-ever meeting between the programs on Wednesday, December 7 by a score of 2-1 in overtime.

DARTMOUTH VS. HOCKEY EAST
The Big Green are 1-1-0 against Hockey East opponents this season. Dartmouth dropped a contest to Vermont on the road on November 29 before defeating Merrimack on Wednesday, 2-1.

Merrimack serves as Dartmouth's final Hockey East opponent this season. The Big Green look to capture a pair of wins over a single Hockey East opponent for the first time since the 2012-13 season when Dartmouth knocked off Maine in back-to-back games.

Dartmouth defeated its lone Hockey East challenger last season, as the Big Green toppled New Hampshire on January 2, 2022 at home in overtime. CC Bowlby found the back of the net in the extra frame to lift Dartmouth to victory.

FOLLOW ALONG
Saturday's matchup between Dartmouth and Merrimack will be broadcast by NESN. Streams are available on ESPN+ and Stretch Internet internationally. An audio broadcast is available on DartmouthSports.com.

WHAT'S AHEAD
After an extended break, the Big Green are back in action on December 30 against Stonehill. The road matchup is set for 1 p.m. and a stream will be available through NEC Front Row.

Schedules