Match reports 2004-2005
Date: Fri, 18 Feb 2005
Subject: MIT Women 1 - Castleton 0 OT
Friday evening, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Engineers edged the Castleton State College Spartans 1-0, in overtime, at Johnson Rink. As the scoreline indicates, it was a very close match. MIT controlled much of the play, but Castleton always looked dangerous around net. In the end, the Engineers worked a quick counterattack and produced an admirable league victory.
As the contest started, MIT rapidly took charge. Their slick defensive passing let them produce some fine breakout plays. The Engineers' bold attacks were only stymied by their inept off the puck movement. Meanwhile, CSC was engaged in tight coverage and quick counters. However, after one, it remained scoreless.
After the initial pressure by the Spartans in the second, when they poured over the MIT blue line and looked set to take the match, it turned into the Amanda Hunter show. The sophy Engineer made multiple long solo rushes that left Castleton at sixes and sevens. And when CSC did get a break, there was MIT senior goalie Regina Sullivan coming off her line to prevent a solo attempt. Still, there was no scoring.
The final period was fairly evenly played, though the last ten minutes the Spartans hit another purple patch, that was only crushed by the combined strength of the MIT defenders. Fresher Raffaela Wakeman was key. Castleton junior Halley Grabarz went so close to winning it. But again, there were no tallies.
In overtime, the Spartans tried to take the face-off up the gut, but were blocked. MIT's Hunter grabbed the puck and hit breaking first-year Rachel Longley. She burst forward and swatted a shot on the CSC netminder who stopped it, but left a rebound that Hunter put home for the game winning goal.
Castleton play tough defensively and have an interesting transition game that let's them cut in quickly on their opponent's goal. They are a tad feisty. The Spartans like to push and hook, but that really works against them, as they end up in the box. Fresher goaltender Rachel Dunn was solid. She backed her side well and gave little room for the shooters. The Castleton woman of the match was Grabarz. In addition to her high-quality skating, she is a very smart hockey player. She knows what's happening and uses that to her team's advantage.
Now that MIT has an Anna's of their own - c'est tout le monde - perhaps even Random Hall will develop "Beaver Fever!" MIT came out strong. They played extremely well as a team. There was always someone ready to step it up if things got chaotic. Sullivan was big in net. She shut the door and made things easier for her side. She was helped by excellent performances from Mary Harding and Becky Romatoski. Harding's skate was major. Her marking was spot on and her rushes were splendid. Romatoski's no nonsense attitude held her blue line together. She tidied up many dodgy situations. Up front, Lauren Nowierski was voted most likely to recycle a try into the back of the net. Senior Betty Zheng showed flashes of intensity at both ends of the ice. Sophomore Hunter gave MIT a sharpness with her up-tempo skating. Wakeman played great and was the woman of the match. Her clever passes launched her squad and shaped attractive formations. However, Wakeman's heads-up style was the huge element in the MIT win. She snuffed out potentially sticky problems and let her team strike.
***
Date: Sun, 6 Feb 2005
Subject: MIT Women 1 - RIT 7
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Engineers were defeated, 1-7, by the Tigers of the Rochester Institute of Technology, Sunday at Johnson. Both sides played well, however, RIT's superior skill sets were too much for MIT.
Even though the Year of the Rooster is imminent, the Tigers were jamming. MIT and RIT were both using matrix theory, so extrapolation became the word of the day. The resulting ranges were rather striking and posed an interesting set of variables for the defenders. RIT opened the scoring when super senior Alysia Park poked home a rebound. Fresher Isabelle Richard made it 0-2 when she took a fine feed from Kasie Strong and broke up the gut. First-year Jackie Fraser completed the Tigers' first period total when she scored off a right wing break.
The middle stanza was owned by MIT senior goaltender Regina Sullivan. She was on her game and made a number of hard combination saves. She was aided by sophy blue liner Mary Harding who broke up several plays and made some effective breaks of her own. Ultimately, RIT made it 0-4 when fresher Rachel Chrash collected a shot from the point and slammed the puck into the netting. At the close of the second, while a penalty was being called on the Tigers, Amanda Hunter picked up a rebound and tucked it home. The Engineers had made it 1-4.
The teams found it tough sledding in the third. Sullivan continued her form for MIT, but gradually RIT turned up the pressure. Fraser collected her own rebound for the fifth Tiger marker. Park spiked one home to make it 1-6. And then, the best for last; Richard and Strong broke in two on none. They cleverly worked the puck back and forth, waiting till the last second, when Richard finally had the empty net, and nailed it! Ooo-la-la!
RIT played a relaxed match. They made a lot of pretty plays and showed some intelligent movement. Park is exceptional. She is a stylish attacker and makes things happen. What makes Strong special is that as she makes her lovely passes, her skates are moving her into the next play. The outcome is she is always ahead of the action and ready. Richard had a nice turn of speed today. She digs the ice. The RIT woman of the match was the line of freshers Allison Bernstein and Rachel Chrash and sophomore Lindsay Latour. They worked so well together. Bernstein is a coach's dream. She is good overall, digs for the puck and makes great passes. Chrash is an aggressive fore-checker. She uses her quickness well for her mates. Latour is hustle. A superb back-checker her number one strength is her talent off the puck.
MIT played well as a team. They passed the puck particularly well. While the Engineers couldn't stay with the highflying Tigers, they remained within their system. Trendy blue liner Lauren Nowierski was clearly attempting to refute the second law of thermodynamics, with somewhat limited success. Perhaps something is wrong with her matter - antimatter mixture, as the warp bubble just wasn't forming. Nevertheless, her passing was excellent. First-year defender Raffaela Wakeman seemed to sense the right place to be. She was always there. Junior Becky Romatoski's alert approach helped her marking and let her contribute to MIT's sequence passing. Senior forward Betty Zheng was gunning it. She made some top shelf plays at both ends of the ice. Sullivan's reaction saves were marvelous. She made her side look good. The MIT woman of the match was Harding. Her cover was tough and efficient. Her surges forward helped the Engineers develop a more complete game. MIT went for it.
***
Date: Sat, 5 Feb 2005
Subject: UMass Boston Women 2 - RIT 4
Back at Clark, on a luminous Saturday afternoon, the University of Massachusetts Boston Beacons were out skated by the Tigers of the Rochester Institute of Technology 2-4. UMB did well to give the Tigers a difficult outing. RIT's superior movement was always going to win this contest.
RIT came out storming. They put the hammer down and basically there was little UMass Boston could do about it. First, sensational senior Alysia Park collected her own rebound and stuffed it for a 0-1 Tiger advantage. Next, Jackie Fraser deflected a shot, to give RIT a two goal lead. The second goal was made by the adeptly placed try from the point by senior blue liner Julie Romans. UMB looked totally confused.
At the start of the second, the Beacons came back hard and pushed RIT. UMB's fresher forward Kate Webb made it 1-2, when from a face-off, she took a feed from center Andrea Ciarletta, twirled and fired the puck into the back of the net. The Tigers felt the heat and cranked it up themselves. As might be expected, Park turned it on, went down the left wing and from a wide-angle drilled it home, to re-establish RIT's 2 goal cushion. Not to be outdone, UMass Boston got back in it when Ciarletta and Webb went in on a two on none. Ciarletta had the puck, used Webb as a decoy and flipped it in, to make it 2-3. The game was on.
The final period was tight. RIT had control, but UMB was waiting for any half chance. Both sides made some good plays and took too many foolish penalties. In the end, first-year Tiger Isabelle Richard took a lovely pass and buried it to finish the match. Kasie Strong laid on the feed parfait, to break the play up the gut for the telling tally.
RIT looked good. They used a simpler set today and while the timing was still telegraphed, it hung together. The Tigers #1 power play unit is excellent. The way they move and move the puck is spontaneously delicious. RIT did take a series of stupid penalties today. They came close to hurting themselves as a few players lost their composure. First-year Breanna Dobbe was cool in net. She backstopped her side and let them take risks. Fresher Kiersten Shinrock played tough defense. Her vision is first-rate. Romans provided good cover as well as a thunderous shot. Up front, first-year Allison Bernstein was impressive. She made her line come alive with her daring darts. Senior captain Strong was elegant. Her touch and vision were remarkable. The woman of the match was that titan Park. She does so much dynamic skating for her team and helps her mates through the problematic spells. Park was great on the penalty kill. She has an edge to her skating that allows her to make things happen. Park plays big and is a treat to watch. RIT did well to sweep the series.
UMass Boston's team speed isn't good enough to stay with the better teams. They try to get by with variations on poke and push, but they need to work on basic skills. UMB deserves a lot of credit for plugging away and making it a close game. Webb does so many little things for her line. She also makes the big plays happen with her desire. Ciarletta is an exceptional sniper. As she goes, so goes UMass Boston. The UMB woman of the match was sophy Amanda Boucher. She is a smart, standup netminder. She has astonishingly quick reflexes. Boucher gives her team every opportunity to win a match, because she rarely makes a mistake. UMB deserve a better plan.
***
Date: Fri, 4 Feb 2005
Subject: UMass Boston Women 1 - RIT 4
Friday, as we settled into six additional months of winter, as boldly calculated by the Groundhog, the University of Massachusetts Boston Beacons encountered the Tigers of the Rochester Institute of Technology, at Clark Athletic Centre. 1-4 was the final, as RIT moved the puck around UMB.
The match began with both teams more than a smidgen verklempt. Neither exactly had the biscuit baking. Senior RIT captain Alysia Park was looking hot. Her swooping moves were lovely. UMB's sophomore Andrea Ciarletta was also sharp with her wait and look style. In fact, UMass Boston would score first when fresher Katherine Wall grabbed a loose puck in front of net and stabbed it home for 1-0 lead.
As the middle frame unfolded, the Tigers were starting to take control of the game. Action was mostly in the UMB end and it seemed only a matter of time. First-year Becky Jaiven tied the match at one for RIT, when she poked in a rebound. The play was made by Park who had done all the skating to set the situation up. UMass were fortunate that they had Shannon Palmer and her blistering glove in net. But, RIT kept the pressure up and eventually notched the game winning goal when fresher Isabelle Richard corked an unstoppable shot to the high far post. Ooo-la-la! Seniors Kendra Bredlau and Kasie Strong assisted on the play with some wonderful passes that set the streaking Richard free. At that point, UMB changed goalies, and while Amanda Boucher played extremely well in relief, there was no reason. The result was an immediate third tally from the Tigers when sophy Lindsay Latour continued the onslaught.
The third lacked substance. RIT was vaguely in prevent mode. The Beacons looked like they wanted to save it for tomorrow's rematch. At the midway point, Park sealed the game for the Tigers at 1-4, when she produced a turnover, walked in, drilled her shot high and found nothing but net.
RIT have a vastly improved system. It involves a matrix technique that can create some impressive changeups. The only problem is the Tigers' skating isn't really up to it. With additional team speed, they could be incredible. For now, they seem to struggle with it. Latour was appealing. She is easily their best two-way player. The line of Strong, Richard and Bredlau was super. Strong has excellent control and is a perceptive passer. Bredlau is frisky. She makes her line go. La petite rocket Richard was marvelous. When she's burning the ice and turns on the cannon - look out! The RIT woman of the match was Park. Her speed was sensational. She loves to make these big shifts that let her walk through defenses. Park also enjoys a nice catnap, but when she's on motor, she is a presence. For now, the Tigers have earned an incomplete.
The trivializing of sport with loud pop music at every stoppage of play was unfortunately in fashion at UMass Boston.
***
Date: Fri, 28 Jan 2005
Subject: Northeastern Women 1 - Connecticut 2
At Matthews Arena, the Northeastern Huskies were defeated by the Huskies of the University of Connecticut 1-2. The match featured a great ten minutes of skating during the middle of the first period. Both sides were playing flat out and it was an extreme pleasure.
Friday, with Boston coated in a thick blanket of snow, the transportation systems were sluggish, which is why coming in on the all-out blitz was so delicious. Each team produced some appealing sets, though UConn seemed to be coming out with more of them. There was no scoring, but that was due to some fine team defense, not to mention some expert blue liners. NU junior Lindsay Snider kept it simple with her solid coverage. Meanwhile, at the other end, the big two, sophies Alicia Ramolla and Natalie Vibert were superb.
The pedestrian second found Connecticut wanting to take charge of the game and coming very close. Fresher Britney Chandler made it 0-1 Blue Huskies at the midpoint when she spiked home a rebound during a power play. Northeastern was busy collecting trips to the penalty box. However, just when it looked like UConn might be going for it, a defensive mistiming let NU steal the puck and sophomore Jessica Coppney tied the score at one. The game winner came from Connecticut first-year Jaclyn Hawkins when she burst through the Black Husky defense and took the puck to the net.
"Going through the motions" was about all one could say for the final phase. Certainly, the latest take of twist and shout from Northeastern's Missy Elumba and Ashley Bielawski had its moments. Plus the riveting quickness of UConn seniors Angie Wallace and Shannon Connolly was splendid. Nevertheless, clearly game two, much like the Groundhog, was on the event horizon.
This is a very fast, strong and smart UConn hockey team. Their fore-checking design is excellent. The Huskies play tight defense and have an improved counterattack. One of the elements that makes that transition is senior Tiffany Owens. Her powerful cruises setup many situations. Wallace was outstanding with her aggressive pace. Chandler plays with drive. She loves to force the issue and appears to have a nose for the net. Kaitlyn Shain was effective in goal as she calmed things down when under severe attack. Ramolla has grown more dominant on the blue line. She has some great answers and is able to pull off some lovely counters. Vibert takes risks. And yet, her moves are so amazing, and she is able to slip in and out of so many crises with the puck, that it is worth it. Vibert is singular. The woman of the match was Connolly. This kid was gunning it. She is a rich combination of exceptional back-checker and adroit playmaker. Connolly can lay on the sweet pass and move well off the puck. Tonight her skating was magnificent. Connecticut looks good with their high-end team speed.
***
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2005
Subject: Northeastern Women 3 - Boston College 1
Sunday's after tiffin treat featured the Huskies of Northeastern defeating the Boston College Eagles 3-1. It was a painfully sloppy match that was a credit to neither side. Thankfully, a few brilliant moments from sophy top gun Ashley Bielawski made the event.
The hebetudinous Huskies keep taking bunches of inane penalties. However, they scored first in the opening frame on a power play of their own, when Bielawski got the final touch after Missy Elumba fired a shot on net from the circle. BC tied the contest at one shortly afterwards when blue line standout Sarah Carlson took it straight to the net and finished off high.
The excruciatingly slow second seemed like it would never end. Boston College could have put the game away, but wasted their chances. With the specter of Stanislavsky hanging out at cavernous Matthews, "don't get lost in the part", might be an apt phrase for the Huskies.
Hockey is a sport of 1-3 minute creative segments. Most of the time, very little happens. But, 2-3 times a match, generally, these wonderful moments occur. It often determines the outcome and is what makes ice hockey a lovely entertainment. There was only one such instant today. It happened about 5 minutes into the third. First, senior defender Lori DiGiacomo took a fine setup pass in the high slot from Crystal Rochon, during a 6 on 4 power play, and drilled her try high to make it 2-1 NU. And then, during a session of 5 on 5 action, Bielawski took the puck up the gut, held off several defenders and went top shelf for the decisive third goal. BTW, her burst of speed, like several others today, was tremendous. And BTW, Bielawski's ability to control the puck and beat the goalie with Eagles draped all over her was outstanding. And BTW, it was a slammin' goal!
BC is a mixed bag at best. They have a few good skaters, no passers and frequently no one wants the puck. Sophomore Michelle Lombardi looked good. She can motor. The shadow of fresher Sarah Feldman made it look like there might be a very fascinating player there. Today, it was difficult to tell. Senior Carlson is a gem. She has a commanding style and does so many little things well.
***
Date: Sat, 11 Dec 2004
Subject: Northeastern Women 2 - Princeton 6
On a foggy Saturday afternoon in Boston, the Huskies of Northeastern lost, 2-6, to the Princeton Tigers. Desole. It was a case of design versus talent and with NU playing flat, the solo gifts of the Tigers were more than enough to determine the contest.
The match at Matthews began with Princeton leaping out to an early advantage. Sensational sophomore Liz Keady collected a 4 on 6 power play goal when she poked home a rebound. Except for their penchant for taking penalties, Northeastern appeared fairly cadaveresque. Meanwhile, Keady and friends were running wild. Keady made it 0-2 when she turned it on and produced a lovely skating goal. Wow! While she made some untimely errors later in the game, Husky Chrissy Sands also made some discerning plays on the blue line.
The sleepover second was not a thrill. NU created some fairly high-quality chances with sophy Ashley Bielawski looking unusually lively. Princeton's individuals were off the boil.
The tepid third period found the Huskies pulling to within one, when fresher Missy Elumba banged home an early rebound after Bielawski went close. It looked like we might have a match after all until NU took an ugly 5 minute major, that they fully deserved. Kim Pearce, Brittany Salmon and Keady all scored for the Tigers during that major to finish the event. Bielawski nailed a power play goal for the home side with a try from the slot. Eventually, as the finale lingered on Princeton's Marykate Oakley would collect an empty-net tally, after a Northeastern defensive giveaway, to make it 2-6. One of the positive points for the Huskies was the powerful multidimensional play of sophy Amy Goodney.
Princeton are a boring team, however, they have wonderful individuals that ad lib with the best of them. It's like watching pickup hockey. Student body left, student body right, and then, a brilliant burst of speed, a swirling ringer and a drop-dead gorgeous move. This naturally brings us to the four slashing swords of the Tigers. Junior Tarah Clark loves to skate. Her cover is excellent, but when she's lurking about, it's not safe for defenders. First-year Salmon makes these tight little turns at speed. She loves to go on a deke and weave. Fellow fresher Sonja Novak is a delight. While she tends to be a tad light on her stick, she knows how to let-it-rip. Her quickness is excellent. The woman of the match was the ever effervescent Keady. Unlike so many other players, she is continuously skating. Keady does it all. She not only creates flowing hockey for her mates, but is a great digger. When she's on the ice, something is about to happen. Oh - - and when it comes to couture, Princeton has slammin' outfits!
The trivializing of sport with loud pop music at every stoppage of play was unfortunately in fashion at Northeastern.
***
Date: Sat, 27 Nov 2004
Subject: Northeastern Women 0 - Wisconsin 4
It was a great day for hockey at Centre Bright, as the Huskies of Northeastern took on the Badgers of Wisconsin. The Bucksters shutout NU 0-4, but were disorganized. Northeastern did well to keep the game close.
The Saturday afternoon contest commenced with Husky tender of the twine Marisa Hourihan holding her team in it. She made a lot of tough saves, and with the likes of super UW center Sara Bauer darting here and there, there were many to be made. Northeastern countered with the spirited two-way play of sophy Amy Goodney. Wisconsin got on the board when Molly Engstrom converted a lovely weak side feed from senior blue liner Carla MacLeod. The insipid ref was back - clearly, le cirque had the taste to reject him!
The less said about the second, the better. Lindsay Macy made it 0-2 Badgers. Bauer displayed her latest dance moves and NU's Crystal Rochon made a fine rush before ringing her try off the post.
In the final period, both teams tried to be more convincing. Wisconsin collected two point shot goals from fresher Emily Morris. Badger Bauer made some gorgeous surges. The last one, where she hit a delay before running a cut back was superb! The Huskies also made some good breaks, but just failed to finish.
Wisconsin may have been worn-out, polite or maybe they were trying to prove that they don't really have a game plan. Whatever the case, they were vastly under utilizing their talent. The assortment of individuals we got was powerful enough to win, yet it was nowhere near what they are capable of doing. Besides her 2 goals, Morris was awfully calm and collected on the blue line. She finds the best solution and goes for it. Kristen Witting showed great fluidity in her skating. The defender of the match was MacLeod. Playing smart and loose, she is a force at both ends of the ice. MacLeod's dishes are delicious. The woman of the match was Bauer. Her acceleration and drive are something else. Her passing is even better. Bauer is a treat to see as she boogies her way around the ice. The Badgers can play much better.
They're mad, bad and dangerous to know - my dear, how Brian Howard. Northeastern's new layered look is developing in many directions. Even though they were overmatched on paper, NU had clever countermeasures. Not all the assignments are perfected, but improvement is the word of the day. And the best part - they're playing as a team! Sophy Melissa Wigmore was the outstanding blue liner. Her crucial breakups were excellent. Wigmore loves to join the hunt and made several nice attacks. Hourihan had a hot glove. She stood her ground and faced the shooter boldly. First-year Missy Elumba can motor. Her blitzes were wonderful. Elumba plays with grumba. Marie Desrosiers back-checked with great vigor. She needs to keep her stick on the ice, nonetheless she is a very strong player. The Northeastern woman of the match was vertiginous Goodney. As a defensive forward, she gave her opponent little room. When striking she gunned it. Goodney is one of the sparks that makes her side sizzle. Ah, the new winter modes - layers!
***
Date: Fri, 26 Nov 2004
Subject: Harvard Women 4 - Wisconsin 6
On a brisk Friday, with a full moon's reflection shimmering on the river Cam, Harvard were overpowered by the Badgers of Wisconsin by the score of 4-6. Centre Bright was the scene, as the Badgers overran their host. Using a nice mixture of defensive covers, alert passing and go-after-it hockey, Bucky got the job done.
From the start, it was evident that sophy Sara Bauer was the player to watch. Her smart game created the openings that allowed Wisconsin to power forward. It was extremely fitting that Bauer collected the first goal when she stuffed her try high. Linemates Sharon Cole and Lindsay Macy found her partially open down low and she did the rest. At that point, the Badgers took a series of moronic penalties and gave away two tallies. Fortunately, Wisconsin regrouped and produced a tying goal from Macy. Bauer made the lovely dish for her to swat home. At the end of the first, the Badgers took a 2-3 lead when Macy finished off a mass charge up the length of the ice. Bauer and senior Jackie Friesen assisted on the sortie.
Perhaps yesterday's tryptophan laden turkey contributed to the start of the poky middle period. Ultimately, UW gained a two goal margin when Friesen accepted a marvelous longball feed from junior Nikki Burish, walked in all alone and dinged the puck in off both posts. However, Wisconsin drifted out of the match and let in another score to keep things tight at 3-4.
The Badgers seemed bent on wasting chances in the final frame. They gave up another marker to tie the contest at four. The game winning goal came when Wisconsin's Burish took a great feed from Meaghan Mikkelson, after a failed breakout attempt and hit it in at the far post. The cruncher was a power play, empty-netter that junior Grace Hutchins sliced in.
When you say Wisconsin, you need to qualify that statement. They have ok team speed. The Badger blue liners like to clear the puck out from in front and make effective passes. When on song, they have a well-timed power forward plan that overwhelms. But, Wisconsin also tends to take naps and get caught out. Senior defender Carla MacLeod is a gifted leader. She's so quick and makes delightful passes. Sophomore Kristen Witting was the other standout on the blue line. She's clever with the puck and has some slick moves. The inside-out Badger was Burish. Her marking was first-rate but her attractive attacks were even better. The sneaky Badger was Hutchins. She skates exceptionally well; she's on you before you realize it. The line of Cole, Bauer and Macy does some wonderful combos. They feed well off each other. The woman of the match was Bauer. She works so well for her mates. She does all the little things well and adds to that her own elegant touches. Bauer is an intelligent player who sees the ice and produces extraordinary plays. With yet additional team speed and their heads up, this Badger side could become special.
Match reports 2003-2004
Date: Sun, 21 Mar 2004
Subject: New Hampshire Women 0 - Providence 3
The Providence College Friars won Sunday's Hockey East Championship final when they scored three goals in the last half of the third period to beat the University of New Hampshire Wildcats. It was a fairly good playoff game, with both sides creating high-quality chances. In the end, PC was able to shut down UNH's quick transition game, while fabricating their own lethal assaults.
First off, two thumbs down, once again, to Hockey Least for continuing the ugly Matthews Arena practice: the trivializing of sport with loud pop music at every stoppage of play was unfortunately in fashion at Northeastern.
As play began, New Hampshire was moving well, but their finishing reeked. The Friars counterattacked and put on a spell of strong pressure. Fresher Nicole Hekle was hitting the jets for UNH, but she turned away from the play too much to be an effective fore-checker. Meanwhile, PC's junior forward Ashley Payton was gunning it. Nevertheless, there was no scoring.
In the scoreless second, senior Friar Darlene Stephenson was on fire. She helped engineer a number of nice breaks that remained a pass away from being successful. UNH were skating better as a team, but they were somewhat light on their sticks.
Things degenerated in the final phase, as both teams got tense. There was little ventured. Finally, with less than half a period to play, PC's Kelli Halcisak broke the drought and knocked home a rebound for the championship winning goal. Halcisak had produced the magic shift at the New Hampshire blue line, dished off to Stephenson, who nailed her try, before Halcisak applied the final touch. The Wildcats poured it on, but with about a minute left sophy Karen Thatcher seized the moment. She torqued it on her pursuit, collected the puck, went in on net and banged home the killer tally for a two goal Providence lead. Rush Zimmerman added an empty net score to complete the contest.
Providence closed off UNH's passing lanes that normally allow the Wildcats to fly in on net. Without that fast break element, the sides were evenly matched. PC had a more dangerous look to them today as they took the puck to the goal. They also seemed to grow more confident as the game progressed. Junior Hilary Greaves played some great defense today from her forward position. Payton was a major reason PC repeated. Her skating and will to go forward were huge. Stephenson was a force. She was all over the ice. Halcisak devised wonderful combinations. Emily Gryp and Thatcher had impressive weekends. Gryp's defensive presence kept the Wildcats at bay. Thatcher was terrific. Her motoring was full throttle. It is a testament to the players that they were able to pull their season together and repeat as Hockey East champions.
New Hampshire played well and given a bounce here or there, could have added another honour to their league title. The Wildcats appeared to be faster than PC, but somehow that did not translate into the quickness they often display. They needed to adjust to the countermeasures the Friars used, but did not. Senior attacker Debbie Bernhard was tough. She went for it and led her line forward. First-year Sadie Wright-Ward played an intelligent match. She laid on nice passes and was ever aware of what needed to get done. Hekle's skating was fab. She could have pushed it more during dangerous situations. This kid has enormous potential. UNH had a fine season and are developing into a powerful side.
***
Date: Sat, 28 Feb 2004
Subject: Northeastern Women 2 - Connecticut 4
At Matthews Arena the Northeastern Huskies lost, 2-4, to the Huskies of the University of Connecticut. It was a tense match, in which UConn did the deal on NU, closing down their normal routines, while scoring the timely goals.
For most of the contest, the play consisted of the Connecticut fore-check system versus the Northeastern box. The UC Huskies got on the board early when Erika Spaeth drilled her try from the high right slot. UConn was pushing it and with players like fresher defender Natalie Vibert, who is a speed merchant, they looked like they were taking control of the game. Tiffany Owens roofed a power play goal in the last five minutes to make it 0-2 Connecticut. That play was made by the lovely, crisp setup feed right in front of net by sophy blue liner Jennifer Houlden. NU tried to get into the match, but UC first-year Alicia Ramolla was providing exceptional cover at the back.
There was no scoring in the second period. UConn floored it for a while, but was unable to produce the killer third score. NU Husky defender Rachel Bertram had her work cut out for, but provided well-timed preventive measures. Meanwhile, NU first-year forward Susannah Brokl, who has been coming on recently, displayed some fine speed and good reads.
The conclusion of Saturday's matinee found UConn in search of the net, sometimes a wide-open one at that. Northeastern got back in the game when Marie Desrosiers collected a shorthanded tally, halfway through the interval. That was a gift goal from UConn, as a defender had managed to take out her own goaltender. Seconds later, Connecticut re-established their 2 goal advantage when Jacquleyn McGuire banged home the third rebound on a power play to make it 1-3. The NU Husky defense was MIA. It looked as though the contest was done like dinner, until NU's Brokl took a feed, broke wide on the UConn blue liners and threw her shot in at the low far post. The suspense was terrible. I hoped it would last. However, Owens ended all that, when she banked in a Connecticut power play, empty-net attempt to make the final 2-4.
Connecticut played well. They had decent team speed. They had a great game plan for shutting off NU's natural sets. It was totally effective. UC were a tad vapid when it came to finishing. They also panicked somewhat when they started to sit on their lead during the closing stages. Senior Sarah Mahoney was moving awfully well today. Spaeth played big. She can be even more of a force. Her presence gives her side grumba. Houlden's superior support on defense was matched by her luscious passing. Ramolla remains cool under pressure, no matter what happens on her blue line. The woman of the match was Vibert. Her anticipation and redirects are lovely. In the second, she made a tremendous solo rush, when she hit warp drive, then did a back cut in front of the NU defenders and just slipped her shot wide as she fired back across the grain. Ooo-la-la!!! Vibert is an exceptional blue liner. UConn fashioned a big win.
***
Date: Fri, 20 Feb 2004
Subject: Northeastern Women 4 - Maine 3
Friday night at Matthews, the Northeastern Huskies defeated the Maine Black Bears 4-3. It was a great game that featured multiple lead changes, lots of skating and action at both ends of the ice. In the end, NU put together their best performance of the season to nip Maine at the wire.
The game started with both teams going for it. Northeastern claimed the early advantage when first-year Mia Mucci finished off a nice setup at the far post. The play was made by the perfect pass from sophy defender Rebecca Peters. Peters made a series of timely plays throughout the match. For a while, it looked as though Maine would have a time of it beating senior netminder Chanda Gunn, who appeared to have the puck's transponder code! In addition, Crystal Rochon's jets gave NU a lot of zip. Eventually, junior Black Bear Tristan Desmet slipped one under Gunn off a slick play on a 4 on 4 situation, to tie the score at one.
In the second segment, both sides were still going strong and creating numerous chances. Northeastern regained their lead when fabulous fresher Amy Goodney completed a power play goal when she threw her shot to the high far post. Goodney was playing great on attack as well as providing excellent cover at the back. The Huskies had a stretch when they could have taken command of the contest, but they wasted several opportunities. Maine came back when Meagan Aarts, who had been motoring most of the evening, nailed a power play try from the far boards to the high near post. Lovely goal! A short time later, first-year Ksena Tatomir gave the bluish-black Bears a 2-3 lead when she rang her shot in off the far post, during a 3 on 2 break-in.
The finale found the Huskies stepping it up and Maine in a prevent defense. About halfway into the period, Goodney did it again for NU, when she drilled home a loose puck at the side of the net. Minutes later, sophomore Lindsay Snider won it for Northeastern when her attempt from the left slot found net. Maine was in disarray. Fortunately for them, NU then crept into prevent mode and the Black Bears mounted a serious comeback. Eventually, with the Maine net empty, Goodney won a face-off in her own end, took the puck to the corner and killed the clock. The polished fresher was outstanding.
Maine had a strong outing. They hustle well as a team. They use a very ineffectual hard, chop pass that would require a lax stick to catch. The Black Bears execute together and know their assignments. They appear to have lots of rules, which don't exactly add up to a total concept. Aarts played super. She was all over the ice and was ever deceptive. Junior Laura Maddin stood out on the blue line. Her quick solutions, fluid skating and lovely sets were a treat. Vicky Johnstone was a force on the defense. She logged a ton of ice time with her speedy play and intelligent reactions. Maine needs to find enjoyment in their game.
***
Date: Sat, 14 Feb 2004
Subject: UMass Boston Women 3 - Rensselaer 1
Under the roasty, toasty French fry warmers at the Clark, the University of Massachusetts Boston Beacons pulled off a huge 3-1 upset over the Rensselaer Engineers. RPI had more talent, superior team speed, but failed to claim the timely tallies. UMB waited, absorbed much of the Engineers' energy and then stuck with thundering resound.
Saturday afternoon's contest began with Rensselaer off to the races. They were flying. Jazzy junior Meredith Langille was looking great with her movement off the puck. Sophy Julie Welte's intercepts and passing were splendid. And yet, there was no scoring. UMass hung in there and started to create some ominous chances of their own. In particular, fresher Andrea Ciarletta was powering forward with swagger.
In the second, the momentum shifted to Mass Boston. It might be that Rensselaer knew their number was up, when Bobby, the belligerent UMass Boston Beacon mascot came sauntering in. First-year Melissa Belmonte took the lead for the Beacons with a wraparound. UMB was in control of the play, though their passing often left a lot to be desired. Annie Larson did so much scut work for her UMass mates. The main problem for RPI was that they were waiting and not going for it. Clearly, UMB had the Engineers at sixes and sevens.
The denouement featured two quick goals from UMB. Kristin Wilson collected a power play goal with assists from Kerri Zizzo and Molly Norton. Then Belmonte notched the killer third score when she finished off an end-to-end break. The play was made by Ciarletta, who did all the skating before laying the late feed parfait. RPI mounted a big comeback attempt and scored a pretty 4 on 3 power play goal when Christina Jankowski connected with Kari Rabatin. However, the Engineers' skating was gone and UMass was all a buzz.
Rensselaer are skilled and fast. They did not play with the joy they did last season. They did not play well as a team. There were some brilliant individual efforts. Sophy Rosina Schiff is an excellent goalie. She is technically sharp and has a quick glove. Allison Malcolm's anticipation and spin moves on the blue line were delicious. The line of Jankowski, Bridget Rice and Paula Durham played well together. They were a fine example of what team play is all about. Langille knows how to motor and is a very responsible player. The RPI woman of the match was Welte. It is amazing she did not score. With her vision, nice hands, powerful shot and drive, Welte was ever a threat. This must have been an atypical performance.
UMass Boston play with moxie. Their style is a nice mix of team defensive coverage and kill instinct counters. The result is that they soak up the other team's pressure and wait their turn. When UMB attacks, they strike with conviction and can produce some dazzling plays. Amanda Boucher faced the shooter well and had a strong game in net. She was helped by the super cover provided by junior Jenn Murray. Murray has to be the strongest player on the ice for the Beacons. Another defensive supporter was forward Larson. She is an outstanding digger, even with the exposed wrist look. Though, like a number of other UMass players, she could learn to cut the rubbish. It's stupid and the ensuing penalty just hurts her team. The woman of the match was Ciarletta. She is inevitably ahead of the action. Ciarletta's sense of the moment lets her hold onto the puck and then release her mates with exquisite passes. Today's victory was all about using the players you have to their fullest - a terrific coaching win.
***
Date: Sat, 31 Jan 2004
Subject: Northeastern Women 1 - Connecticut 1 OT
With the Groundhog vacillating in the wings, Saturday evening's Husky match between Northeastern and the University of Connecticut was an end-to-end affair that ended as a one all draw. UConn had their chances to put this game away, but didn't. NU used their total hustle system to gain a point.
The Matthews Arena event began with both sides periodically producing pressure, though no goals. UConn were without senior power defender Stef Snow and the eclectic Shannon Connolly. Connecticut first-years Alicia Ramolla on defense and Katherine Van Deverire up front looked quick and effective. Northeastern's fresher Amy Goodney continued her fine form as she was gunning it.
In the second session, again there was no scoring. Play continued back and forth, with UConn picking up the better opportunities, but failing to convert. Some of that was due to the fine defending of players like NU's Rachael Bertram, whose timely intercepts were elegant. Connecticut also featured stylish blue liners like freshers Natalie Vibert and Molly Garrett. They always seemed to have the right answer.
At the start of the finale, Sarah Mahoney slammed the puck in at the low, near post to give UConn a 0-1 lead. Her effort was made possible because of the digging of Janelle Armitage and Erika Spaeth. It looked like Connecticut might nail the killer second goal soon afterwards, but that didn't happen. Instead, we drifted back into chip and dip. Eventually, with 1.5 minutes left, Goodney stuffed home her try from a scrum in front of net to tie the contest for Northeastern. UConn didn't have the legs to control play at center ice and that was why that play developed. It was extremely fitting that Goodney claimed the equalizer, as her hard skating and delectable dishes make her mates click. There was no more scoring in an overtime that featured two worn-out teams.
Connecticut has a rich layer of talent that is waiting to excel. They have so many elements down. UConn have this lethal look. Though, tonight they looked a tad ragged. The passing was insipid. The skating was predictable. The result seemed a foregone conclusion. Van Deverire was easily the top Husky attacker. She moves well and can turn on a dime. Garrett needs poise, but has a great skill set for the blue line. The UConn woman of the match was a toss up between Vibert and Ramolla. Ramolla is silken. She's never hurried and always gets the puck moving out of her zone. Vibert is confident. She goes for it, no matter what the odds. Ah confidence, perhaps the very gift the Groundhog will bring UConn?
***
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 2004
Subject: MIT Women 0 - Manhattanville 10
It was a great night for hockey - nippy temperatures, brisk breezes, a few flakes and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Engineers hosting the Valiants of Manhattanville. The match at Johnson was easily decided, 0-10, as Mville impaled the Techers with a dazzling array of skate and pass hockey.
The contest began with the Vals taking command with a series of smart passes and wonderful movement off the puck. Of the three goals collected in the opening period, senior Amanda Zimecki's fab finish was tops. Meanwhile, Mville fresher Stephanie Burlton was off to the races, darting and swirling and showing up everywhere. Val blue liners Kim Hayden and Meredith Callinan used their remarkable vision to produce attractive transition plays.
The second featured a lengthy stickhandling clinic from Mville junior Nicole Blais. Sure, she could use a longer stick, but her artistry was alluring. The best of the next three tallies came when Burlton looped and whirled to get herself free at the far post for a tap in. Senior Melissa Hawkins provided the divine setup pass through traffic.
Things were considerably off the boil in the final interval. While there were 4 more goals, there were few interesting plays. Though the back-checking of MIT first-year Amanda Hunter was impressive. She tidied up for the defensive corps many times.
Manhattanville has a lot of talent. They love to skate. They can make some great passes and their overall movement is super. Now and again, the cycling becomes pointless. Perhaps some angular stuff would do the trick? The defender of the match was Callinan. She plays with grumba. Her interceptions were crucial. Callinan is slick and tough. Junior Hayden is such an intelligent blue liner. She's always ahead of the play. The line of Blais, Zimecki and junior Jenn Mulick is explosive. Blais is clever with the puck, Zimecki is the big sniper, while Mulick anchors her unit with her cool presence and superb skills. And then, if you want to talk about speed, there's sophies Heidi Boulanger and Erin McAllister. Boulanger burns the ice and is a fine gunner. McAllister lives to power shift. She can be a monster. The woman of the match was Burlton. She has a lovely axis. Her soft hands let her lay on or collect delicious passes. Burlton's extraordinary playmaking ability is driven by her incredible skating. This kid is fun to see. Manhattanville is so damn hot!
MIT played fairly well. Considering we're still not addressing the basics, they looked ok. While the truth is rarely pure, and never simple, sophy Becky Romatoski has the nature reads of a defender. When she and Lauren Nowierski are defensive partners, the Engineers are at their best. The MIT woman of the match was Hunter. If her line ever settles and makes the quantum leap forward to go for it together, she should become quite the scorer. Tonight, her cover for missing blue liners was first-rate. One should love to skate.
***
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2003
Subject: Northeastern Women 0 - Ohio State 3
Friday night's match was closer than the 0-3 score would suggest. The Northeastern Huskies were conquered by the Ohio State Buckeyes because of some splendid scoring. However, NU looked pretty good at times and were unfortunate not to tally.
At the start of the first, we were just going through the motions on the Matthews Arena ice. Northeastern was into shoot and chase, OSU was making a few decent plays and both sides lived to circle the wagons around their own net. The audience was kept conscious by the crafty stick work of Ohio State's Jeni Creary and the attractive spin cycle of Husky fresher Amy Goodney, who regrettably did not finish. Eventually, OSU turned up the heat and collected 2 goals from Creary. The first may well be the goal of the year. Junior Creary stole the puck at her own blue line, sliced thru the NU forwards, ghosted past the defense before flipping her backhander in at the top far post. Lovely move! Lovely goal!
Northeastern pushed it hard at the start of period two. Ohio State defenders Emma Laaksonen and Jaclyn Haines displayed brilliant anticipation to stop NU. Meanwhile, ever unorthodox Ashly Waggoner and slick passing Rachael Bertram made many fine plays on the Northeastern blue line. The Husky "spin cycle" narrowly missed two more tries, while OSU converted a third killer goal.
There was no scoring and less action in the finale. It appeared both teams were saving it for tomorrow's rematch.
Ohio State won because they have a superior skill set. They play well together. The Buckeyes have their breakdowns and tend to be a tad on the panicky side. Their passing was good, but they could use better team speed. Laaksonen was a standout and was clever sneaking in from the point. Haines proved that timing is everything. She has the complete packet and is fun to watch. Senior Melissa Pirie had nice wheels, however rarely used them. Meaghan Mulvaney is a gutsy, go-get-it player who makes things happen for her mates. She had a great game. The woman of the match was Creary. Wow! Her soft hands let her do amazing things with the puck. Creary produced electrifying runway. She is exceptional. OSU are a talented lot.
***
Date: Wed, 19 Nov 2003
Subject: MIT Women 1 - UMass Boston 5
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Engineers were defeated, 1-5, by the Beacons of the University of Massachusetts Boston. The Techers looked a tad better as they hung with UMass. UMB's skating was slow and their passing sporadic at best, nevertheless, they managed a victory.
Wednesday night's affair at Johnson Rink found Mass Boston displaying concerns about a suspect defense. It was far from tidy. The Beacons were a selfish lot in the scoreless opening period, seldom looking to make the pass. MIT had snazzy new uniforms and equipment, though what Carson would have to say about the colour grey, let alone the "T", one can only imagine. UMB's fresher Amanda Boucher played a smart, standup game in goal, while the Engineer's Regina Sullivan often shut the door with reflex saves.
The second ended 1-2, and while UMass Boston had spells of intense pressure, neither side was convincing. First-year Calli Beskosty did some heavy cruising for UMB. While on the Beacon blue line, newcomer Leanne Corsino had nice control and anticipated the play. Techie sophomores Lauren Nowierski and Becky Romatoski were a spunky defensive pairing.
Things remained slow and level for much of the final frame. Eventually, Corsino made it 1-4 UMB, when she sneaked in from the point and drilled her chance low, near post. First-year Andrea Ciarletta had provided the telling setup pass. MIT kept it close, but with the likes of Garbrielle Goodrow on the loose for the Beacons, they were occupied.
UMass Boston is not playing as a team. Individuals are corking it, but lines are not together. The movement off the puck, for the most part, was pitiful. The Beacons seem somewhat obsessed with their defensive game. Certainly, goaltender Boucher looked a tower of strength. Junior Jenn Murray was good and made several lovely passes from the blue line. UMB forward Leanne Wancheck showed promise with her positive movement. Fresher Ciarletta is a natural sniper. She also contributed some of the most splendid passes of the evening. Gunner Goodrow was a delight with her speed and perceptive setups. The woman of the match was Corsino. Her elegant reactions on defense were matched by her timely attacks. Corsino was impressive. UMB has many items to work on.
MIT appears to be a halfway house for USA Hockey - perhaps the Institute is seeing major grant money? The skating is a bit better. Agility is not the word that comes to mind. Still, it is progress and the Engineers now can perform quite a few of their on ice assignments. First-year Amanda Hunter and grad Michele Verticchio made a number of big surges forward in the second. They have a penchant for not being there for their mates, however, their energy drove MIT. Sullivan was strong in net. Romatoski provided some extremely judicious cover. The MIT woman of the match was Nowierski. She dashed all over the ice trying to mop up problems and send her side back into the fray. The Engineers need to work on their skating.
***
Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2003
Subject: Northeastern Women 1 - Clarkson 0 OT
Friday evening at Matthews, the Northeastern Huskies nipped the Golden Knights of Clarkson in overtime by collecting the only goal of the match. NU continued their winning streak, however, they were rather overshadowed by the lovely skating New Yorkers.
Northeastern held the early territorial advantage. Sophy Cyndy Kenyon was looking good for the Huskies as she hit her jets. Meanwhile, the NU line of Lori DiGiacomo and the Sands sisters moved well together in the first. Clarkson loves to skate. First-year Cortney Bills pulled off some fabulous bursts as she ripped up the ice. Although for delectable, dynamic attacking speed, fresher Jill Nolan was superb.
In the middle frame, the Knights started to roll and gradually took over the game. They failed to convert, but it was a treat to watch. Clarkson's junior forward Kristi Shaw is a razor. Nevertheless, with no scoring, NU goalie Katy Augustyn's steady performance and the Knights' first-year Kira McDonald's quick, standup routine in net were featured. In addition, Husky fresher defender Ashly Waggoner was hot, for the first half of the contest.
The Huskies were more resolute in the final, slower period. The quickness of Clarkson's Nolan remained evident, but overall the tempo was down. In extra time, NU's first-year Mia Mucci found the net from close in, after a face-off deep in the Knight's zone.
Clarkson is a hip jazz band. Not all the sets and riffs are in place, but what's there is positively mesmerizing. They play smart. The Knights do a lot of little things so well. For example, a shot/pass is invariably on net, or to a breaking mate. Clarkson's blue liners play a tight, confident game. First-year Lauren Lubrano was dominate. Along with tender McDonald, it is a tough group to defeat. The attackers love to pour over the line as they swirl in on goal. Bills and Shaw have a provocative style as they zip around. They are tantalizing. The woman of the match was Nolan. Her pace is amazing. What makes Nolan more special is the shifts she creates at speed. Ooo-la-la! Clarkson are making an impressive start.
***
Date: Sat, 8 Nov 2003
Subject: Northeastern Women 6 - Yale 3
On a brisk and breezy Saturday afternoon at Matthews Arena, the Northeastern Huskies succeeded, 6-3, against the Bulldogs of Yale. Ineptitude would be a good term for the action, as neither team had their act together. NU roofed a series of timely scores to earn their victory.
The match started slow and pretty much remained there. In the first, the sides traded goals, but it was suitable that when a player looked to make a pass, only an opponent was breaking. Fortunately, there were the slick moves of the Elis' fresher Kristin Savard to relish. Those gems were almost matched by first-year Husky forward Marie Desrosiers. She is interesting, even with her shorty stick.
At the start of the second, NU struck for two quick tallies, before the Ritalin smoothies kicked in again. Desrosiers stuffed her try high to make it 2-1 Northeastern, after she was given a lovely backside setup pass from fellow fresher Mia Mucci. Yale's Savard excelled with her back-checking and actually moved well off the puck!
The game lingered on through the third until the Huskies notched a late, killer score to make it 4-2. Junior Lori DiGiacomo finished off a nice two player break-in, off a pass from sophy Jennifer Beaudoin to salt the result away. The teams exchanged a few more late goals, but essentially sophomore Katy Augustyn held the fort in goal for NU, as they closed it out.
Yale has a side with some talent, but it is barely being used. The skating is misguided at best. There was lots of effort at marking areas on the ice where nothing was happening. The Eli passing game was approaching nil. With a few notable exceptions, there was little movement off the puck. The Yale defense was held together by junior Erin Duggan. She was steady and strong as she faced incoming challenges on the blue line. The woman of the match was Savard. This kid is fun to watch. She has this clever way of finding dangerous spaces on her attacks. Savard has warp capable speed that she used several times to dig back and breakup potentially lethal assaults. However, it is her stimulating striking that is delicious. Obviously, there is much room for development in New Haven.
The trivializing of sport with loud pop music at every stoppage of play was unfortunately in fashion at Northeastern.
Match reports 2002-2003
Date: Fri, 31 Jan 2003
Subject: MIT Women 0 - Rensselaer 10
Friday evening, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Techers were whipped by the Rensselaer Engineers 0-10. RPI's keep-it-going attack was easily enough to befuddle MIT and secure a tidy victory at Johnson.
The Engineers like to hit the puck deep and run plays out of the corner, intermittently sneaking in a late trailer from the point. When they are on song, like the latter half of the opening period, RPI can put out an impressive swarm that can leave a defense tied up in knots. Rensselaer's first-year Christina Jankowski (Allison Malcom) netted the first tally when she fired home low from high up the gut. Lane Dielwart (Kari Rabatin) made it 0-2 when she walked out of the corner and tossed her backhander upstairs. Allyn Cooper (Jankowski) drilled a rising slap shot in from the far boards for the next score. Ultimately, RPI would collect two more somewhat soft goals from Dana Kerr and Maj Nixon.
In the second segment, Rensselaer had dropped it down a gear or two. Hustle replaced the rock'n'roll style, but they remained in motion. Colleen Bonner and Taylor Walker added markers before and Walker after we got the goal of the match. Jankowski (Rabatin, Meredith Langille) finished off a lovely series of passes to make it 0-8. The play was made by Langille who broke the puck out of her own zone and laid on a stunning long lead pass that set her mates free.
RPI was further off their axis in the third. They were not making as many intelligent plays. But they were moving and driving their game forward. Engineer Rachel Gitajin (Walker) completed the scoring when she tapped in a rebound off the far post.
What makes Rensselaer an exciting side to watch is their rotational schemes. They see scoring chances and make the most of the situations with some very clever spins. RPI needs work on their speed and passing. The blue line pairing of senior captain Sara Riel and sophy Sondra Sherman was great. Their crisp outlet dishes and evolutionary fashion let them create space for their teammates. Riel has excellent vision and a commanding presence on the ice. Fresher Malcom is the other defender that stood out with her desire and charming moves. The line of Rabatin, Jankowski and Langille was super. They twist and turn and find ways of making space for each other. The Rensselaer woman of the match was Langille. The spunky sophomore was on the make all night. Her daring darts and gift to get free were delectable. RPI is a talented, well-coached team.
Clearly, MIT needs to rework their skating in the labs.
***
Date: Sun, 26 Jan 2003
Subject: Northeastern Women 1 - Providence 3
Super Sunday it wasn't. The Northeastern Huskies lost, 1-3, to the Friars of Providence College in a match with little excitement. PC had too much speed and skill and the outcome was never in doubt.
There was a jejune air about Matthews Arena. Providence started out smoking, but that gradually drift away. NU pretty much broke themselves up with their lack of coordination. Though the highlight of the first was Husky blue liner Rachael Bertram who appears to be fake proof on her marking assignments. Late in the period, the Huskies grabbed a 1-0 lead during a power play, when Rebecca Peters' (Cyndy Kenyon, Theresa Ella) point shot through traffic found net. On the ensuing face-off, PC stuffed the play deep into the NU zone. Kelli Halcisak (Jenn Butsch, Danielle Culgin) tied the contest when she clicked with a rebound. Providence used their quick, short passing game well for that goal.
It seemed like we had shifted to pinball in the middle segment, as there were so many Friar shots from about the two foot out area. NU's goaltender, Chanda Gunn, must of felt there was a pinball wizard lurking about! However, for all those tries, PC was pretty lackadaisical. Still, it was easily enough to outpace Northeastern. The Huskies seemed content to flit about the edge of the zone. Providence took the lead, during a spell of 4 on 4 play, when Ashley Payton (Danielle Bourgette) provided a goalmouth tap in, after Bourgette beat two NU defenders to the puck and produced the nice feed. Sarah Youlen (Halcisak, Hilary Greaves) slipped one home, in the crease, off a fair dish to give the Friars the killer two goal advantage.
The third was a total waste of time. Clearly the teams had packed it in. There was no scoring.
All the Providence players are on the same page. They have a quality about them that speaks of a refined level of skill. The team speed, when they chose to use it, looked real good. The passes were not as choice. Sometimes they don't wait long enough for something to develop. But then, the off the puck movement often wasn't there. Blue liner Halcisak is a player who knows how to wait on a situation. Her drive and dish technique was spot on. Bourgette, had some sloppy coverage, but did hit the jets effectively. Senior Melanie Ruzzi made a number of excellent acceleration thrusts from her point position. On the attack, Darlene Stephenson made numerous great setup passes. Her penalty kill expertise was exceptional. Butsch was the team digger that made many an attempt. First-year Katelynn Laffin impressed with her nice movement. The Friars should finish off more chances.
***
Date: Sat, 4 Jan 2003
Subject: UMass Boston Women 5 - Trinity 2
It was a dark, drizzly Saturday in Boston harbour, as the University of Massachusetts Boston Beacons battered the Trinity College Bantams 5-2. Trinity had a good, tight game plan but lacked the skating to execute it. UMass Boston likes the run and gun look, but controlled the tempo with a variety of sets.
UMB came out big. They pushed the Bantams back and forced the issue. Gradually, TC came back with a series of timely breaks up the gut. Shortly after the cozy French fry warmers came on over the Clark Athletic Center seating area, Trinity's Emily Ciccolo (Katelyn Bowman, Leah Culver) collected a rebound and made the score 0-1. The play was made by Bowman's length of the ice rush. In the final five minutes of the opening period, UMass Boston tied it up when Molly Norton (Katelyn Averill) drifted over the blue line and slotted her try into the back of the net.
In the climactic second, the Beacons put the pedal to the metal. Norton notched a power play tally to make it 2-1 when she roofed her own rebound. UMB showed some slick control on that advantage situation. Norton (Katie Reardon, Audrey Arnold) completed her hat trick after Reardon laid on the telling feed at the side of the net. Trinity tried to respond and did so when Bowman (Michelle O'Neil) slid her shot under the UMB goalie. However, frustration was more the norm for the Bantams, as UMass Boston marched forward. Defender Sebrina Monsen made it 4-2 when she went on a solo dash. Monsen broke through the TC defense, deked the goalie and tucked it home. Lovely goal! Norton (Averill) concluded the scoring when she sent the puck five hole. The UMB pressure was too much for the Bantams.
There was no scoring in the final frame. Trinity took it up a rung, but UMass Boston consumed their energy and closed out the match.
Trinity College works well together. They look and move for each other. The Bantams do a lot of little things well. Overall, skating skills need the most attention. The fashionable TC players were into the exposed wrist look. Sophy blue liner Libby Jakes was ever alert. Her marking was strong and she made some delightful outlet passes. Victoria Fox, periodically, could motor. Kristy Hadeka is a fine two-way player. She digs hard on her back-checking assignments and is nimble in front of net. The Trinity woman of the match was Bowman. She has super jets. Bowman could put her temperament to better use, but she is a force on the ice. Trinity is developing well.
UMass Boston plays with attitude. They have a very small squad. But, they clearly understand their limitations and use it. The Beacons know when to gun it and when to quietly soak up punishment. In goal, fresher Shannon Palmer faced the shooter well. Up front, first-year Garbrielle Goodrow can move. She has this penchant for drifting into dangerous spaces. The partnership of freshers Norton and Reardon is exciting. They set each other up so well. Reardon loves to go for it. She should trash the cheap side of her game. Norton is a fabulous sniper. The woman of the match was Monsen. She is a superb performer who is always in command. Monsen snuffs out opponents with perfect pokechecks and then has these great inside moves on the attack. What makes UMB is their lovely movement.
***
Date: Fri, 3 Jan 2003
Subject: Northeastern Women 3 - Providence 6
With pouring rain drenching Matthews, the Northeastern Huskies lost, 3-6, to the Friars of Providence College. Friday evening's affair found the Huskies claiming the early lead. However, PC's refined passing game proved unstoppable, as the Friars swept to victory.
The whistle filled first found Providence moving well as they showed off their way cool short passing schemes. Nevertheless, while PC had the nice flow, NU collected the goals. Midway through the period, Brooke White (Rebecca Peters) fired home a power play tally from the near circle. Michelle Lorion made it 2-0 Northeastern, when the puck bounced out front, and she nailed her gift. The Friars pulled one back when Rush Zimmerman (Kelli Halcisak, Melanie Ruzzi) one-timed the perfect cross-ice feed to the near post, from Halcisak. Lovely goal!
As the middle frame lifted off, both teams were off the boil. It didn't help that crew zebra was beyond the pale. They did everything they could to slow the contest down. Eventually, PC's wonderful passing took control of the match. Hilary Greaves (Halcisak, Meredith Roth) evened the scoreboard at two, when she tipped home a point blast from Halcisak, during a Friar power play. Providence took their first lead of the event, when Zimmerman (Ruzzi, Katelynn Laffin) drilled a marvelous power play setup from Ruzzi, in the far slot. It was rather rough justice for Northeastern, as in fact, they should have not been killing off a penalty, but been on an advantage situation of their own due to a PC elbow. NU, with the help of the good coverage and rapid responses from fresher defenders Rebecca Peters and Chrissy Sands, was providing timely answers, but being overwhelmed by the striking Providence passing. The Friars bagged the killer two goal lead, when Greaves (Halcisak, Roth) finished off a lovely series of dishes that kept changing the point of attack.
PC was on cruise control in the third. Neither side was pushing it. Both teams were rather chippy. The Friars made it 2-5, when they scored another power play goal. Halcisak (Jenn Butsch, Danielle Culgin) put her try high blocker side after getting a great far side feed from Butsch. Northeastern's White (Lori DiGiacomo) then pulled off an ooo-la-la score, when she took a long feed, triple deked the goalie and calmly tucked it home. Lovely goal! Providence concluded the heroics when Darlene Stephenson (Zimmerman) stuffed a rebound.
Providence's misdirection passing is devastatingly good. If the Friars had more team speed and the will to use it, they would be walking over other sides. They could drop the silly concept that they need to prove that they are tough. It just stops themselves. Roth on the blue line is an odd package. The somewhat diminutive junior can make these fantastic setup passes and really hang tough back on the defense. But she also has a feisty side that makes bad decisions and penalizes her team, especially when she tires. Senior forward Ruzzi had a strong match. Her reads and splendid passing were super. Stephenson also looked terrific. She has this excellent ability to create space for her mates. The woman of the match was Halcisak. The clever junior defender laid on some of the best dishes. Her solo rushes give PC an edge that often kicks them into a higher gear. Halcisak played a brilliant game. Providence is real good.
***
Date: Sat, 7 Dec 2002
Subject: MIT Women 0 - RIT 12
With Saturday's splendid sienna sunset boding well for Tiger fans, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Engineers lost 0-12 to the Rochester Institute of Technology Tigers. RIT used superior motion to overwhelm their opponent at Johnson Rink. While MIT's skating was slightly improved, it was not nearly enough to keep up with the ravaging Bengals.
The natural trend of the Johnson universe finds MIT boxing in, in front of their own net. Therefore, your attacking shape dictates what you can accomplish. Unfortunately, the Tigers came out sluggish and with inept passing. The Engineers countered with some nice one-on-one marking from the likes of Becky Romatoski. Nevertheless, the talent of RIT was too much, as defender Jen Gorczynski and fresher Nicole Gedney made fine solo effects to collect two scores. And then, there were the two beautiful goals from super sophy Kasie Strong. Her first came after MIT had been pressing and she went in on a breakaway, deked the goalie out of her skates and knocked it home. The second came on a lovely 2 on 1 break, when Julie Romans laid on a hot dish which Strong nailed high glove side. Interestingly enough, MIT's goalie Regina Sullivan was holding her team in the match, despite trailing 0-4, with some fine glove saves.
RIT's linearly dense tactics continued in the second. Obviously, they do not understand triangulation, or any other form of shape shifting in Rochester. The Engineers managed a couple of decent rushes, as devised by Erin Mellencamp and Romatoski. However, the Tiger's still found another 4 tallies. Callie Iosue and Erin Topley were credited when MIT was caught at sixes and sevens. Gedney (Jennie Nicholas) drilled a high slot shot after getting a lovely feed from Nicholas. Topley (Strong) finished off a sensational two on none when both players worked multiple exchanges to perfection.
The final period was more than unusually tedious. Rochester were vaguely practicing their concept of spreading it out. It looked more like a one blanket affair. With neither side pushing it, RIT managed to pocket an additional four goals to bring the final account to 0-12. Individual efforts were picked up by Gorczynski and Gedney. The Tiger's first-year Alla Kaplan (Marrick Jensen) completed a nice 1-2 at the side of the net. Jensen (Strong) concluded a length of the ice rush when Strong made the divine dish that left Jensen all alone.
RIT are a very skilled side. They play with a gusto and delight that makes their team excel. The Tigers could do a lot more with what they have, but given the limited scheme they use, they are doing remarkably well. The defense is led by that razor Jensen. The senior has lovely moves and is able to produce some wonderful looks for her mates. Junior Gorczynski has an impressive skill set that works well at both ends of the ice. She can overplay it a tad, but with her edge, you can see why see goes for it. Chelsea Johnson was the other blue liner that stood out with her telling feeds. Up front, fresher Kaley Ostanek made some sweet moves. Fellow first-year Gedney darted here and there and always was the perfect partner. Which brings us to the woman of the match - Strong. The elegant striker has great hands, sublime vision and is a marvelous gunner. Kasie Strong rocks my world! She is a treat to behold. RIT is a dangerous squad that can light up a scoreboard.
MIT is now able to hang with the other sides as they break in. They still need massive improvement in their skating, but there are beginnings. The Engineers are doing some of the little things, like keeping your stick on the ice, very well. Senior forward Jennifer Selby demonstrated the proper way to attack the points. Her hustle helped her defense a lot. Betty Zheng was ready to have a go and often cleared her zone. Romatoski provided some good cover. Sophomore Sullivan, who played the first two periods, had a strong game in net. She sometimes has a few position problems, but with her rapid glove, is a force. MIT has many things to develop.
***
Date: Sat, 30 Nov 2002
Subject: Wesleyan Women 0 - Middlebury 7
The lighting inside Wesleyan Arena was almost as gloomy as the darkening clouds of Middletown, CT, where the Wesleyan University Cardinals fell, 0-7, to the Panthers of Middlebury College. It was not a fast paced affair, however much of the MC passing was delicious. Wesleyan succumbed to the superior mobility of their opponent.
The languid opening period left much to be desired. The Cardinals were flooding the area in front of their own goal and while Middlebury had some flow, their movement off the puck was miserable. MC's Angela Kapus (Liz Yale-Loehr) collected the only score of the first, on a power play, when first-year Yale-Loehr took a fine dish, did a turn and flip, which resulted in a slot rebound that Kapus knocked in top glove side.
At the start of the second, Panther fresher Hannah DeLong stuffed home a gift turnover, under the goalies' pads. Jackie Cohen (Lorna Gifis) made it 0-3 Middlebury when her point shot found nothing but net. While MC was pressing more, the tempo remained pedestrian.
Saturday afternoon's final frame featured a series of scrumptious slanting Middlebury passes, that were devastating. These superb setups put the match away. Amber Neil (Kapus, Yale-Loehr) took a nice feed from Kapus and recorded a power play tally, low far post, in the opening seconds. Kapus (Gifis) made it 0-5 when she converted a lovely dish, on a 2 on 1, from Gifis. Gifis (Kapus) calmly stuffed a deflected pass, as the Panther waves rolled forward. A Neil (Kapus) concluded the scoring on a power play, when the puck was worked around the zone clinically, enabling her to nail the final touch.
Middlebury is calculating. They consider their options well and make wonderful, resolute plays. What's missing is team speed. The Panthers are not creating open space and moving quick enough. Still, you have to love a team where so many players can make perfectly weighted passes off the boards or feather in long telling feeds. The blue liners were led by Heather Wende who did an outstanding job of tidying things up at the back. Sophy Cohen looked solid on defense. Her vision and puck movement were excellent. First-year forwards Yale-Loehr and Emily Quizon looked great. Quizon is always probing, looking for that half chance to pounce on. Yale-Loehr is so ingenious. She has this way of working herself into marvelous scoring positions. Co-captain Kapus made some terrific setups. Her soft hands are fabulous. The woman of the match was senior A Neil. The awesome skating and lovely touch passing are a Middlebury tradition that she holds high. A Neil plays intelligent, gutsy defense and joins the attack with elan. While the Panthers have many things to work on, they remain a pleasure to watch.
The trivializing of sport with loud pop music at every stoppage of play was unfortunately in fashion at Wesleyan.
***
Date: Tue, 26 Nov 2002
Subject: Harvard Women 5 - Connecticut 1
Tuesday Harvard defeated the Huskies of the University of Connecticut 5-1 at Bright. At times, especially in the first, UConn had a fine shape to their play. Unfortunately, their finishing was horrendous and that severely limited them.
The evening began with up and down action. UConn did a splendid job of filling the passing lanes. They also took the ensuing interceptions and moved the puck extremely well. Nevertheless, the Huskies gave up the only goal of the period when the defense failed to get back.
In the middle session, Connecticut was definitely off the boil. The goalie couldn't cover the puck and the skaters failed to work it out or even clear it. It was amazing UConn only surrendered one more score - they could have let in a pile.
The same low tempo style permeated the third for the Huskies. After letting in three easy goals, Connecticut made it 5-1 when Megan McLeod (Jacquelyn McGuire) drilled it, off a nice feed from McGuire. After that tally, UConn clicked somewhat better, but nothing close to their first period maneuvers.
Connecticut's transition game, team speed and anticipation were very good. What stopped UConn was inept plays behind their own blue line and after the first, they seemed to be afraid to have a go. The line of Sara Mahoney, Shannon Connolly and Angie Wallace was excellent. Mahoney and Wallace are two burners, but it would be nice to put the puck in the net. Connolly is the anchor for the unit. She's cunning, a superb back-checker and creates these marvelous little moves that set her line free. Fresher defender Jennifer Houlden made some delightful feeds, that were timed to perfection. The UConn woman of the match was Stef Snow. She was constantly in the wrong position, gave away the puck and produced some dreadful marking. And yet, Snow was the dynamic force on the ice for her side. Her infectious energy was parfait. The Huskies fatal flaw - finishing.
***
Date: Sat, 9 Nov 2002
Subject: Northeastern Women 1 - Connecticut 2 OT
The Northeastern Huskies lost 1-2, Saturday afternoon at Matthews, as the Huskies of the University of Connecticut pulled out an overtime victory. It seemed like UConn had the ability to put this match away by a couple of goals, but that never quite happened. NU had their chances to win it, but lacked the final touch.
The game started with Connecticut's improved team speed looking good. Northeastern made some fair rushes, but could not find the netting. The result was no scoring in the first.
In the middle period, UConn went very close early on. The Black Huskies' goalie Chanda Gunn gave Connecticut very little net to shoot at. However, Northeastern came back and opened the scoring when senior Michelle Lorion's hot shot was mishandled by the UConn tender into her own net. After a spell of end-to-end action, the Blue Huskies tied the contest at one, when junior Sara Mahoney (Jennifer Houlden) converted a two on none break by drilling the puck in at the low far post. The play was made by the wonderful longball pass from clever fresher blue liner Houlden. The second also featured an amusing situation from the zebras, who managed to call a penalty on UConn's Laura Stosky, but never told her or the bench. The result was Stosky actually killed off some of her own penalty, before things got sorted out!
There was again no scoring in the third period. That appeared amazing, as Connecticut came out and pushed the issue for most of the period. Northeastern kept a lid on it and were highly bolstered by the hustle of first-year Kathryn Sands and comfort zone control of fellow fresher Rachael Bertram. Nevertheless, neither side was exactly on fire.
In overtime, both sides came close to winning the match. In fact, NU had more of the pressure. And then, in the last minute of play, UConn's Tiffany Owens (Houlden) took a luscious feed from Houlden, went in on a length of the ice break and roofed the game winning goal.
Can you say - dramatic improvement? - sure you can. Now if someone cares to mention that fact to the UConn players, there is the potential for a new big team on the horizon. The increased speed and aggressive fore-check scheme were impressive. However, the Blue Huskies remain two dimensional and need to add some depth to their attacks. There were times when they were out of sync and therefore missing openings. Connecticut could do more with what they have. They could have put the hammer down, but they never went that route. Confidence? Mahoney was a real presence on the ice. She drove her mates forward with her flying sorties. Erika Spaeth showed some nice jets, but needs to remember to leave the indiscretions behind. Angie Wallace is the classic Blue Husky at the moment. Excellent quickness, has this dangerous look about her, but she seems to lack kill instinct - for now. On the blue line, Stosky anticipated well and used a good blend of aggression and skill to defeat her opponents. The UConn woman of the match was Houlden. This defender has a penchant for laying on lovely, long passes. Houlden also demonstrated her telling inside moves when she ventured onto the attack. Just think what she could do with a proper length stick? Connecticut is a team that's just starting to jam.
***
Date: Sun, 27 Oct 2002
Subject: Northeastern Women 1 - St Lawrence 2
On a luminous, crisp Sunday afternoon at Matthews Arena, the Northeastern Huskies were defeated by the Saints of St Lawrence 1-2. The match featured some good skating and horrific passing. It looked like NU might sneak a victory, largely based on fabulous junior goalie Chanda Gunn.
The start featured lots of energy from both sides, but mainly dump and chase tactics. Considering how little movement off the puck there was, that was about all we could hope for. The result, no scoring in the first.
Blast it! - continued to be the strategy of the day in a more interesting middle frame. The pace from both teams continued to look good, but there was little, if any, finesse. Fortunately, there were two plucky young first-year defenders showing off their sumptuous skill sets. NU's Rachael Bertram and SLU's Laurie Ross were a treat. Eventually, during the dying seconds of the second, Northeastern senior forward Pamela Pachal was credited with a goal to make it 1-0. Crash the net was the method used to sneak the puck in at the far post of the Saint's net.
In the third, both squads were going for it. It seemed like St Lawrence was fired up a tad more, as the Huskies tried to contain them. On an SLU power play, Kingsbury (Trisha Powers, Emilie Berlinguette) poked home a rebound to tie the game at one. The score was made by a lovely outside-in move by Kingsbury that toasted the Husky defense. Northeastern roared back, but the Saints were able to control the flow. SLU seized the win, when Kingsbury dug the puck off the boards and laid on the soft feed to sophy Rebecca Russell (Kingsbury), who snapped the puck home at the near post. The winner happened after some fine pressure from the Huskies on a power play. At that point, St Lawrence kept up their press and finished off the match.
The Saints have some excellent talent. It is not often used properly, nevertheless, they have a lethal quality that makes them an alluring side to watch. It would be fascinating to see what they could do with a wicked attacking shape! I was highly impressed with senior strikers Chera Marshall and Powers. They were gunning it. What made them special was that they were always there for their mates. On the blue line, Ross was outstanding. She is a smart defender that provides excellent coverage. Ross's fantastic skating allows her to foresee and snuff out many problems. Her actions from the point position are tremendous. SLU pulled out a fine triumph.
The trivializing of sport with loud pop music at every stoppage of play was unfortunately in fashion at Northeastern.
Match reports 2001-2002
Date: Sat, 2 Mar 2002
Subject: Harvard Women 7 - Princeton 1
At Bright Hockey Centre on Saturday afternoon, the Harvard Crimson defeated the Princeton Tigers 7-1. It was an odd contest. Princeton came out on the prowl, but after letting in a few soft goals, they packed it in. Perhaps this preview for next weekend's ECAC DI North quarterfinals in New Jersey wasn't quite ready for the viewing audience?
Fashion alert - full snaps to Princeton for their resplendent new uniforms. The retro chic look is way cool and the way the Tigers began the match, I thought we were in for a treat. They were buzzing. The Princeton fore-checking scheme looked particularly sharp. Regrettably, the Tigers went off the boil when they started fooling around with a series of tactical changes. There was a lot of strategy, but little substance. At the end of the first, PU let in an ugly tally off a pileup.
In the middle stretch, Princeton faded even more. They allowed two more goals. One was a long-range shot mishandled by the goalie and the other a gift from the main zebra, who seemed to kind of like interference. At 3-0 down, the Tigers pretty much devoured their tails and were ready to warm up the bus.
In the third, PU would concede another 3 scores, mostly resulting from players standing around and watching instead of going for it. Clearly, they didn't want to give away any trade secrets. Late in the game, Jessica Fedderly (Lisa Rasmussen) took a long lead pass on a Tiger power play, broke past the defense, burst in on net and buried her try. It was 6-1, but was this a momentum shift for next weekend? It would appear not, as Princeton managed to let in another one in the dying seconds.
Princeton could have done a lot more in this match. Perhaps saving it all for the quarterfinals is wise, but I wonder where the confidence factor is right now? This Tiger team showed a zippy quality early in the match that hinted at excellence. Their patterns were crisp and their passing edgy and it seemed like some explosive hockey was just about to happen. The defense was led by senior Wanda Mason. She had a nose for trouble and often came up with a timely solution. On the attack, fellow senior Melissa Deland had a solid outing. Her movement made her fore-checking game look great. Gretchen Anderson was the other forward who loved to run and gun. Her threatening darts were extremely penetrating. Overall, the striking uniforms deserved better!
***
Date: Sun, 3 Feb 2002
Subject: MIT Women 0 - Manhattanville 9
The finale of Better Red, Than Dead weekend was by far the best match of the series. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Engineers entertained the Valiants of Manhattanville College. The red clad Valiants crushed the Techers 0-9, with an amazing display of artistic movement.
As we got under way, Manhattanville came out with a legato format. The interaction within their lines was so smooth and mellow. MIT was pressed back by the exceptional passing and off the puck movement. Lindsey Dorval (Amanda Zimecki) opened the scoring for Mville when she slammed home a nice weak side setup. The Valiants were clicking and soon Ali Annunziato (Nicole Stephens) made it 0-2 when she collected a rebound after Stephens had thrown in a dangerous point shot/pass.
With snow falling at steady clip, only in the MIT end according to the ice, Manhattanville maintained their relentless onslaught in the middle period. Fabulous fresher Cherie Stewart (Annie Annunziato) added to the tally with an ooo-la-la goal. The bang-bang play featured the perfect feed out front from A9, that was clinical driven, low far post. Lovely goal! Emily Duer (Kristin Sahlem) would make it 0-4 when she added the right touch to a marvelous Sahlem set.
Things were less smooth and the phrasing less intelligent in the final frame, but still Manhattanville sustained their beat. To get things going right away, A9 Annunziato (Stewart, A7 Annunziato) concluded an excellent three-way passing play that started behind the net. Stewart (A7 Annunziato) next received a great slot feed from A7 and stuffed far post. Ultimately, Mville would score an additional 3 counters, with mostly backdoor tactics.
It is a treat to see Manhattanville. They have a nice rhythm going as they move the puck. It is charming to see the Valiants create the tantalizing patterns they achieve. There is also an interesting juxtaposition in their attack. A line will razzle-dazzle you with crisp passes and then the very next line goes with bombardment from the point with a variety of tip conditions. It makes a delightful spectacle. The Mville defense was led by jazzy junior Stephens. Her passing showed remarkable perception. Up front, Sahlem was brilliant. Her arsenal of misdirection feeds was awesome. The woman of the match was the line of Stewart and the 2 Annunziatos. These guys can motor. They have a fantastic attacking shape. A9 Annunziato is a gunner who works herself into the most ingenious positions. A7 Annunziato is the linemate parfait! Always there for her mates, always reading the flow of the game. Stewart's skill set is drop-dead gorgeous. This is a major player who also just happens to be tres elegant. Overall, this side knows how to move!
MIT's persistent skating problem shows little signs of improvement. The Engineers were solid at protecting the major passing lanes, and kept Mville honest. Senior Carla Pienknagura had a great back-checking game. Mallory Briggs made a dynamic diving move to break-up a penetrating Mville attack. On the blue line, Cara Toretta had another fine outing, with steady play. The MIT woman of the match was first-year goalie Regina Sullivan. She made a number of fine glove saves and used her stick to stop many a try. Overall, skating remains the name of the game.
***
Date: Sat, 19 Jan 2002
Subject: MIT Women 0 - RIT 18
As lightly falling snow encapsulated Johnson Rink, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Engineers hosted the Rochester Institute of Technology Tigers. The Saturday evening affair was won in a decided fashion, 0-18, by RIT. MIT's skating has, alas, not improved and so the Tigers were free to prowl.
The game began with RIT clearly in charge, though much of their haphazard passing was easily boxed out by the Engineers. However, with few breakouts of their own, MIT was pressed by line after line of Tiger attackers. Colleen Baude (Kasie Strong) provided the final stuff to open the RIT scoring. Fabulous fresher Strong made it 0-2 when her solo right wing rush was concluded with a clinical shot high glove side. The Tigers would eventually net three more tallies before the end of the first with Erin Moran's (Baude) strike, off a lovely feed from Baude, being the highlight.
As the second sprang into action, RIT forced the issue and buried 3 quickies to bring the count to 0-8. Rochester has a tendency to shoot directly from the face-off and Alysia Park did just that early on. MIT was being overrun. They just didn't have the wheels to deal with the faster Tigers. RIT attempted to execute some drop back drills, but due to their indifferent movement off the puck, that did not amount to much. Four more Tiger goals were scored, with Tina Bessette's (Strong) finish of a nice 1-2 with Strong and Strong's (Cora Crowley, Baude) lightning strike off a fall back set, being outstanding.
The mostly sluggish third period found neither side exactly sparkling. The Engineers looked overtaxed, and while the Tigers would score 6 more goals to make it 0-18, most were common rebounds, or lax defender gifts. Strong (Jen Gorczynski) nailed the most elegant score of the night when she redirected a lovely cross-ice pass from Gorczynski.
RIT have a fair skating game. They seem to lack purpose and really need to get their heads-up. While they collected a lot of scores tonight, few were from intriguing setups. There was too much stopping and watching and not enough movement. The blue liners were led by first-year Marrick Jensen and junior Gorczynski. Jensen made a number of slick solo dekes. Gorczynski reads plays so well and can lay on some marvelous setup passes. Up front, Park whirls and swirls and can make some stylish plays. She also is a solid back-checker. Bessette showed some nice jets and loves to drive up her wing. Senior Baude is a classic finisher who can also make the telling pass. The woman of the match was Strong. She has a subtle touch and provides exquisite dishes. What makes Strong special is her vision and ability to use her mates. Overall, a clever side that could perform at a higher level.
Skating continues to be MIT's nemesis. Without it, they suffer the wrath of their opponents' assault. The Engineers look more comfortable this season with their defensive posture. The team defense and reactions are more effective. Defenders Cara Toretta and Erin Syron made some good marking decisions. Toretta's recovery to difficult situations was good. Syron angled off well. Meanwhile, Michele Verticchio had a good back-checking game. Erin Mellencamp was always ready to have a go. The MIT woman of the match was fresher goalie Regina Sullivan. She made some fine kick saves and knew when to cover up. Overall, the skating needs help.
***
Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2002
Subject: Middlebury Women 3 - UQTR 2
Friday afternoon at the T Humes tournament in Montreal, the Panthers of Middlebury College edged the UQTR Patriotes 3-2. It was not vintage Middlebury hockey, with painfully slow skating being the norm.
UQTR opened the scoring at the start of the match when they finished off a length of the ice rush. After that, the period meandered on in an insipid fashion, with little movement from MC and plenty of cheap tricks from UQTR.
As the second began, UQTR again got an early goal to make it 0-2. The chance developed during a power play, when a rebound was collected and drilled high. It was diverting to watch the zebras, who were clueless. UQTR's hack and hook policy went largely unpunished. The Panthers skated a tad better and almost developed an attacking shape. Middlebury put together a few flurries that ultimately resulted in Angela Kapus (Kristin Reid) threading home her try. Reid made the play by holding onto the puck despite being hooked while she rushed up ice.
In the final frame, the Panthers came out and tied the match at two. MC made a series of quick rushes and fresher Lorna Gifis (Meghan Stone) completed hers with the timely tally. The Middlebury movement off the puck wasn't up to form, but it was just enough to improve the passing. Erin Neil (Reid, Catherine Elkins) seized the game winning goal for MC on a power play when Elkins found Reid down low, who crossed for E Neil. Lovely goal!
Clearly Middlebury enjoyed their nice long holiday. Today's performance was subpar. Still, it is interesting to see a side use a diamond pattern in even-up situations. MC's skating was missing in action. Because they are smart players with great vision, the Panthers avoided a total collapse. First-year defender Rose Babst is a strong marker, with nice range and is crafty with the puck. Fellow fresher Gifis likes to go for it. She created a number of turnovers. If Gifis ups her level of skating she could be something to watch out for! Kapus played a solid two-way game. Her well-timed pokechecks were parfait. The woman of the match was Reid. The sophomore attacker really moves. She was the catalyst for many of MC's best plays. Overall - where was the skating?
***
Date: Sun, 2 Dec 2001
Subject: Northeastern Women 3 - Providence 2
At Matthews, Sunday afternoon, the Northeastern Huskies were totally outskated by the Friars of Providence College, nevertheless, NU eked out a 3-2 victory. PC had some fabulous speed and at times dusted NU. The Huskies won because they made the most out of what fortune offered.
The contest featured the individuals of NU versus the team play style of PC. Providence's team speed was dazzling as the match began. There were spells when the Friars were dancing circles around Northeastern. PC opened the scoring when fantastic fresher Hilary Greaves (Ashley Payton) drilled her chance on an end-to-end break. Fellow first-year Payton and Greaves worked a marvelous 1-2 at the near post that easily beat the sleepy Husky defense. Darlene Stephenson (Danielle Bourgette) made it 0-2 Providence when she tipped a lovely dish from the point by fresher Bourgette. PC was ladling on the pressure.
Unfortunately, as the second unfolded, the Friars inept power play units again and again tried to hand NU the momentum. The awful PC passing was adding up as massive internal frustration. Northeastern repeatedly resisted temptation, but in the final five minutes of the period, were obliged to take over the game. First Erica Archambeau (Brooke White) cranked in a power play tally from the point, that found nothing but net. Seconds later, first-year Lori DiGiacomo (Lindsay Ball) tied the scoreline at 2 when she rammed home her try. Providence was at sixes and sevens, and looking like they had undone themselves, which indeed they had.
Caution was lurking everywhere in the final stanza. The Friars were still skating extremely well, but they seemed to be resigned to their failure to score more goals. PC's defense went to a one blanket policy in the third whenever Northeastern had anything resembling pressure. After some up and down the ice action, Northeastern snatched the win when Brooke Whitney (White) got the final touch.
So how fast are they? Providence College is deliciously quick. If their puck movement were to take several quantum leaps forward and get in the same neighborhood as the Friar skating, this team would be dynamite. As it is, the poor passing frustrates the attacking shape. The other oddity is that the defensive units are often out of sync with the attacking lines. I think the blue liners have a completely different script! The most impressive blue liner was Bourgette. She makes the simple, heads-up plays and moves the puck effectively. Bourgette has nice hands - perhaps she could give a clinic on the various forms of hard and touch passes for her mates. The other standout defender was fresher Mara Amrhein. Her tough solo marking was splendid. First-year Rush Zimmerman was thrilling with her acceleration bursts. The line of Payton, Angela Hill and Greaves was a treat. Payton can really burn up the ice and Hill knows when to gun the puck on net. The woman of the match was Greaves. This kid flies. Today she used her speed on back-checking assignments also. Greaves warps herself into great positions and always looks dangerous around the net. Overall, this is a fast team, and if they ever develop their passing and confidence, they would be wildfire.
***
Date: Sun, 25 Nov 2001
Subject: Harvard Women 0 - Providence 6
The Harvard Crimson were destroyed, 0-6, Sunday afternoon at Bright, by the Friars of Providence College. It was a fun game to watch because of PC's excellent team speed. At times it seemed like Providence were on extended power plays, when it reality it was even up.
The Friars came out hard and fast. PC's passing reeked. Their stickhandling was nothing to write home about. However, the overall team speed created all kinds of opportunities for Providence. PC's fresher Carrie Holldorf (Kim Mathias, Melanie Ruzzi) opened the scoring with a power play tally, when she made an aggressive move up the gut. After a ton of Friar pressure, defender Meredith Roth (Kelli Halcisak, Angela Hill) sailed her try from the point into the top netting. PC was on a roll. Sarah Youlen (Jackie Tamsin, Rush Zimmerman) made it 0-3 when she moved to open ice and was found with the perfect pass from the point. Lovely goal!
Periodically there were spells when Providence seemed scared to death that they were, or might be trapped in their own zone. Too often, no one wanted to turn up ice and use their skating to move forward. Early in the second, Providence went on the power play, and managed to extend it for 8-10 extra minutes. Unit after unit changed up and kept the pressure on. Eventually, Tamsin (Zimmerman, Youlen) finished off a nice three-way passing play when she was left all alone in the far slot. It was a defining moment, as after that spell, PC was clearly in control.
In an unusual occurrence, the ECAC zebras were spot on. They were up with play and kept the teams to the mark without hindering the flow of the game! The third period found Providence still on top. Even the defensive system was repelling the incoming attackers with something resembling confidence. Jenn Butsch (Mathias), who was driven all afternoon, collected a rebound and nailed her attempt to make it 0-5. Mathias had made the fine intercept and blown in on goal. Holldorf (Danielle Culgin, Ruzzi) completed the scoring when her line broke in on net and she drilled it low.
Providence is looking pretty good. Their puck movement is not the best. In addition, it is time to get over the breakout problem. PC's intelligent use of speed produced a nice flow. The defense was led by first-year Mara Amrhein. She covered an amazing amount of ice and was so effective because she kept it simple. Fellow fresher Danielle Bourgette and Halcisak were exciting as they set up each other from their point positions with some marvelous dishes. Bourgette was also adept at keeping the puck in play. Roth was another blue liner that made some choice interceptions and was superior with her execution of set plays. Up front, the line of Ruzzi, Culgin and Holldorf was hot. While their passing was sadly lacking, they went forward with fire and determination. First-year Ashley Payton made some perfect setup passes on the power play. Another delightful young colt to watch is fresher Hilary Greaves. She has a certain presence around the puck that can be magical. The woman of the match was Butsch. She worked her tail off and was there for her mates all day. Butsch appears to fire this team to higher levels. Overall, with pace like that, PC could go places.
***
Date: Sat, 17 Nov 2001
Subject: Harvard Women 5 - UMD 8
It was a frigid Saturday afternoon at Bright that found the Harvard Crimson beaten by the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs 5-8. UMD could have put this game away at any point in time, but were too occupied with playing the percentages to actually finish it off.
The contest began with the skill of the Bulldogs gradually overcoming a fired-up HU team. UMD likes to play a slow, control style and when possible tend to keep coming at their adversary. Joanne Eustace (Michelle McAteer) gave Duluth the lead when she completed a nice rotation play by drilling the puck under the netminder's pads. HU came right back and tied the match at one. However, UMD's captain Maria Rooth followed up by walking through the HU defense and roofing her try. Lovely goal! The Bulldogs use a loose fore-checking scheme and often let the other side beat themselves. Hanne Sikio (Erika Holst) made it 1-3 UMD when she went end-to-end and tossed the puck into the upper netting. Sikio could have easily dished off on the play, as Duluth was creating so many attacking angles. But UMD played it a tad too loose and HU cut the margin to one goal. That produced a surge from Minnesota-Duluth with Tricia Guest (Kristina Petrovskaia) following up Petrovskaia's drive off the far post with a simple tap in over the sprawled goaltender. It was 2-4 UMD and their attacking shape was looking good.
In the second period, there was less intelligent playmaking and more drifting. There were also some cheap shots and holding by both teams. Nothing much happened until around halftime when HU collected an own-goal from an indecisive Bulldog defender. Immediately Duluth came back when a long-range drifter from fresher Larissa Luther squeezed its way through the goalie's pads, to restore the two goal margin at 3-5. Things were starting to heat up. HU collected a power play marker to make the contest close. And then, UMD's Rooth (Tuula Puputti) nailed the crunch goal when she took a crisp outlet pass from the Bulldog tender, swooped in on goal and roofed her shot. Lovely goal!
Hook and hack was the theme of the final frame. Minnesota-Duluth was surprisingly sluggish to react to open situations. HU made it 5-6 when the UMD defense was caught flat-footed. By now all the fine attacking rushes were abandon and the Bulldogs just blasted it. Eventually, with about 2 minutes left, Duluth's Rooth (Eustace, Guest) got her hat trick and recaptured a two goal cushion when the HU goaltender gave up a huge rebound that Rooth tucked home. The final UMD tally was an empty-net score by Rooth to make it 5-8.
Minnesota-Duluth are a mixed bag. They have this lovely, slowly deceptive attacking shape that looks and plays great. Part of the reason it works so well is that most of the UMD players use nice long sticks, and so have an enormous reach and can make many little plays with ease. However, they also waste lots of time and effort on the nonsense side of the game. Duluth doesn't seem to know what its "A" game really is. The blue liners are often painfully stagnant. They would be a treat for a quick opponent to exploit. Nevertheless, first-year Julianne Vasichek made a number of fun moves and was very clever with her release passes from the defensive zone. Up front Laurie Alexander was always looking for and finding her mates with some terrific dishes. The attacker of the match was Rooth. While it is good to be selfish as a scorer, Rooth could learn to look for others more. This kid is a great power forward who loves to steam forward. The woman of the match was Navada Russell. The slick defender has fabulous anticipation. Russell snuffed out so many problems before they had a chance. Overall, what's my line?
***
Date: Sat, 10 Nov 2001
Subject: Harvard Women 2 - Dartmouth 3
The Harvard Crimson were outskated 2-3 by the Big Green of Dartmouth College, Saturday evening at Bright Hockey Centre. DC can really fly. If the Big Green snipers had been on target, this could have been a blowout.
HU went for it early in the match, but slowly Dartmouth's speed and passing started to shine. DC was using their longball tactics in the first, and I believe they would have done better if they had blended that in more as the contest progressed. HU picked up the only score during a power play.
In the middle interval, Dartmouth came out hard and fast. The reason HU hung in the game was because of the generosity of the ECAC zebras, who clearly were homers. The DC defense periodically looked unsteady. The Big Green tied the match at 1-1 when junior Jillian Rockoff (Kim McCullough, Meagan Walton) slid the puck under the HU goalie during a pile up in front of net. At last all the fine skating and puck movement had produced a goal.
The pedestrian third found DC looking tired. Play was so far off the boil, it would have been difficult to make tea. DC's fantastic fresher Danielle Grundy (Lydia Wheatly, Alex Zagaria) grabbed a 2-1 lead when a series of quick passes released Grundy. HU came right back and tied the contest when the Dartmouth defense vaporized. The Big Green's skating had become much less interesting by the time HU gifted them an own-goal for the game winner. McCullough was credited with the tally that was poked home by an HU defender.
Dartmouth can really cook, but they seem to have trouble getting anything to the table. They do a lot of the little things so well. In some ways they play too much team play style. Perhaps a few selfish snipers would produce more goals. Big Green's superior team speed was wonderful to watch. The off the puck movement was excellent and their passing was usually crisp. Junior attacker Amy Catlin made some lovely passes. Senior Kristin King was a speedy little devil. Her darts made a ton of space for her mates. The line of Grundy, Sarah Clark and Wheatley can motor. They can really crunch as they swoop in on net. The woman of the match was Grundy. She loves to have a go. Grundy has a classic combination of using her soft hands to dish lovely feeds with the puck and then moves so perfectly off the puck to get open. Overall, Dartmouth's team skills could take them far.
***
Date: Sat, 3 Nov 2001
Subject: Northeastern Women 5 - Connecticut 3
The black Huskies defeated the blue Huskies 5-3, as Northeastern hosted the University of Connecticut at Matthews Arena. The Saturday evening affair featured fair skating, some nice passing by UConn but in reality lacked a multitude of finishing touches.
The contest began with Connecticut looking nervous. The pattern, that followed throughout the game, saw NU holding UConn in their own zone for the start of the period. After awhile the puck seemed to get tired of the incompetent attempts at passing by Northeastern and vacated the UC half of the ice. There was no scoring in the first, but UConn's puck movement showed potential.
After the usual riff at the start of the middle term, Northeastern exploded for three quick goals. Kim Greene (Brooke Whitney, Nicole Lewis) found the top of the netting when she unleashed a try from the point, through a screen. There was little surprise that a high shot would beat the flopping Connecticut goaltender. Lewis (Danielle Keefe, Brooke White) collected a power play tally when she was left unmarked in the high slot and found the far post. Immediately after that, Greene (White) roofed her angular attempt, during an imposing strike. After those scores, the match went off the boil.
In the final period, UConn struck back with a power play goal when the horrendous NU defending left Erika Spaeth (Tiffany Owens, Kimberly Berry) free. Straightaway, UC nailed another one when Stefanie Snow (Laura Stosky) drifted over the NU blue line and ripped her slapper into the far corner of the cage. Things looked interesting for a short time, as both sides went close. However, NU's Greene claimed her hat trick and restored a two goal margin (4-2) when she beat the UConn defenders and backhanded her shot into the back of the net. Fresher Lindsay Ball (Greene) added to the Northeastern count when she converted a lovely feed from Greene. UConn came back during a 5 on 3 power play and closed out the scoring when Stosky (Owens) completed a nice backdoor play.
UConn is a team you want to be playing early in the season. These guys have so many of the basics down and are always in motion. The result, once the players have more confidence and more of the attacking shapes are learned, will be a deadly side. The Connecticut team speed is coming along nicely. They certainly play their hearts out. Up front, sophomore Sara Mahoney showed some excellent skating. First-year Berry made some lovely misdirection passes. On the blue line, Stosky is a tough, no nonsense kid. She provided her mates with many turnovers. The UConn woman of the match was Snow. A classic defender who is determined to throw her squad forward. Snow is agile, and provided she gets her head up and makes the telling dish, could turn into something special. Overall, a well-coached side.
The trivializing of sport with loud pop music at every stoppage of play was unfortunately in fashion at Northeastern.
Match reports 2000-2001
Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2001
Subject: MIT Women 0 - Colgate 8
Late Sunday afternoon at Johnson Rink, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Engineers were dusted by the Red Raiders of Colgate. The Raiders controlled this match and displayed some good team speed. MIT played a fairly solid defensive game and fought hard.
As the match began, Colgate zipped into the MIT zone and started to push the issue. Defender Kelly Roos (Heather Murphy) opened the scoring for the Red Raiders when she took a fine feed from behind the net and buried it. Next fresher Avery McGlenn (Caitlin Hornyak) redirected a nice pass at the far post to make it 0-2. The Techers were periodically making some pretty good breaks of their own, but Colgate regrouped well. Annie Stover (Murphy) completed the first period tallies when she finished off a terrific slot feed from jazzy junior Murphy.
At the start of the second, the Raiders' Nicole Lehroff made it 0-4 when her long shot made it through traffic. Stover was credited with the next score that occurred on an offsides play. With MIT at sixes and sevens, Colgate's Heather Smith let fly a low point shot that found nothing but net. The pounding continued when Toby Mandel hit a high blast off the goaltender's faceshield and Lehroff (Mandel) followed up with a rebound. Colgate scored their last goal during a 5 on 3 power play when Murphy's quick release from the point picked the inside near post.
In the final interval, MIT's defensive coverage was looking good, but harried. The Red Raiders were content to run a series of outside control drills.
Colgate is a pretty good skating club. They tend to follow the puck too much and therefore their movement off the puck leaves a lot to be desired. The Raiders also did not adjust their patterns well to the defensive shape before them. Still, the players picked each other out relatively well, and used their speed to good advantage. The line of Casey Schofield, Lehroff and Kara Lisavich played well together. Their anticipation was very good. Senior captain Lauren Pufahl was easily the fastest player on the ice. Her cunning darts always seemed to spring her into an open position. The woman of the match was Murphy. The master space creator provided some brilliant setups with her soft stick. Murphy is a slick skater and a lovely talent to watch. Overall, Colgate should look good in the ECAC Division I.
MIT played one of their better matches today. The defensive posture worked well and did not give up many good chances. Senior goalie Sara Kaplan hung tough and made a number of fine saves with her glove. Katie Fillion marked well and helped keep things clear in front of net. Dara Jeffries also looked good back on the blue line as her tough no nonsense style produced good support for her mates. Michele Verticchio and Erin Mellencamp made several nice sorties. The MIT woman of the match was Verticchio, who also came through with a big back-checking effort. Overall, a solid performance.
***
Date: Tue, 16 Jan 2001
Subject: Boston College Women 2 - Middlebury 1
On a calm Tuesday evening at Conte Forum, the Boston College Eagles edged the Panthers of Middlebury College 2-1. The match featured some good two-way play from both teams. It looked like either might win it at the end, and in fact, a draw would have suited the run of play.
As the game opened, MC's controlled puck movement was giving BC fits. The Eagles managed to hint at some individual speed, but combination passing was out of the question. What I appreciate about Middlebury is that they make the intelligent play, instead of dumping the puck. That expertise led to MC's goal late in the first. Sophomore sensation Audrey Pellerin (Kristin Reid) snuck in from the point and buried a superb pass from Reid.
At the start of the second, Boston College came right back as Alexis Moed (Jaclyn Kryzak) took the puck to the net and put home her own rebound. MC was guilty of not clearing the puck. After that spurt, things settled down and we again saw some pressure from both sides. The Panthers like to put out a pseudo-power play at the end of periods, and they went very close to regaining the lead.
In the final interval, a tie looked on the cards, as while the squads had taken turns attacking, neither looked a clear winner. Late in the contest, BC's Jen Buckley (Carla Hess) rang her high point shot off the post and into the back of the net. Middlebury raged forward and went oh so close to tying it up, but the Eagles held on for victory.
Middlebury are an outstanding team. It is so wonderful to get to witness a side trained so well and executing their tactics with style. It is fabulous to watch the interchangeable players interact. MC was led by their fiery captain Michelle Labbe. Her determination and vitality threw her line forward. Fresher wing Jean Butler showed some nice jets. Angela Kapus can really go for it when she sees an opening. First-year Reid is a great passer. Her lovely attacking speed and delicate touch let her create marvelous setups. In goal, Megan Hutchinson remained calm as she faced down the shooters. On the blue line, Pellerin is an incredible two-way player. Her surges forward were tremendous stuff. The woman of the match was Catherine Elkins. At one point in the second, while MC was changing up its power play unit on the fly, Elkins held at bay four BC defenders in their own zone, who were completely intimidated by her menacing moves. With her vision, she is a splendid defender and an awesome attacker. Overall, these guys are really good!
Boston College remains where they are because they don't develop skills. They waste a lot of time trying to run plays they don't have the proficiency for. BC has some good talent, but the basics are not there. Amy Coletta looked sharp in net. Her solid performance kept her team in the game. Junior forward Missy Barsz displayed some nice breaking plays. Overall, the Eagles have their work cut out for them.
***
Date: Sat, 13 Jan 2001
Subject: Harvard Women 7 - Providence 4
Saturday evening at Bright, the Harvard Crimson routed, 7-4, the Friars of Providence College. PC went into auto-destruct and gave HU 3 own-goals.
Both teams looked listless in the opening period. Providence scored early with a power play goal when senior defender Valerie Bono (Kim Mathias, Jessica Tabb) drilled her point shot low near post. For a time it looked like the Friars might go two up, as they produced some good pressure. Instead, HU evened the contest.
As the second began, PC came out of the blocks and hit full stop. It looked like the HU would overwhelm the Friars, but for all the dominance, no HU scores resulted. In the middle of this HU flurry, Providence pulled off a great 1-2-3, end-to-end break. Mathias (Tabb, Darlene Stephenson) finished the play when she backhanded a rebound into the net. The HU defense was totally absent. HU resumed its attack and got a power play score when a shot banked in off a Friar defender. It looked like HU was ready to pull away, and then PC senior sensation Tabb (Stephenson) stuffed home an ooo-la-la goal to make it 2-3. Fresher Stephenson had hit the jets and dusted a HU defender. As she closed on goal, out of nowhere, Tabb had hit warp drive, gotten in position and clinically completed the perfect feed. Lovely goal! At that point, Providence's speed was showing and the HU defense was lost. However, the Friars didn't go for the killer two goal lead. They sat on it and the PC blue liners started to have a ton of trouble clearing the puck. Eventually HU got two more goals.
After that middle period, you had to wonder if PC had anything left to come back at HU with. HU came out looking for the two goal advantage and got it. The Providence defense was at sixes and sevens. HU went up 6-3 when a loose puck went in from a pile in front of net. By now the Friars had replaced their goaltender, but the result was the same. PC came right back when Jackie Tamsin (Jennifer Kranz) poked home are bound. HU concluded the scoring, when a Providence blue liner was nice enough to touch a pass into her own goal at the far post.
Providence was disorganized. They have some lovely team speed. When they use it, they look great. Tonight the problem was atrocious defending, and lack of kill instinct. PC had several chances to take the game over, but didn't. Holley Tyng did have a pretty good outing on the blue line. Her standup style and anticipation let her stop many plays. Melanie Ruzzi also looked steady. Her reads and breakups were very good. Up front, Danielle Culgin displayed some fine speed. The PC woman of the match was Tabb. Whether she was burning up her wing and providing the clever setup pass, or wheeling out of her own zone with the puck, Tabb was fabulous to watch. Overall, we need some coordination guys.
***
Date: Sat, 6 Jan 2001
Subject: Harvard Women 2 - St Lawrence 3
It was a wonderful Saturday for hockey, as fine, falling flakes coated Bright Hockey Centre. The final score of 2-3 reflected well the contest that found the Harvard Crimson edged by the St Lawrence Saints. The match featured some nice back and forth action, but you had to feel sorry for the players who clearly have way too many don'ts in their lives.
As the game began, neither team seized the moment. There were a few good breaks, but with the mandatory first 5 (10, 15, 20!) minutes of the period being safety hockey, no one was that committed to the attack. Eventually, SLU's Amanda Sargeant (Gina Kingsbury) stabbed one home, after HU was guilty of not getting the puck out of their own end.
With the young talent the Saints have acquired, I was expecting them to build on their lead in the second. Instead, HU grabbed the advantage, first with a power play goal and then shorthanded. The SLU turnover that led to the shorthanded tally was caused by a defender overhandling the puck. The Saints were coming apart at the seams.
The Fates had a different plan for the final interval. HU came out fast and looked like they wanted to finish it. That seemed to get St Lawrence moving. The Saint's Nicole Kirnan (Caroline Trudeau, Trisha Powers) rattled the puck in to tie the score at 2-2. Powers had started the breakout play, after a spell of HU pressure, and St Lawrence was able to hem HU in, and thus create the chance. After that goal, SLU's team speed looked a great deal faster than HU's. Jessica Wilson won the match for St Lawrence when she went in on a long break, should have passed, but instead drifted a floater in at the far post. HU tried to come back, however the Saint's hung on for victory.
The reason St Lawrence won the contest was because they were trailing after two. That forced the coach to undo a few laces on the straitjacket and let his team show their stuff. SLU has a talented young team. They have some good speed and could really motor under better tactics. I particularly liked their tight box on the penalty kill. On the blue line, fresher Isabelle Chartrand shows a soft stick and quick feet. Her demonstrative style is fun to watch, however she needs to not overdo it. Chartrand's vision and outlet passes were lovely. Fellow first-year Lindsay Charlebois is a big, tough, no nonsense defender. Her mopping up was spot on. The St Lawrence woman of the match was fresher Kingsbury. She is always moving, always having a go and creating breaks for herself and her mates. Kingsbury is explosive and a treat to watch. Overall, the Saints have the potential to be extremely good.
***
Date: Fri, 5 Jan 2001
Subject: Northeastern Women 4 - Dartmouth 0
Friday evening, with light snowflakes falling, the Northeastern Huskies upset the Big Green of Dartmouth 4-0 at Matthews Arena. The match was rather drab, with caution being the password. NU used their strong two-way play to pull out the huge victory.
There was no scoring for the first half of the contest. I trust the coaches were amused by the unimaginative performance. DC looked much quicker, but allowed the Huskies to hang in there.
Around the midpoint of the second period, during a spell of 4 on 4 hockey, Northeastern's Brooke Whitney (Kim Greene, Lisa Giovanelli) slid one in, through a scrum in front of the net. A few minutes later, the Big Green defense coughed up the puck right in front of goal, and Michelle Lorion buried it. Dartmouth was starting to look a tad worried. Both teams produced some good breaks, but the mass defenses were too much. Late in the second, NU notched the killer third goal. Colleen Coen (Betsy Dyke, Greene) took a lovely feed and was in all alone. She deked the DC goaltender and tucked the puck into the back of the net. That goal was made by the nice transition play provided by Greene's movement and passing.
As the final frame began everyone was waiting for Dartmouth to hit warp speed and fashion the big comeback. Instead Big Green looked problematic. Northeastern played tight and attacked the puck at both ends of the ice. With five minutes left, Giovanelli (Erica Archambeau) walked into open ice at the top of the circle and drilled her power play try high stick side to complete the scoring at 4-0.
This is the first time I have seen Dartmouth have better team speed than Northeastern. Unfortunately, the quickness factor only showed through in flashes of brilliance from individual players. For whatever reason, DC couldn't find their form tonight. Junior defender Correne Bredin pulled off a number of impressive transition moves as she flew up the ice producing dangerous attacks. Jillian Rockoff was the other blue liner who stood out with her smart clearance plays. Up front sophomore Lydia Wheatley looked tough as she generated swift two-way hockey. Super senior Lauren Trottier went so close a couple of times. The kid can burn up the ice. Overall, not at all what I had hoped for from Dartmouth.
***
Date: Sat, 2 Dec 2000
Subject: Northeastern Women 4 - New Hampshire 3
On a chilly Saturday afternoon, the Northeastern Huskies nipped the Wildcats of the University of New Hampshire 4-3, at Matthews. It was a sloppy performance by both sides. Either team could have won, and in fact a draw would have been appropriate, but in the end, NU hung on for victory.
The first period was pathetic. Hesitant play was the order of the day. Neither squad was skating well, nor as a team. UNH's Kira Misikowetz (Carolyn Gordon, Jenn Wildman) gave the Wildcats the initial lead. The goal was made by the brilliant form of defender Randi Hickox. She stepped up on the play and intercepted a Northeastern breakout pass and threw her mates forward. Unfortunately that tally didn't bring better action. Instead, the Huskies were extremely lucky to get a late goal from Brooke Whitney when she punted the puck off a scrum in front of the UNH goal and it looped into the net, to tie the score at one.
At the start of the second, New Hampshire used a big fore-checking scheme to produce a number of turnovers from NU. Chandy Kaip (Michelle Thornton, Annie Fahlenboch) ripped one in from the point to regain the Wildcat advantage. After that goal, there were actually moments when Northeastern was really skating and almost producing a flow. However, not to be outdone, UNH came back with a series of fine breaks. Fresher Janine Goulet went close to giving New Hampshire the critical two goal margin on a breakaway. Instead, UNH took a couple of penalties and the contest changed. First NU's Whitney (Kathleen Savino, Kim Vallone) buried a power play chance when she was left all alone at the far side of the net. Whitney (Lisa Giovanelli, Kim Greene) completed her hat trick (I didn't check to see if she used the same stick - so who knows if it was natural or artificially flavored) on another Husky power play. This time most of the New Hampshire team got sucked into the left corner and that gave Whitney tons of room and time right in front of goal. The Wildcats were looking weary when Giovanelli (Sara Mahoney) gunned in a nice feed to make it 4-2 Northeastern.
Early in the final frame, NU's careless defense gave UNH too much space. The result was Thornton (Kristine Butt, Hickox) sneaking in and finding nothing but net for the Wildcats. With the game at 4-3 I was waiting for a fantastic finish, but got the Husky prevent defense holding off New Hampshire.
UNH is rebuilding. They have a lot of fine young talent. Today they did not play well as a unit. Up front New Hampshire has a couple of great first-year prospects in Deborah Bernhard and Goulet. Goulet can fly and has a nose for goal. She could be a major scorer. Bernhard is an extremely smart center. Her version and creative moves generate a lovely attacking flow. On the blue line, freshers Kristen Thomas and Allison Edgar enjoy pressing the play forward. Thomas has a soft pair of hands and can dish some fabulous feeds. Edgar likes to get up a head of steam and lead the charge up the ice. Both have some defensive skills to acquire, but could be super. The woman of the match was sophomore defender Hickox. She had an outstanding match using her anticipation to move the game her team's way. Hickox's dynamic movement was a treat to see. Overall, UNH remains a tough team to play.
***
Date: Sat, 18 Nov 2000
Subject: MIT Women 0 - Middlebury 6
At Johnson Rink, Saturday afternoon, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Engineers were debugged 0-6 by the Panthers of Middlebury College. Middlebury are such an intelligent team. They used the entire match as an incredible practice session featuring controlled passing and lovely movement off the puck. The indirect off the board passing scheme was particularly satisfying to watch.
The match began and pretty much ran as a series of Middlebury rotation plays. MIT did well to setup their defensive shell against the force of the Panthers. Middlebury's fresher defender Heather Wende (Michelle Labbe) opened the scoring when she drilled her chance. Labbe made the lovely setup pass when the cycle released Wende up the gut. The Panthers continued their mastery of puck and space and gave the Techers little chance to breakout. First-year Kristin Reid (Catherine Elkins, Lynette Cassidy) notched a shorthanded goal when she converted a rebound. Cassidy had provided the elegant setup as Elkins cruised in for the initial shot.
Early in the second, Elkins (Molly Turco) poked one home to make it 0-3. The Middlebury blue liners got their turn at running advanced rotation systems. The movement was not as sharp, but the learning process continued. Middlebury's Anna Hastings (Gabrielle Fonseca) threw one in from the popcorn stand to provide the next tally. Fresher Fonseca (Labbe) concluded the scoring for the middle interval when Labbe held onto the puck and waited to make the perfect centering pass, as Fonseca broke free.
Unlike so many other teams, the Panthers proved themselves to be such a class act by not running up the score in the final frame. There was no pad your stats contest. Instead we got more smart player and puck motion. Nico Kieves (Amber Neil) one-timed her try into the back of the net off of the super feed from A Neil. It was a treat to witness Middlebury's play.
The current DIII National Champions look tough. Middlebury develop all aspects of ice hockey and have some super skills. The Panthers seem to define the word team. They look for and use each other so well. The defense was led by Elkins, the fabulous junior. Her cool control lets her make the most of her marvelous reads. Wende is a very smart and strong newcomer who looks the perfect fit in the Middlebury system. Audrey Pellerin adds power to the blue line and loves to join the attack. Her off the mark acceleration was remarkable. Up front, Erin Neil is the ever breaking wing with her splendid speed. What makes E Neil so effective is her smarts. She reads and reactions so quickly, nobody knows she's there. First-year Fonseca has that ability to find open space. She could be a great scorer for the Panthers. The women of the match were A Neil and Labbe. Labbe, with her silken skills, deadly passing and tremendous puck control is a rare gem. Her mastery of movement is superb. A Neil is a fireball. The sophomore sensation lets it rip from the blue line. A Neil seems to be in motion perpetually as she darts here and there providing space for her mates. Overall, these guys are good!
MIT needs to conquer step one: skating. While I hope they took extensive notes during the masterclass this afternoon, I think mobility was the number one lesson. Junior forward Michele Verticchio had a solid match as she used her pokecheck extremely well to breakup plays. Her anticipation was excellent. In goal, senior Sara Kaplan came up with some big saves with her glove. She also faced the shooter well. Overall, there is plenty of time to learn.
***
Date: Sun, 5 Nov 2000
Subject: Northeastern Women 5 - Yale 0
On a raw Sunday, with rain pelting Matthews Arena, the Northeastern Huskies bombed the Yale Bulldogs 5-0. While both clubs skate extremely well, that didn't translate into anything invigorating. In fact we seemed to have two squads in search of a contest.
Both sides started quickly, but gradually there developed a trend towards one-way traffic in the Eli goal direction. Lisa Giovanelli (Brooke Whitney, Kim Vallone) opened the scoring for the Huskies when she knocked home a rebound. Yale had been pinned in their own end and the result was waiting to happen. On an NU power play, Michelle Lorion (Jennifer Santerre, Colleen Coen) made it 2-0. Some very nice puck movement found Lorion all alone in front, and she buried her attempt.
In the mundane middle frame, Yale looked to have the advantage when senior Lisa Meyers drove through the Husky defense and just missed scoring. But in general, nothing was cooking for either team. Finally near the end of the period, Northeastern's Lorion (Giovanelli) cut down the left wing, shifted to goal and shoveled the puck in. Moments later, Coen (Jessica Ferwerda, Vallone) made it 4-0 NU when she took a lovely feed from Ferwerda and finished it.
The Elis tried to push the issue in the final period, and controlled play in the Husky's zone for a time. But in the end, Northeastern broke out and eventually tallied when Whitney (Vallone) worked the puck from the boards to the center slot and misdirected her shot into the net.
Compared with other teams, Yale is a very good skating side. They appear to lack confidence and seem to be easily spooked. The fine movement they generate does not produce the timely goals they badly need. The Elis have a lot of good young talent and need to follow the fine example of Meyers. She plays with poise and never gives up. The smooth skating leader went close to scoring several times. Overall, the Yale mix hasn't jelled at this point in time.
The trivializing of sport with loud pop music at every stoppage of play was unfortunately in fashion at Northeastern.
***
Date: Sat, 4 Nov 2000
Subject: Harvard Women 1 - Wisconsin 3
Saturday afternoon at Bright Hockey Centre, the Harvard Crimson were defeated by the Badgers of Wisconsin 1-3. Wisconsin made the most of their chances and put HU away.
The match started with a spark of energy from both sides, but sadly few connections. Neither team flies, in fact both track skate. However with mostly up and down action and spells of mild pressure from each squad, the opening period moved quickly. Late in the first, Wisconsin snatched the lead when Kelly Kegley (Kendra Antony, Meghan Hunter) poked home a power play goal during a scramble in front of net.
There was little poetry and no paradox in the second, as HU looked tired and the Badgers passing, while providing some good ideas, was anything but crisp. During a 5 on 3 power play, Wisconsin extended their margin when super soph defender Kerry Weiland (Kegley, Hunter) took a pass at the point from a face-off and rung her try off the near post into the back netting. Lovely goal! Leading 2-0, the Badgers went for the killer third tally, but couldn't find it.
In the third, play was back and forth, but ceremoniously slow. HU came back to make it 1-2. There was half a period left, and while Wisconsin had been guilty of protecting their lead to some extent, the Badgers now pushed forward and kept HU busy. In the final minutes, Wisconsin's Nicole Uliasz (Hunter) slotted home an empty-net goal after Hunter had dug the puck loose.
Wisconsin could develop into a wonderful team. At the moment they are a decidedly lazy skating club. Often content to glide, they hold themselves back. I would add, several of the players have sticks that are way too short and end up having to do tons of work for a simple play. Nonetheless, the Badgers have some fine talent and should place well this season. Fresher Kathryn Greaves is an absolute pest as she surges forward up the gut. The diminutive center went close a couple of times. First-year Karen Rickard made a fabulous shift in the third that almost nailed a third Badger goal. Fresher Hunter is ever the opportunist. With better dynamic movement she could be a star. On defense, Sis Paulsen made a nice rush and centering pass and in general kept things tidy at the back. The woman of the match was Weiland. She wheels, she deals, as she floats about the ice eliminating incoming plays and creating attacking ideas. And to top it all, she carries on the fine Wisconsin tradition of going down and blocking shots! Weiland can really motor and is a pleasure to watch. Overall, when you say Wisconsin, you're not talking mobility.
Match reports 1999-2000
Date: Sat, 25 Mar 2000
Subject: Middlebury Women 8 - Augsburg 1
Saturday afternoon saw the Panthers of Middlebury complete their two game sweep of the Augsburg Auggies 8-1, and thereby claim the first US Nationals Division III championship. Matthews Arena should be proud to have hosted two such fine teams. In the end, Middlebury's heads-up smart play was devastating.
The contest began with two intense squads. Both were going full out. However, Middlebury was on fire, and wave after wave of attackers was too much for the Auggies. At the end of an Augsburg power play, the Panther back-checking provided a turnover that the streaking defender Catherine Elkins (Christa McDougall) slid home. Erin Neil (McDougall, Audrey Pellerin) finished off the next Middlebury chance, this time created by their relentless fore-checking. The match was barely seven minutes old when Michelle Labbe made it 3-0 Panthers. This time the back-checking produced the perfect transition play that allowed Labbe to cruise in and tuck it away. Lovely goal! Labbe (Sylvia Ryan, Elkins) next fired one into the top shelf after a wonderful 2 on 1 play left Middlebury with so many options. The Auggies wisely called time out to regroup. They immediately converted a power play opportunity when Sarah Garrison (Angie Rieger, Erica Johnson) belted the puck in off a scramble in front.
By and large, the middle interval was nap time. It seemed like the ideal framework for Augsburg to continue their comeback. Instead, with the movement slow, the Panthers quietly collected four more goals. Ryan (Elkins, McDougall) chipped a high lofting shot in for a power play tally to make it 5- 1. Sarah Hall (Jacqui Phillips, Angela Kapus) scored during a pile up in front. Hall (Sarah Carpenter, Amber Neil) nailed another when Augsburg failed to clear the puck. Ryan (Labbe, Laurie Richmond) concluded the scoring in the closing seconds with the Auggies at sixes and sevens.
There were no other tallies in the game. The third featured a faster tempo, in spite of the refs. Augsburg continue to look for hope, but Middlebury was always one step ahead.
Augsburg played two fine matches against an experienced side. They came out strong today and looked like they could even the series. Instead, the Auggies were crunched early and then held in check. It was an impossible pattern to break out of. The defensive pair of Kristi Brusletto and E Johnson marked their opponents extremely well. They never gave much room and moved the puck forward effectively. Up front Carrie McCarville stood out with her two-way play. McCarville is an excellent back-checker and made a couple of fine rushes. Overall, the Auggies had a splendid season and are a credit to hockey.
Middlebury was awesome in the first period. They came out and put the series away, whether it was two games, or total goals! The key to the Panthers marvelous style is their heads-up play that always has them looking for openings and anticipating chances. Labbe epitomizes the smart Middlebury style. A crafty goalscorer with lovely touch. Her partner in the hunt up front, Ryan, has tremendous vision and lays on perceptive passes. E Neil is another classic Panther, who always knows where everyone is on the ice. Senior Hall drove hard all day, while fresher Kapus is a decided pest with her refined checking skills. Blue line mates A Neil and Carpenter played some tight defense today. They always seemed to have the perfect response. The woman of the match was sophomore sensation Elkins. She is a joy to watch as she flows over the ice and stays two moves ahead of everyone else. Elkins is a delight. Overall, Hail Middlebury, the first DIII US Nationals champion.
***
Date: Fri, 24 Mar 2000
Subject: Middlebury Women 5 - Augsburg 1
Game one of the US Division III Nationals at Matthews Arena was won 5-1 by the Middlebury Panthers over the Auggies of Augsburg. The Friday afternoon match was splendid as it was filled with fine plays from both teams. Middlebury eventually pulled away in the final period with their overpowering style.
As the contest began, the Panthers dominated. They used smart passing and excellent movement off the puck to produce some wonderful plays. Sarah Carpenter (Amber Neil) put Middlebury on the board in the opening minute when her high shot from the point found net. Fresher Erin Neil (Carpenter) gave the Panthers a 2-0 lead when she pulled off a fabulous rush. E Neil went on a break at the end of an Augsburg penalty, froze the Auggie defense with a head fake, fed Carpenter, and picked up the rebound and deposited it into the goal. It looked like the ECAC DIII Champions would walk away with it, but the Auggies hung in there. In the dying seconds of the first, Augsburg's Angie Rieger was given credit when the Panther goalie mishandled her hot shot into the net.
There was no scoring in a cautious middle period. At times, Middlebury looked like they were on one long power play. However, with nothing to show for it, and Augsburg starting to make some telling breaks of their own, it looked like anyone could win the game.
The Panthers came out intense at the start of the third. At the end of an Auggie power play, Middlebury senior Sylvia Ryan (Catherine Elkins) redirected a shot from the high slot area to make it 3-1. Elkins (Ryan) scored an ooo-la-la goal for Middlebury as she followed the play in from the blue line, collected her own rebound and stuffed it. It was a brilliant effort. The Panthers final tally of game one featured a charming solo power play rush from Catherine Pullins (Ryan). Pullins hit the jets, deked her way in on goal and tucked the puck into the back of the net. Lovely goal!
DI women's college hockey can be very fast and played with skill. However, the DIII women's version is so refreshing. There are few negative tactics and the result is clean hockey with the players respecting each other and the game. Getting to watch hockey without the posing and time wasting is also a huge plus. It is a treat to see the spirit of hockey flourishing in the Division III game.
Augsburg is a fine team. They play the game with a lot of heart and use each other well. At times they lack separation which hurts their passing and gives the other team too many points of attack. Still, they constructed many nice transitional pieces. The well bended defensive pairing of Annie Mattison and Emily Miller stood out with their bold plays and good reactions. Mattison made a lovely solo foray in the third. Up front, Rieger is a force. The big forward is a handful. Sarah Garrison has nice wheels. She blitzed the ice with her power attacks. Overall, the Auggies have their work cut out for them if they are to tie up the series.
Middlebury is a sharp, technically proficient team that does so many little things well. They play smart hockey and are a delight to watch. The blue liner pairing of Elkins and Pullins is tremendous stuff. Pullins makes timely rushes and Elkins provides dynamic coverage. Elkins is a treat to see as her vision and mobility generate a creative edge. The other outstanding defender is first-year A Neil. Her slick marking was top shelf. On the attack, Michelle Labbe made some marvelous shifts and laid on some sweet passes. Meanwhile, Ryan's rocket rushes and intelligent playmaking were exquisite. The woman of the match was E Neil. The fantastic fresher uses her mates so well. E Neil darted here and there and made the Panthers purr. Overall, Middlebury are very good.
***
Date: Sun, 27 Feb 2000
Subject: NU Women 4 - Princeton 0
Sunday afternoon at Matthews, the Northeastern Huskies produced a 4-0 victory over the Tigers of Princeton. It was a great game of ice hockey. Both teams played fast and hard, but in the end, NU's teamwork converted their chances and won the match.
In the first period, there was no scoring. The contest had draw written all over it. Both sides were playing relatively quick two-way hockey. The only flaw in the match was the way some players were carrying their sticks way too high.
As the middle stage began, the tempo had lessened, as play was tight. Still the squads continued to provide scoring opportunities. Finally, about the midway mark, Northeastern's Brooke White (Kim Greene) pulled out what proved to be the game winning goal. White hit the jets, bombed in on the Tiger's net and pushed her attempt under the flopping goaltender. At that point the pace quickened. Each side engineered some interesting attacks. Late in the second, Kathleen Savino (Greene) extended the Husky lead to 2-0, when she finished off an end-to-end rush by tossing in her own rebound.
In the final frame, safety hockey became the order of the day. Princeton tried to keep things tight at the back while looking for the perfect break. The Tigers went close a couple of times, but NU's goalie came up big. Just after serving a minor penalty, Erine Metcalf (Jennie Setaro) stepped on the ice and unleashed a high rising blast from the point, which found nothing but net. That insurance power play goal put the game away. In the dying minutes, the zebras gave Northeastern a fourth tally, when they bought into the goal judge's light going on. It was clearly not a goal, but fortunately the blunder had no effect on the outcome.
Princeton played a heck of a fine game. The scoreline is not indicative of how well they played. This contest could have been a draw easily. I thought what kept the Tigers from putting it all together was not enough teamwork on the attack. It appeared there was too much "do it on your own" and not enough coordinated planning. For example, sophomore center Andrea Kilbourne made some lovely rushes, but was not supported very well by her mates. Melissa DeLand was the other forward that displayed some sharp movements. On the blue line, Aviva Grumet-Morris made some quick reactions to stop incoming attackers. The Princeton woman of the match was senior captain Dani Holtschlag. Playing mostly a defensive forward role, Holtschlag made some gorgeous breakups when faced with 2 on 1 situations. She also laid on some nice transition passes while always managing to clean up at the back. Overall, Princeton needs two points if they are to make the final eight.
***
Date: Sun, 6 Feb 2000
Subject: Harvard Women 0 - Providence 1
Sunday afternoon at Bright, the Harvard Crimson were defeated by the Friars of Providence College 0-1. Harvard never got their game together, and wasted too much effort acting tough and carrying their sticks way too high. PC used an excellent checking scheme and lots of speed to pull out an important win.
Cautious hockey was in order in the early going of the match. Gradually, both teams started to make decisive rushes, but neither was giving the opposing goalie fits. Providence put together a spell of sustained pressure in the Crimson end, but at the end of one, there was no scoring.
The second featured more up and down movement. The dreadful passing held both teams back. We also started to get some ugly stickwork. The Friars' fabulous forward Jessica Tabb nailed what proved to be the game winning goal during a Harvard defensive collapsed. Tabb picked up the gift in front of the empty net and made her deposit. At that point, PC started to be too protective of their narrow lead and the Crimson started to push it. However, Tabb got her team running again when she made a delicious outside/in move that she just missed the finish on.
In the final frame, there was some pressure from both teams. There were also several impressive transition plays from each side, but the score remained the same. The contest got increasingly tense as time was running out. Harvard tried to find a combination of players that would produce a tally. But, Providence had their shields at maximum strength, and held on.
The Friars fine victory was generated by their improved team speed. They played well as a team. There always seemed to be another PC player ready to cover for her mate. Providence almost blew it when they were sitting on their lead. Fortunately, the Friars were great at shutting down dangerous situations rapidly. They need to work on their passing skills and getting their heads up. PC was guilty of giving away blind passes far too frequently. Valerie Bono led the blue liners with her fortitude and smart play making. Fresher Melanie Ruzzi's tight marking was superb. Alain Frankiewicz made some refined breakup plays. In goal, the nimble Sara DeCosta made some massive saves with her lightning quick glove. Up front, the back-checking of first-year Danielle Culgin was super. She needs to learn to keep her stick down, but her ability to close down attackers is very good. Jennifer Bill made a number of choice setup plays. The woman of the match was Tabb. Her speed is sensational. Her ooo-la-la move in the second was outstanding. Tabb's talent to make the dynamic shifts moved her team forward with style. Overall, Providence appears to be coming online at the right time.
***
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000
Subject: MIT Women 0 - Rensselaer 16
It was a mathematician's paradise, Saturday night at Johnson Athletic Center, as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Engineers were decimated by the Engineers of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 0-16. MIT was out-engineered in all facets of the game. Rensselaer came out fast and then pretty much hit cruise control.
The match began with RPI's first-year Christin Sauca going on a solo burst, before she deked and tucked the puck into the back of the net. Jennifer Janezic (Cindy Acropolis) converted when a nice feed from Acropolis, to the weak side, beat the MIT defense. Cara Jones made it 0-3 when she drilled one, after Rensselaer won a face-off. Fresher defender Cathy Hotchkiss (Andrea Poley) buried a pass out of the corner, when she snuck in from the point. Janezic (Acropolis) ripped one in when an MIT breakout attempt backfired. Sauca pounced to extend RPI's lead to 0-6, during an MIT defensive meltdown. Poley (Jamie Lalos, Andrea Wadman) completed some fine puck movement, when she was left all alone. Sauca (Jones, Anais Cunha) banged home a power play goal in the dying seconds of the period.
Rensselaer started to show better movement and were seeing each other a lot more in the middle frame. MIT upgraded their system, and kept it tighter at the back. Janezic (Wadman) finished off the perfect feed from Wadman, at the end of an MIT power play. Lovely goal! Talia Acampora took the puck from a face-off, was left by herself in the slot, and nailed it. Acampora (Poley) collected another tally, 0-11, when Poley hit the jets on a break-in play, and left the MIT blue liners in tatters. Wadman (Kristine DeRosa, Kate Adams) tucked her try under the goalie's pads, after a blast from the point was centered to her in the slot.
As the third period began, RPI was in full "What's my line?" mode. MIT went close a couple of times to scoring, but couldn't find the range. Cunha got the New York Engineers moving, when she picked up a big rebound, and stuffed it. Sauca was given credit for an own-goal, when the MIT goalie knocked a rebound into her own net. RPI turned up the volume, which paid dividends, when Acropolis found Janezic (Acropolis) at the far circle. Janezic had a look and fired it home. Fresher Alyson Bates (Lalos) concluded the scoring, when the MIT goalie was left with little support.
Rensselaer is a well-trained group. They cover well for each other. RPI's skating off the puck was not all it should be. Nevertheless, they were able to make some insightful passes. The line of Cunha, Jones and Sauca was resplendent. They used each other extremely well. Poley, Wadman and Lalos also looked good together. The woman of the match was Poley. The sophomore speedster made some wonderful moves, and was a delight to watch. On the blue line, Jessica Malec and Hotchkiss kept things tidy. Adams played a very smart game. She reads plays so well and provides the timely remedy. Overall, a strong performance from RPI.
MIT is too worried about position, and does not give enough attention to skating. The lack of mobility continues to kill them. The players are burning themselves out, but are missing the vital linkage. Michele Verticchio and Erin Mellencamp made several fine attacking plays, and in general, worked well together. Anne Mitzel looked strong in her stay-at-home defensive position. Jen Blundo brought some control and speed to the blue line. Her raw power is much needed to open the MIT conduits. The MIT woman of the match was defender Carolyn Phillips. She was all over the ice for the Massachusetts Engineers. Her ability to dig back and provide cover was excellent. Overall, I don't think this year's release is ready yet.
***
Date: Sat, 4 Dec 1999
Subject: MIT Women 0 - Colgate 17
Saturday evening at Johnson Rink, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Engineers were creamed 0-17 by the Red Raiders of Colgate. The visitors from New York appeared to be on one continuous power play for most of the game. In fact, MIT found themselves pressed back by the more experienced Raiders.
From the opening face-off, Colgate took the puck into the Techers' end and scored when Heather Murphy circled the net and fed Heather Smith (Murphy). Stephanie Sand (Kelly Roos) made it 0-2 when she knocked in a rebound from a point shot. MIT was facing an overwhelming force. Jenn O'Brien was credited with the next Red Raider goal, as the MIT goalie committed an own-goal. Lauren Pufahl pulled off a nice break-in play for Colgate that lead tp a goal. Chrissy Collins (Alden McNally, Murphy) completed the scoring in the first when Murphy did the stickhandling, McNally provided the setup and Collins roofed her try.
In the middle period, Murphy (McNally) whirled and twirled and threaded the puck home at the near post. Murphy (McNally) made it 0-7 when she burst across the blue line and blasted her slapper high stick side. The unending Colgate pressure was draining MIT's energy. Nicole Lehroff (Murphy) finished off the next lovely feed, laid on by sophomore sensation Murphy. Sand (Pufahl) ended up free in the left slot and drilled it high.
As the final interval began, the Red Raiders were into full "What's my line?" tactics. Murphy led another superb rush and set up O'Brien (Murphy) for the score. Missy Parkinson (McNally) made it 0-11 with a low shot, after McNally had won the draw on a face-off. Parkinson immediately returned the favor and passed to McNally (Parkinson) who slid home a low drive. With MIT on a rare power play of their own, Colgate's Murphy executed a brilliant individual goal when she deked and tucked into the back of the net. Sand nailed another shorthanded effort when she picked up a loose puck. Margaret Becker (Murphy) finished off a play made by Murphy when Becker ripped her shot. Lehroff (Eve Ledyard) made a nice shift right and scored. Defender Rachel Mascetta (Roos, Murphy) concluded the strikes when she nailed a rebound.
Colgate has many effective weapons. While they need to spend major amounts of time on their skating, their movement was fairly good. At times you could have covered all the Red Raiders with a blanket, but overall, they used each other well. Some of the mindless cycling seemed terribly wasted on this squad. They are capable of much more. The defense was led by senior captain Lise Lynam. She displayed a nice range of movement and was a very smart player. Lynam provided the backdrop for others to perform. First-year Mascetta is a slick blue liner. She laid on a couple of marvelous headman passes and was able to dig back for coverage when needed. McNally was a very strong player. If she kept her stick on the ice, she might even make a few more plays. Sand was always ready to have a go with her elusive shot. She was a fun gunner to watch. The woman of the match was Murphy. Her stickhandling was super. Murphy's vision was even better and her sniper quality was outstanding. Overall, Colgate has the ingredients to make a very strong team.
MIT was up against it. Facing a large, seasoned side lets you learn a lot, but is also very frustrating. The Engineers need to spend major amounts of time on their skating. Without the movement, life in the ECAC DIII league is going to be problematic, at best. Senior Katherine Oates produced a couple of nice breakout rushes. Fresher Lucy Crespo Da Silva was probably the top MIT back-checker. Carolyn Phillips hung tough on defense and stuck well on her marker. Captain Anne Mitzel read the play extremely well, and made a number of timely breakups. Overall, the Techers have their work cut out for them.
***
Date: Sun, 28 Nov 1999
Subject: NU Women 2 - UNH 1
Sunday's clash between perennial powers was won by the Northeastern Huskies 2-1 over the University of New Hampshire Wildcats. The intense contest featured team defense to the nth degree. It gave one vast amounts of time to reflect on Heisenberg's uncertainty principle.
The match began with two-way hockey. Skating was hard, technique was refined, but neither squad was going for it. Eventually, Husky burner Brooke White (Beth Claggett) gave NU a 1-0 lead when she fired her try into the back of the net. The chance came off a Northeastern transition move and found Claggett laying on the perfect pass to the streaking White. Lovely goal!
In the rather lethargic second, UNH put on some spells of pressure, but both teams were making the most of team defense. However, once again, the Huskies made the most of the circumstances when Hilary Witt (Michelle Lorion, Kim Greene) hit a rebound high into the goal. The play developed right after a NU power play and featured a rising shot from the point that caused all kinds of problems in the Wildcat goal crease. Fresher blue liner Greene provided a number of excellent attacking ideas and was fully stuck in on defense.
As the final period started, it appeared Northeastern was happy to sit on their 2-0 lead and see if they could close out the match. New Hampshire tried to get its attack flowing, but with all the checking from both sides, neither team could control much. Finally, late in the third, UNH's Tina Carrabba (Randy Hickox) tipped in a point shot to make things more tense. NU was able to execute the final few minutes and pull out the big win.
New Hampshire let this game slip away. They had the speed to do more, but not the commitment. The Wildcat defensive zone coverage was splendid. Some of their transitional play was inventive. Nevertheless, crunch time left a lot to be desired. First-year goalie Jen Huggon has a great, rapid reaction glove. She tends to go down too early and often, but it seems to work for her. It was fun watching the mobility of defender Brandi Kerns. She is quite the top of the line. Fresher blue liner Hickox has an amazing blend of agility and toughness. The way she weaved around the ice, moved people out of the way, and tidied up was way fab. Up front, Melissa McKenzie displayed nice jets, but can leave the hook at home. First-year Kristine Butt also impressed with her swiftness and talented rushes. Overall, when UNH green lights the attack, they should be lethal.
***
Date: Sun, 21 Nov 1999
Subject: NU Women 4 - Dartmouth 2
Sunday's big match for first place in the ECAC found the Northeastern Huskies defeating the Big Green of Dartmouth 4-2. DC exploded into Matthews and looked like they were going to blow Northeastern off the ice. NU was able to stabilize and come back with the killer scores in the third.
Dartmouth came out fast. They took the puck from the opening face-off and Kristina Guarino (Jennifer Wiehn) wrapped it into the Husky net. Big Green were flying. Fresher defender Kristin Romberg (Wiehn) made it 0-2 DC when her point shot glided through a partial screen into the goal. Northeastern tried to come back, but Dartmouth was clearly in control of the game. Nevertheless, Lisa Giovanelli (Michelle Lorion, Erine Metcalf) pulled one back at the end of an NU power play, when she knocked in a rebound after a blast from the point.
There was no scoring in the second. Play was up and down, but at a much slower rate. The highlight was when Guarino and Wiehn bombed the length of the ice and came so close to getting the killer Big Green goal.
The tempo picked up in the final interval and both teams went close. Super first-year Carly Haggard hit the jets for a couple of gorgeous breakaways, but just missed giving DC the crucial score. Meanwhile, Brooke White of Northeastern pulled off a fabulous out of the corner move that just failed to find net. NU tied the match at two when Kathleen Savino (Jennie Setaro, White) collected a splendid backdoor feed, and nailed it. It was anyone's game. Metcalf (Giovanelli, White) claimed the winner for the Huskies when her powerful point shot ripped into the top far post netting. Northeastern got the insurance goal on a power play when Hilary Witt (Metcalf, Setaro) picked up a rebound and lifted it up and over the Big Green goalie.
Dartmouth has excellent team speed. They move the puck effectively and keep it simple. Big Green, when they were motoring, kept it very tight at the back. They are a team ready to have a go whenever a chance presents itself. I don't know if it was fatigue or the Husky marking, but something slowed DC down. The defensive pairing of Romberg and fresher Jillian Rockoff anticipated the play so well. Their reactions were spot on. Blue liners Liz Macri and Correne Bredin played heavy duty defense. They kept it simple and made it very difficult to get through. The burning speed of Haggard was wonderful to watch. Given a longer stick, this kid could torch the league. Linemates Wiehn and Guarino are lovely to watch. Wiehn's back-checking to fill the passing lanes was top shelf. She also has tremendous swiftness and outstanding touch. The Dartmouth woman of the match was Guarino. Her acceleration is fabulous. Watching Guarino rip up the ice is a real treat. Overall, Dartmouth has some super talent, and I expect they may be in the honors this season.
***
Date: Sat, 13 Nov 1999
Subject: NU Women 0 - Providence 2
Saturday evening at Matthews, the Huskies of Northeastern were beaten by the Providence College Friars 0-2. The game was quite slow. PC made the most of their new heads-up "pass and go" system and collected the points.
The scoreless opening period was extremely bleak. NU had some nice ensemble, but with the exception of the dynamic shifts from Providence's Jessica Tabb and the intoxicating forays of Northeastern's Brooke White, play was flat.
In the second, performance continued to be insipid. Neither team was venturing much, and both were taking stupid penalties. Finally, the Friars pulled off an excellent 1-2 break-in play that allowed Tabb (Kim Mathias) to burst through and tuck the puck into the back of the net. Lovely goal! PC had been just missing that kind of quick transition play, and it was good to see them convert.
As the third period began, I expected to see the Huskies come out big. But nothing was going for Northeastern. Providence nailed the killer goal on a power play when Jennifer Butsch (Tabb, Mathias) banged one in. The NU defense was guilty of backing in. After that score, PC came close to adding another, as they closed out the contest.
Providence looks pretty good. They move the puck and their transitional play is coming along splendidly. PC's team defense did a nice job filling the Husky passing lanes. The Friars need work on their team skating and passing techniques. However the point remains that first-year head coach Bob Deraney has them moving forward in a positive direction. As the season progresses I would expect PC to become a very fun team to watch. The movement of the line of Tabb, fresher Butsch and Mathias was super. They managed some brilliant quick shifts. The PC woman of the match was Tabb. The fleet forward has a lovely attacking edge. Jackie Tamsin held her line together and came close to finding the net. Fresher defender Melanie Ruzzi reads the game so well. She also looked fine on the point during power plays with her puck movement. Assistant captain Valerie Bono was well suited in her libero role, tidying up all over the ice. Overall, the Friars look to be on the rise.
The trivializing of sport with loud pop music at every stoppage of play was unfortunately in fashion at Northeastern.
Match reports 1998-1999
Date: Sat, 13 Mar 1999 18:07
Subject: NU Women 3 - PC 0
(13Mar99) Saturday afternoon at Matthews Arena, the Huskies of Northeastern swamped the Providence College Friars 3-0 in an ECAC DI quarterfinal game. It was basic playoff hockey with the password being: caution. Northeastern pressed for and got the big goals and so moved on to next weekend's ECAC final four at Brown.
The contest began at a rapid pace. PC's Jessica Tabb went close with a lovely solo effort, but NU goaltender Erika Silva snuffed her attempt. During a 5 minute major on Providence, the Huskies took the early lead when Hilary Witt (Brooke Whitney, Erine Metcalf) knocked home the third rebound. After that goal, and the rest of the penalty, the game slowed.
In the second, various forms of defensive hockey took center stage. The Friars ran a few attacks, but in general lacked coordination. After a time, Northeastern picked up their offensive outlook and started going for the killer second goal. Whitney (Jaime Totten, Erica Archambeau) drilled her chance when she was left all alone in the far slot. The play developed during a spell of 4 on 4 hockey, and was made by Totten finding Whitney with the telling pass.
In the final term, both sides seemed to be accepting their destiny. There was little passing or movement of interest. The Huskies completed the scoring when Whitney (Totten, Brooke White) drilled the puck into the back of the net. The play was made by the excellent fore-checking of White. Her resolve had hemmed the Friars in their own end and given her line changing mates time to get into position. Lovely goal!
I was surprised by the performance of Providence. A few weeks ago they were showing some nice flowing hockey that only needed some attacking edge to produce scores. Today, they were playing stop hockey. It did not suit the character of the team. The defensive pairing of Jennifer Bill and Stacy Kreger looked good together. They kept things tidy at the back. Alain Frankiewicz provided a ton of strength on the blue line. The attack was led by the surging moves of Tabb. It is a true waste that she does not have linemates who get her the puck and or move to the open areas of the ice. Overall, I think Providence has a lot more talent than they showed today.
Northeastern is looking for ways to score, and today did well at finding the open player. If they skate and pass as they can, they could go far next weekend. The defense has been the Huskies' solace. Silva looks extremely confident in goal and makes difficult combination saves appear simple. In front of her is a fine group of defenders. Metcalf is playing smart, heads-up hockey and keeping it simple, but effective at the back. Jennie Setaro is the current tough guy back on the blue line and meeting the challenges exceptionally well. Jessica Ferwerda used her vision to shield off the Friars. Captain Totten did it all at both ends of the ice. Watching her without a stick, moving the puck forward into the PC zone with her skates, reminded me what a jewel Totten is. The Northeastern woman of the match was fresher White. Her back-checking efforts to thwart the Providence attackers were super. However, her skills at fore-checking while her mates changed up were fantastic. Just think what White could do with a longer stick! Overall, if the Huskies produce the goals, look out.
***
Date: Mon, 1 Mar 1999 21:01:37 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Concordia Women 2 - Alberta 0
(28Feb99) Sunday evening at Varsity Arena, the defending Canadian National champion Concordia Stingers won their second title with a 2-0 victory over the Pandas of Alberta. It was a disappointing contest as neither team played up to their potential.
The match began and remained tense. Alberta came out with some early pressure, but soon Concordia hemmed them into their own zone. The Pandas still sprung their breaking plays on occasion, but were obviously concerned about the skills of the Stingers. There was no scoring in the first.
At the start of the second, Corinne Swirsky (Kari Colpitts, Annie Boucher) gave Concordia a 1-0 lead when she banged home a centering pass on a power play. Alberta was dropping back an extra defender which gave the Stingers more layers to go through. Meanwhile, Concordia was sneaking into the Panda's angular passing lanes and intercepting the quick passes and so shutting down the run and gun.
As the final frame began, Deana Huyghebaert's blast from the face-off circle was accidentally redirected into the net by an Alberta defender, to give Concordia a 2-0 lead. The own-goal was caused by the swarming Swirsky who was lurking right by the Panda defender. Alberta continued to do an excellent job of marking the Stingers, but it robbed them of their one weapon. Concordia closed out the match to repeat as champions.
Alberta was the delight of the Canadian Nationals. They were a great advert for western hockey with their fabulous run and gun style. The Pandas kept it simple and went for goals as a team. In the final, their defensive cover was first-class. I was very impressed with the line of Mandy Kinjerski, Lori Shupak and Maria McKenzie. They were buzzing around at both ends of the ice. Leah Kinney hustled and supported her mates exceptionally well. Stacey McCullough played big in goal and gave the Stingers little room to shoot. The Alberta woman of the match was Erin van de Wetering. She reads and reacts perfectly to the flow of the game. Van de Wetering intercepted numerous passes and turned them into Alberta breaks. Overall, well done Pandas!
Concordia looked nervous in the final and did not produce their best hockey. They did mount the most pressure, but the Stingers lovely passing and movement was off. Jessika Audet made some timely saves early and late in the contest. She is a splendid standup netminder. Laura MacKenzie pursed the incoming attackers well. Huyghebaert shielded off many Panda breaks. The line of Anne Rodrigue, Karen Kendall and Monelle Hebert were skating great and made Alberta's job impossible. Catherine Bertrand had an excellent game back and fore-checking. Her ability to go from attack to defense and back to attack again is remarkable. The Concordia woman of the match was Swirsky. This kid's touch is tremendous. Swirsky is a wonderful talent and a treat to watch. Overall, the Stingers were the best team at the tourney, and they proved it.
***
Date: Mon, 1 Mar 1999 17:11:01 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Alberta Women 3 - Laurier 2
(27Feb99) Saturday afternoon at Toronto's Varsity Arena, the Pandas of Alberta slipped past the Laurier Golden Hawks 3-2. It was a stunning match, that featured the power game of Laurier against the run and gun of Alberta. In the end, the great attack of the Pandas proved to be their best defense.
The game began quickly. Both teams were going for it. However, after a short time, Alberta started to press with their simple passes and rapid movement forward. Krysty Lorenz (Susan Huculak) gave the Pandas a 1-0 lead on a power play when she rolled out of the corner unmarked and drilled her chance into the back of the net. The westerners went ahead 2-0 when Lorenz (Jennifer Moroskat) buried her try, when she was left alone in the slot. Alberta was not sitting back, but pushing their advantage. In the last minute, Laurier struck back when Caroline Hall (Cheryl Pounder) took a long ball pass, deked the goalie and stuffed it home. Lovely goal!
In the second, after killing off a penalty, the Pandas were off to the races again! It was run and gun at its best - wow! Lori Shupak (Maria McKenzie, Mandy Kinjerski) made it 3-1 when she culminated a series of attacks and rifled the puck in. Alberta was hitting their open player and giving Laurier fits.
In the final period, the Hawks came back to make it 3-2 when Hall (Kimberly Shillington) scored during a 5 on 3 power play. It was a case of power overload. But, Alberta kept making the simple pass and most of the rest of the match was in the Laurier end.
I think Laurier left too much for the end. They never seemed to get on track today. Laurier has a lot of strong players, however they just didn't have the wheels. Heather Warren played a heck of a good match on the blue line. Her anticipation was super. The Laurier woman of the match was Hall. She had a super outing and took her two scores with relish. So, it looks like an all- Ontario 3rd place match.
The Pride of Alberta did themselves proud. The Canada West champions clearly came to play. It is refreshing to see a team go forward without hesitation. I was again taken by the elegant moves and splendid vision of Erin van de Wetering. She is an excellent defender. Tonya d'Entremont was a tower of strength on the Panda blue line. Lorenz took her two goals clinically. She's a real gunner. Trish Semeniuk had a wonderful back-checking match. She broke up numerous Laurier attempts. The woman of the match was the line of McKenzie, Shupak and Kinjerski. They had fabulous movement as a unit. The game winning goal they produced was inspirational! Overall, looks like an East-West final, and I know the Pandas will be running and gunning.
***
Date: Mon, 1 Mar 1999 15:59:38 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Alberta Women 3 - McGill 2 OT SO (1-0)
(26Feb99) Friday afternoon at Toronto's Varsity Arena, the Canada West champion Alberta Pandas eased by the McGill Martlets 3-2, after a 10 minute overtime and a 1-0 shootout victory. Alberta had jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the third, but McGill stormed back after converting a penalty shot. In the end, Alberta's positive edge saw them through.
There was no scoring in the first two periods. McGill concentrated on defense. Alberta pressed for the lead but came up empty.
In the final frame, Maria McKenzie (Krysty Lorenz, Lori Shupak) gave the Pandas a 1-0 lead when she banged the puck home at the side of the net, on a power play. Alberta did not sit back, but pressed for and got their second score. Trish Semeniuk (Tara Klassen, Vanessa Hettinger) drilled home a rebound on a power play. The Martlets finally turned it on and pressed the Panda defense into giving up a penalty shot. McGill's Julie Hornsby scored with confidence. The Martlets redoubled their efforts and with two minutes left, Dana Rittmaster (Hornsby) tipped high an excellent centering pass from Hornsby to tie the contest at two.
There was no scoring in the extra time, though McGill started with a power play and looked dangerous. In the shootout, the goalies were winning until Alberta's last shooter, Semeniuk, gave them the big win.
I believe McGill focuses too much on their defensive shell. When forced to attack, they have a flair for it. Megan Hewings played extremely well and went close in the third, putting her try off the post. The line of Cailee Heggestad, Hornsby and Kathleen O'Reilly has a lot of energy, but at times lack coordination. The McGill woman of the match was Hornsby. She is the Martlet spark plug and made numerous surging rushes. Overall, McGill went close.
Alberta plays with a bit of a swagger. It suits them. They are not afraid to have a go. Here-here! Semeniuk used her run and gun style to lead the Pandas forward. The line of Mandy Kinjerski, Shupak and McKenzie played with a lot of gusto. Kinjerski made some lovely solo moves. The Alberta woman of the match was Erin van de Wetering. She is a slick blue liner with a refined skill set. Van de Wetering used her vision to effectively defeat the incoming plays. Overall, it was nice to watch the Pandas go for it.
***
Date: Mon, 1 Mar 1999 13:43:20 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Concordia Women 3 - Toronto 2 OT SO (2-1)
(25Feb99) Late Thursday afternoon at venerable Varsity Arena, the Stingers of Concordia edged the host University of Toronto Varsity Blues 3-2, after a 2-2 draw, a scoreless ten minute extra time and a 2-1 shootout. For the first half of the contest, it looked like Concordia would win easily by any score they wanted. But the Varsity Blues tied it up late and lost by the smallest margin possible.
Concordia, the Quebec champion, came out swarming. They played the best hockey I have seen this season. The Stingers play with a brilliant precision that features a coordinated style of exciting movement. Every Concordia player is on the same page. The flow and attacking shape they achieved was incredible. Nevertheless, despite the numerous chances, there was no scoring in the first - just lovely hockey. Merci!
In the middle session, there was more two-way play, as Toronto picked up their game. As The Fates would have it, Concordia scored when a point shot/pass was carefully redirected by Lisa-Marie Breton (Genevieve Fagnan, Catherine Bertrand) to catch the goalie going the wrong way. Wow - lovely goal! With the lead, the Stingers sadly went off the boil and Toronto started to push it.
In the third, UT pressed, Concordia looked dangerous, but nothing was clicking. Finally, Kari Colpitts (Corinne Swirsky, Annie Boucher) gave the Stingers a 2-0 advantage when she one-timed the perfect feed from Swirsky. The game looked over. But, in the last thirty seconds, Toronto's Rhonda Mitchell got credit for a deflected point shot. Ten seconds later, on the opposite side of the ice, Kim Malcher tied the match at two on a near identical play.
In overtime, Concordia put on some early pressure, but both teams looked whipped. In the shootout, two of the first three Stinger shooters scored to put the stress on, and eventually win 2-1.
When Concordia is on song, they are a fantastic team to watch. They play with patience, and then at the right moment, explode with lethal force. Goalie Jessika Audet snuffed several UT shooters and came up huge in the shootout. The defensive pairing of Suzanne Kay and Laura MacKenzie is outstanding. Kay's breakup touch is marvelous. MacKenzie angles off her opponent so well. The Stingers skate four lines and they all play lovely hockey. Bertrand led her line of Marie-Claude Allard and Breton with some excellent back and fore-checking. Monelle Hebert produced several sparkling rushes with her mates Anne Rodrigue and Karen Kendall. And the fourth line of Annie Surprenant, Sara Matheson and Leanne Martell maintained Concordia's sensational style. However, the dynamite line is Swirsky, Boucher and Colpitts. The misdirection plays those three can run are amazing. The woman of the match was Swirsky. Her soft hands and elegant moves let her dance around the other team. Swirsky is a joy to watch. Concordia is what makes ice hockey so good.
The trivializing of sport with loud pop music at every stoppage of play was unfortunately in fashion at the University of Toronto.
***
Date: Sun, 7 Feb 1999 20:20:46 -0500 (EST)
Subject: NU Women 3 - UNH 2
(07Feb99) Sunday afternoon at Matthews the Huskies of Northeastern edged the University of New Hampshire Wildcats 3-2. It was a tremendous match. Both teams played some fabulous skate and pass hockey. It was a real treat!
The first period found both teams laying it on the line and going all out. UNH was using their polished passing patterns to periodically produce pressure. Meanwhile, the Husky team speed was super. Up and down action took turns with first one team and then the other applying the pressure. The Wildcats opened the scoring with a power play marker from Samantha Holmes (Michelle Thornton, Carisa Zaban). UNH was moving the puck and finding the weak side open player extremely well. NU came storming back when Hilary Witt went on a long rush and laid off the perfect soft feed to fresher Brooke Whitney (Witt, Kathryn Waldo) who deked her way past the UNH goalie and tucked the puck in.
As the middle frame started, both teams were off the boil. Team defense, which had been a large part of the opening period, became dominant. The preferred tactic soon was: jam it in. New Hampshire's first-year Kelly McManus (Sabrina Monsen, Liz Monteith) gave them a 1-2 lead early on when she drilled home a high shot from the top of the slot. Both squads came up with some good scoring chances. NU tied the game after a spell of heavy pressure. Betsy Dyke (Nicole Lewis, Jennie Setaro) slammed in a loose rebound at the far post to complete a big push.
In the third, the teams were looking a tad tired. Both coaches had been using shortened benches, but as the game's pace wore on, they tested their squad depth. Northeastern got the go-ahead goal when Jaime Totten made a brilliant long ball pass to Colleen Coen (Totten). The sophomore winger went on a solo lark, and this time made it pay off, as she deked the netminder and stuffed her try into the back of the net. Things were tense for the rest of the contest. Both sides executed some killer plays down the stretch. NU goalie Erika Silva was sliding across and shutting the door and helping her team close it out. UNH's Alicia Roberts also had to come up big and snuff out some dangerous Husky breakaways. In the end, Northeastern was able to celebrate a huge victory.
New Hampshire was left with the solace that they had played some excellent hockey. The sharp passing they have, always has them in the game. They have a number of explosive attackers with slick moves and refined stick skills. The colossal combo of Zaban and Melisa Heitzman was fabulous. Zaban has lightning quick moves and Heitzman has an attacking edge that lets her go at and through defenders. Together with linemate Tina Carrabba they form a lethal line. Thornton was the other stunning Wildcat forward. Her long penetrating runs were classic. In goal, Roberts came up with some key saves to keep the game always within reach. Brandi Kerns used her warp drive and maneuverability to meet the Husky challenge on the New Hampshire blue line. Kerns' crisp passes seem to always be on the tape. The UNH woman of the match was junior defender Jaime DeGriselles. She played a smart heads-up contest. DeGriselles was able to breakup many scoring chances and dished out some lovely setups of her own. Overall, a tough weekend road trip for the Wildcats, but I somehow expect them to be around when the honors are passed out.
Northeastern played some great hockey. The speed they had today won the match for them. However, the Husky passing was pretty insipid. As you practice, so will you perform. Still, the team deserves high marks for pulling out this big victory on their quest for home ice in the playoffs. The deadly duo of Witt and Whitney led the strikeforce. They clearly connect extremely well. Fresher Lewis provided a ton of hustle as her fore-checking produced turnovers. First-year Brooke White was using her pace to advantage. Her transition moves are delicious. In the defensive end, the pairing of Erine Metcalf and Setaro was doing all the little things well. Metcalf was using her strength and Setaro her mobility to keep the Wildcats off balance. Fresher Erica Archambeau stepped up and made the big play at the blue line. In goal, Silva was sensational. Her big pad saves won this match for the Huskies. The NU woman of the match was senior captain Totten. She was burning up the ice at both ends. First Totten would be back rising up to the demands of defense, and then there she would be, up front making a telling pass or an amazing far post burst. Totten did it all. Overall, it was a luscious success for the Huskies and an amazing game.
***
Date: Sat, 16 Jan 1999 21:30:20 -0500 (EST)
Subject: MIT Women 4 - St Kate's 2
(16Jan99) Early Saturday evening at Johnson Rink, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Engineers came from behind to defeat the St Catherine Wildcats 4-2. St Kate's, on an eastern road trip, stormed out to an early lead but couldn't hold it. MIT revived and hit back to claim victory.
As the match began, the WildKate's pressed forward with some nice rushes. MIT was experiencing confusion on their transition plays. Both teams were guilty of drifting too much and not moving their feet. However, CSC's Melissa Zachman was able to pick up a defensive error, cruise in on the Engineers' netminder and tuck her try into the back of the net. First-year Zachman (Mary Wallraff, Nikki Norwich) made it 0-2 St Kate's when Wallraff put the puck on the tape from behind the net. Zachman buried her chance.
In the second, MIT turned it on. Jen Blundo essentially put on a clinic on how to fore-check, back-check and hit the jets. Fresher Blundo (Christina Gehrke) started by going on a fore-checking tear, and after getting the puck, deked the CSC goalie and drilled it home. A few moments later, Blundo (Gehrke) tied the match at two. She was on a back-checking spree and produced a turnover. Blundo then made the nice transition pass to Gehrke who waited for Blundo to get in position. Gehrke released the soft pass to the streaking Blundo who knocked the puck in at the far post. Lovely goal. Minutes later MIT pulled in front 3-2 when Kalpana Mani (Blundo, Gehrke) banged in a rebound. The play was made by Blundo, and the floodgates were open. Gehrke (Mani) closed out the scoring when the Engineers fore-checking created another opportunity. Mani made the nice cross-ice pass and Gehrke deked the Wildcat goalie before throwing her backhand into the roof of the net.
As the third period began I was wondering if CSC could roar back, or if MIT would continue the crunching. As it turned out, there was no scoring. Both sides were looking fatigued and play turned decidedly defensive.
St Catherine is a DIII varsity in the MIAC league. In general they reach for the puck too much, instead of skating. The number one issue for the WildKate's is mobility. They have some good ideas of what to do with the puck, but their movement is holding them back. Vanessa Lawrow stood her ground well in goal in the opening two periods. Fresher blue liner Beth Janni played a very good heads-up style. She made several intelligent breakup plays. First-year Carrie McKinney used some spirited rushes from the back to help her team forward. Up front, Anne Paape buzzed all over the ice with her rapid action mode. The Wildcat woman of the match was the combo of Zachman and Norwich. They moved very well together and at times used each other cleverly. Overall CSC looks to be making a good start.
MIT just became a varsity this season and will be in the ECAC D3 league next fall. Like their Minnesota foes, skating is their prime concern. Some individuals looked pretty good, but the team movement isn't there. That can result in things like following the puck too much and not creating any kind of separation. Senior Bree Huning hung tough in goal and was able to stuff CSC after allowing the early scores. The defensive pairing of Anne Mitzel and Carolyn Phillips provided some strong coverage. They played well as a unit. Katherine Oates and Mani kept the forward lines moving with some good fore-checking. Senior Gehrke displayed hustle and used her playmaking skills to help turn the contest around. She can lay on a sweet pass. The woman of the match was Blundo. She was burning up the ice in the second. Very much the team player, Blundo let it rip and took her goals with a flourish. Overall MIT pulled out a fine victory.
***
Date: Sun, 10 Jan 1999 21:17:07 -0500 (EST)
Subject: NU Women 9 - Yale 0
(10Jan99) Sunday afternoon at Matthews, with the sun giving way to darkness, the Northeastern Huskies stormed the Bulldogs of Yale 9-0. The waves of Dutch, oops, Husky attackers swarmed the Elis and were devastating.
As the match began, Northeastern came out with fire and determination. Yale was skating great and managed to produce some good counterattacks. The Huskies got the only goal of the period when Jennie Setaro (Lisa Giovanelli) unleashed a wicked crosscourt wrist shot from the point that flew into the upper netting.
In the second, NU were on song and overwhelmed the Bulldogs with strike after strike cannonading over the blue line. Early on Hilary Witt (Jessica Ferwerda, Kathryn Waldo) stuffed home a rebound at the side of the net when she was left all alone. That was quickly followed by a goal from Colleen Coen (Jaime Totten, Nicole Lewis). Lewis dug the puck out of the Eli corner and sent it to Totten at the point. She drilled a shot on goal that Coen elegantly drove home. After that spell, the Huskies went off the boil and Yale started to make some lovely transition plays. It was probably the best spell of hockey as the action was end-to-end. Late in the second, Northeastern cranked it up again when Waldo (Kelly Martin, Witt) finished off an ooo-la-la goal. The score was made by the perceptive passing of Martin. She had cut across the line and waited a moment while Waldo cruised into position. Martin then hit the perfect cross-ice backdoor setup for Waldo to tap in. Lovely goal! Right after that strike, NU made it 5-0 when Waldo (Martin, Totten) got credit for a scrum goal. Yale fans were convinced it was illegal, and perhaps they were correct.
In the final interval, the Huskies swarmed the Yale goal with some outstanding skating and touch passing. Some interesting angles were reemerging within the NU attacking shape. The Elis were looking bushed. Beth Claggett (Kathleen Savino) finished off a simple break-in scheme when she cut to open space and fired the puck in from the right slot. Giovanelli (Jennifer Santerre, Brooke White) touched in a lovely dish from Santerre. Setaro (Witt, Erine Metcalf) got the final poke off a pileup to make it 8-0. Witt (Brooke Whitney, Totten) took a nice feed from Whitney and deked through the Yale defense to conclude the scoring.
What Yale does so well is turn and go. It is a simple technic, but few coaches can transform skating skills into an attacking edge. The other Eli asset is their excellent breakout plays. They can be pinned down and still get the puck out of the zone effectively. Obviously the Bulldogs are not world-beaters yet, but the improvement is there. First-year goalie Katie Hirte used her fast feet to come out and face the shooter well. Fresher Andrea Freyer stood her ground and broke up many Husky sorties. The Yale woman of the match was sophomore Jane Resor. She had a great skating game. She tidied up at the back and produced some fine transitions with her telling passes. The line of first-years Sara Wood and Emily Hyde along with Sue Barnes moved well as a unit. Wood hustled all over the ice. Overall, the development is there.
Northeastern was tearing up the ice today. Some of the old Husky crisp passing and inventive movement returned. The line of Giovanelli, Santerre and White were motoring. They sure don't share the same script, so it could get fascinating if and when they do. Lewis and Coen came up with some compelling 1-2's. Witt was getting open and gunning the puck. On the blue line, Ferwerda was driving and making some slick defensive plays. Fill-in Martin looked wonderful. Her defensive skills were strong and her passing was exquisite. That kid needs more ice time! The woman of the match was Captain Totten. The senior defender did it all with her dominating style. She surged forward with well-timed rushes and was always back to snuff out any Eli attempts. Totten is playing exceptional hockey. Overall, maybe it is still a good time to play "What's my line?"
***
Date: Sat, 09 Jan 1999
Subject: NU Women 1 - Princeton 2 OT
(09Jan99) Late Saturday afternoon at Matthews, the Huskies of Northeastern were edged by the Princeton Tigers 1-2 in overtime. It was an excellent game with both teams providing plenty of up and down action. In the end, the Huskies couldn't finish and the Tigers were able to pour it on and pull out a fine victory.
There was no scoring in a first period that featured some nice scoring plays from both sides, but even stiffer defensive play. The passing tended to be a tad rushed and therefore off, and most of the shots were telegraphed.
In the middle frame again both squads pressed forward, but NU started to lock- on in the Princeton zone. The Tigers lack of effective breakout plays was telling. At the end of a Princeton power play, the Huskies seized the lead when sophomore Lisa Giovanelli (Jennifer Santerre) roofed her try from close range. The Tiger defense had made a number of poor clearing passes and Northeastern was able to pick several off, and that one resulted in a goal. NU looked on the boil and almost went up 2-0 when Hilary Witt made a marvelous solo rush through the PU defense and rang her shot off the post.
As the third began, Princeton united their big line of Ali Coughlin, fresher Andrea Kilbourne and Annamarie Holmes and started looking more deadly. The teams continued their up and down play, and both were looking for that perfect break that would open the match for them. Northeastern again went really close to making it 2-0 when Beth Claggett released a lovely pass that froze both the Tiger defender and goalie, however Kathleen Savino's effort bounced off the post and wide. Princeton tied the contest at one when Holmes (Kilbourne, Coughlin) put home a rebound. Coughlin had swooped up her wing and fed the streaking Kilbourne right in front of net. Her quick shot was kicked aside, but Holmes was there to fade right and lift her backhander into the top netting. Lovely goal! The Tigers were on fire now and went close to winning the game in the dying seconds, but NU's goaltender Erika Silva brushed the attempt away.
In overtime, the Huskies were looking drained. Meanwhile the Tigers had a frisky stride. Nonetheless, neither side looked that dangerous in the extra time. The winner came from Princeton's Holmes when she intercepted an errant pass from NU goalie Silva, who had come out of her net to push forward a loose puck. Holmes collected the disc and tucked it into the back of the net.
Princeton is a very talented hockey team and it is obvious why they are a top four team. They're real good. However how you play the game does matter. I was disappointed that they wasted so much time carrying their sticks high, hooking and running interference. The Tigers' junk detracts from their brilliant play. If they spent more time on their skating and passing their striking could easily be top shelf. First-year netminder Susan Maes is large and nimble, but tends to go down too early. Defenders Annie Seelus and fresher Aviva Grumet-Morris both stayed calm and kept it simple. While others were losing their heads, those two made the effective moves and passes to keep it tight at the back. Princeton does need to develop some effectual breakout plays soon, otherwise they will get toasted as they run around in their own end. The woman of the match was the line of Coughlin, Kilbourne and Holmes. They surge forward with a power that is electrifying. At times they can be predictable, but the raw energy they generate is awesome. Coughlin was using her speed and wonderful rushes to full advantage. She combines really well with Kilbourne, who is an excellent face-off artist. Often this line didn't play together because of the intelligent/noble use of three five-player units. But when Holmes moves up onto that line, there is a sensation that must produce fear in most opponents. The three connect as a line and provide thrilling ice hockey. Overall, with a little more skating and passing, the Tigers could win it all.
Northeastern had this match and lost it. The problem remains the inability to score. The lack of finishing is slowly destroying all the lovely movement the team can create. It is a vicious pattern that is pulling an extremely talented team down. On the bright side, the defense continues remarkably strong. Captain Jaime Totten and fresher Erica Archambeau were splendid as they strip-mined the Princeton forwards. Blue liner Erine Metcalf had a fine outing marking the Tigers. The Northeastern woman of the match was goalie Silva. She made several key saves on slot shots that were drilled. Silva has come into her own this season and is a super tender. Up front, first-year Brooke White was on the burn for the first half of the contest. She needs to deal more as she wheels, but White is a very interesting talent. Her linemate, Giovanelli turned it on in the later stages of the match. Along with Santerre, that line hasn't found the magic touch, but they have the components. The combo of Witt and fresher Brooke Whitney went close several times. The 1-2's they work from face-offs are delightful. Overall, until they break their scoring duck, the Huskies won't be challenging for the honors.
***
Date: Sun, 20 Dec 1998 09:51:10 -0500 (EST)
Subject: BC Women 1 - Northeastern 5
(19Dec98) Saturday evening at Conte Forum, the Boston College Eagles were defeated by the Huskies of Northeastern 1-5. It was a match largely controlled by NU's continuous pressure. The Eagles did manage some nice breaking plays, but were mainly kept in this game by the adept performance of fresher goalie Sharon Vantuyl.
The contest started with Northeastern pouring into the BC zone. Large sections of play were dominated by the forceful fore-checking of the Huskies. Boston College was using a cautious technic that kept their risks low. Early on, first-year Brooke Whitney (Erine Metcalf, Kelly Martin) redirected a blast from the point by Metcalf to make it 0-1 NU. However, with the Huskies' flat attack and miserable off the puck movement, the Eagles were able to close out the rest of the period.
The second was slow and sleepy. Northeastern continued to press, but their lack of finishing and less than effervescent movement provided little entertainment. During a spell of four on four hockey, Whitney (Hilary Witt, Erica Archambeau) made it 0-2 when she was left alone to circle in the Eagle zone and fire home low.
As the final interval began, both teams were mucking away. NU pressed forward again, but BC countered with some nice up and down plays. Suddenly, a series of lovely setup passes from Northeastern blew the match wide open. Witt (Whitney, Jaime Totten) made it 0-3 when she took the perfect feed from Whitney and rammed it into the back of the net. The play was started by fresher defender Archambeau who had surged forward on a Husky attack and left BC at sixes and sevens. Boston College came back with a power play effort from first-year Jane Jorge (Jaclyn Kryzak). The Eagles connected with a slick out of the corner play. The Huskies nailed a power play goal of their own when Lisa Giovanelli (Jennie Setaro, Jennifer Santerre) converted a crisp cross-ice feed from the point, by Setaro, to the far post. Lovely goal. Giovanelli (Santerre, Brooke White) completed the scoring at 1-5 when she took the puck from a face-off and executed the old fade right, shoot left play.
Northeastern's fore-checking game continues in excellent form. But with nobody torquing it in front of net, the Husky finishing continues horrendous. You have to wonder when some of the players who clearly have the touch to score are going to snap out of it and let it rip. Right now, Northeastern lacks the killer edge. If and when they find it, they could be a marvelous team to watch and a dangerous side to play. The line of fresher Nicole Lewis, Colleen Coen and Betsy Dyke looked very good together. Lewis motored really well at both ends of the ice and has a gift for taking the puck and going with it. Santerre was another attacker who moved and held on to the puck well. She is also turning into a top shelf face-off artist. Whitney was leading the top line with her skilled dishes. Erika Silva did not face many shots, but did come up big during the final minutes of the match to preserve the margin of victory. Kim Beneduce produced a tough, heads-up style on the blue line that thwarted the Eagles. Captain fantastic Totten pressed forward and dug back well with her poke-check skills. The woman of the match was Archambeau. This kid is so confident and strong on defense, it is fun to watch. She anticipates the play well and is fearless with her sorties. Overall, the Huskies must be happy with a maximum point weekend, but less than thrilled with their presentation to date.
The trivializing of sport with loud pop music at every stoppage of play was unfortunately in fashion at Boston College.
Match reports 1997-1998
Date: Sun, 22 Mar 1998 09:46:39 -0500 (EST)
Subject: UNH Women 4 - Brown 1
Late Saturday afternoon at the FleetCenter, the University of New Hampshire Wildcats won the first US Nationals by defeating the Bears of Brown 4-1. It was not a great game, but the final looked good at the larger venue. UNH found their scoring touch on the foreign ice and thus won the championship.
As the match began, both teams were wiring the place. Play was slow. The Bears scored first when Melissa Rennison (Jill Graat) finished off a nice 1-2 break by hitting the back of the net. UNH came back with a power play goal when Tina Carrabba (Winny Brodt, Michelle Thornton) deflected home a blast from the point.
In the second, the Wildcats were moving better. Brown was looking a tad tight. Kali Wilson (Kim Knox) gave New Hampshire a 2-1 lead when she chipped one in off a scramble at the side of the goal. UNH established a two goal gap on the best goal of the contest. Winny Brodt threaded the super long ball pass to Kerry Maher (Brodt) who went in all alone on Brown's goalie Alison Brewer. Maher made a dramatic deke and tucked the puck in the net. Lovely goal!
In the final interval, Brown tried to come back, but the Wildcats did the only scoring. Melissa McKenzie (Carrabba, Maher) redirected a centering pass on a power play to make it 4-1. The replay seemed to show McKenzie had touched the high pass legally, before taking her stick too high.
The FleetCenter is a fair place to watch a hockey game. You are somewhat far away, but the slightlines are basically good. In general, higher is better. I would like to thank all the HockeyEast fans who did show up early to see the women's national final. Merci beaucoup!
Brown played well. They were not rolling as well as they have been in the last few games and did not get the key scores they needed. The Brown woman of the match was Brewer. She held the Bears in this one, especially with some big, early saves. While UNH's Brodt was a good choice for tourney MVP, Brewer would have been an excellent choice also. Winning the ECAC Championship and making the National final made this a great season for Brown.
New Hampshire had more zip today and was able to convert. The Wildcat passing game created the big chances. Fresher forward Thornton had a stellar match using her dynamic movement well. First-year defender Brodt played another fine team game. She can really lay on the sweet pass. Maher's goal was marvelous. The sophomore used her speed well all day. The UNH woman of the match was fresher blue liner Brandi Kerns. She has amazing range and is very smart. Whether she's firing in a point shot over a sprawling opponent, or just providing coverage Kerns is wonderful. UNH completed its double, taking the ECAC League title and the US Nationals.
***
Date: Sat, 21 Mar 1998 09:44:15 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Brown Women 3 - NU 2
Friday evening at Bright in the second US Nationals semifinal, the Brown Bears edged the Northeastern Huskies 3-2. This match featured a stunning first period. Eventually Brown came up with the winning goal and advanced to the championship match.
The game had an electric start. Brown came out on fire. They strung together some fine passes and pushed the Huskies back. Carly Regnier (Jaime Abel) opened the scoring for the Bears on a power play when she deflected a point shot. Brown went up by two when Regnier struck high after a nice head deke. Northeastern's defense was looking suspect. It looked like Brown might blow the Huskies off the ice and then NU hit back. Stephanie Acres pulled off a wonderful ooo-la-la move to beat the Bear defense and deke the goalie out of position before hitting home at the short side. Lovely goal! Perhaps the goal of the year. At that point the game turned around completely and Northeastern was pushing Brown back. Acres (Hilary Witt) tied the game at two when she weaved her way in on the Bear defense. Using one of them as a screen, she drilled her try high stick side. Wow. Bright has not felt that glorious in years.
In the second, both teams were off the boil. Conservative hockey took center stage. There was no scoring. As the final period evolved the teams looked tired. Both created some excellent scoring chances. Brown's goalie Alison Brewer came up with some huge saves to keep the Huskies off the board. Finally, Ali Kenney got the winner off a rebound that she knocked over the NU netminder, with two minutes left.
Northeastern looked great at times. When they were passing the puck and creating chances they were lethal. In the end, they couldn't finish and so lost the match. The defense was lead by the strong steady play of Erine Metcalf. It was one of the best performances I have seen from her. Early on, the pairing of Kim Beneduce and Jessica Ferwerda looked swell. They kept it simple and were highly effective. Fresher Jennifer Santerre played a great two-way game. Witt made some telling rushes and went oh so close to winning it for NU. The Northeastern woman of the match was Acres. When this kid plays, she is sublime. Acres' touch was incredible. Overall the Huskies went close.
Brown played a smart game. They opened it up some and combined that with their checking game to produce some fine hockey. There were some players who continued to use dubious tactics, but overall the Bears are on a roll right now, and should do well in the final. Regnier took her two goals well. She was on fire in the first and made some wonderful passes in the last two periods. Fresher defender Cara Gardner anchored the blue liners. Her reads are really strong and she has the mobility to act and make the play happen. The Brown woman of the match was Brewer. She kept her cool under fire. Brewer made some critical saves late in the game and secured victory for her team.
***
Date: Sat, 7 Mar 1998 18:07:44 -0500 (EST)
Subject: NU Women 2 - Princeton 3
Saturday afternoon at Matthews in the ECAC League quarterfinals, the Northeastern Huskies were shocked by the Tigers of Princeton 2-3. It was a great game that featured some excellent skate and pass hockey. The Huskies dominated the match, but couldn't buy a goal. Princeton finished their chances and so move on to the semifinals next weekend at Northeastern.
The contest opened with two quick strikes. Princeton's Ali Coughlin (Annamarie Holmes) eventually got the puck after the opening face-off, broke down the right wing and cut in on net. Coughlin's shot bounced off and over the NU goalie to make it 0-1 Tigers. On the ensuing restart, now playing 4 on 4 hockey, Northeastern's Hilary Witt (Stephanie Acres, Emily Pemrick) tied the match at one, when she was left free in the slot to drill her try high glove side. After the explosive start, things settle into a high tempo, up and down the ice game. It was great to watch. Periodically the Huskies would pen the Tigers up in their own zone and apply the pressure. In the first NU was using feeds from the deep corners, and it was cutting up the Tiger defense. Acres (Witt, Pemrick) made it 2-1 Northeastern when she was left unmarked in the slot and buried her shot high into the netting.
In the second, the game evolved into the patterns of last Sunday's final league meeting between the two. The result was relentless fore-checking by the Huskies and quick breaks from Princeton. Liz Shea (Danya Marshman) scored early on for the Tigers, when she walked out of the corner and stuffed her opportunity. With the score tied, Northeastern still looked in control of the game, but were generating less dangerous plays. During a spell of Husky pressure, Witt provided a brilliant setup pass. As that play just missed, the Tigers' Coughlin collected the puck and hit the jets. She dusted the field and deked in on goal before tucking the puck into the back of the net. Lovely goal!
In the final interval, Northeastern turned up the volume and went close on numerous occasions. Princeton made some super rushes of their own, but there was no scoring. In the final few minutes the Huskies hit the crossbar and had two wide open net chances, but failed to convert. It is the year of the Tiger, and Princeton stunned the defending ECAC Champions to move on to next weekend's finals.
Princeton made the most out of what they had. At times their defense was running around in its own end and having all kinds of problems breaking the puck out, but they held together and when things did go their way, they gunned it. Dani Holtschlag saw some duty today on defense and was easily the Tigers' best blue liner. Her reads and movement in her own end defused many Husky tries. Fresher Holmes saw time up front and also looked really strong. She stormed forward with the puck and was excellent on the back-check. I was highly impressed with the teamwork of Marshman and first-year Abbey Fox. They motored up the ice and worked some lovely one-twos. The woman of the match was Coughlin. She was at her swooping best as she carried the puck and cut in on net. Coughlin also laid on some elegant dishes. It was her commanding performance that enabled Princeton to pull off a grand upset. Overall, a splendid team victory by the Tigers.
If Northeastern had received points for keeping the Tigers in their own end, they would have won with ease. The Huskies played a superb match. They could not put the puck away, but they went out playing wonderful skate and pass hockey. Merci beaucoup! The NU attack was led by the refined play of the Acres, Witt and Pemrick line. They strung together some marvelous passes. Witt was particularly stunning with her feeds. Kathryn Waldo had a strong outing. She used her vision well to create chances. Fresher Lisa Giovanelli was at her leeching best on the back-check. On the blue line, Kim Beneduce and Jessica Ferwerda controlled their end of the ice. The Northeastern woman of the match was defender Jennie Setaro. She was flying. The sensational sophomore used her speed to push the team forward, but always seemed to have enough to dig back and stop the Princeton breaks. Overall, it wasn't the Huskies' day.
***
Date: Sun, 18 Jan 1998
Subject: NU Women 0 - Concordia 1
Soft silken flakes floated down on Matthews Arena midday Sunday as the final day of the Husky Tournament began. The host Northeastern Huskies were edged by the Stingers of Concordia 0-1. It was an intense match that saw both teams put together some amazing attacks. In the end, Concordia won the match and the tournament.
In the first, there was no scoring. The contest was played at a brisk pace. Play flowed up and down the ice as both sides went close.
As the second period started, Concordia and Northeastern both cranked up their games. The NU team speed was looking good. The squads took turns putting pressure on each other, but again there was no scoring.
In the final frame, the tempo quickened again. It was a remarkable show by the teams, especially considering that this was the third game in three days. The Huskies were putting more sustained pressure on the Stingers than any other team had done in the tourney. Either team could have walked off with victory. As it turned out, Concordia's Catherine Bertrand (Corinne Swirsky, Lisa-Marie Breton) claimed the winner with less than five minutes left. Bertrand collected a nice centering pass right in front of net, waited a second and drilled her chance high into the netting. Northeastern went close several times in the dying seconds, but the Stingers hung on.
Concordia is a lovely team to watch. They skate so well, and while their passing was not as sharp today, the Stinger's offense is always engaging. You have to give a ton of credit to their defensive abilities today, as they faced and shutout a much more varied attack. In goal, Lisa Herritt was able to block huge chucks of the net. She gave the shooters very little room. On defense, Delaney Collins stood out with fine vision and skill to lay on the brilliant pass. The line of Kari Colpitts, Anne Rodrique and Mai-Lan Le made some super plays. They also stood up to the pressure by NU well. The Concordia woman of the match was the line of Breton, Swirsky and Tara Campbell. They are a fun unit that uses each other exceptionally well. Breton does so many things well, and today demonstrated some superb back- checking talent. Swirsky's touch and misdirection passing was marvelous. Overall, it was such a treat to get to see the Stinger's superior skate and pass game.
Northeastern saved their best form for the final match. The players got stuck into this match and produced some excellent hockey. Shannon Meyers played a great game in net. She made several critical saves look simple. Jaime Totten and Keri-Anne Allan held the team together at the back with their wonderful intercepts and refined passes. Kim Beneduce, Kelly Martin, Jessica Ferwerda and Emily Sweeney put body and soul into their blue line play. Up front, Beth Claggett, Betsy Dyke and Sarah Smythe hustled over the ice, in their defensive roles, and helped to prevent the Stinger's potent attack from gaining the upper hand. The Northeastern woman of the match was sophomore sensation Hilary Witt. She went so close to giving the Huskies the lead. Witt also made many fine setup passes and was easily the most dangerous NU attacker. Overall, when Northeastern skates, watch out.
***
Date: Sun, 18 Jan 1998 09:31:46 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Concordia Women 4 - UNH 0
Late Saturday afternoon I saw a thrilling match at the Husky Tournament at Matthews Arena. The Concordia Stinger's brilliant skating and lovely passing outgunned the New Hampshire Wildcat's checking game 4-0. What made it a treat was the excellent form of both teams.
The game had a cautious start to it as both squads respected the ability of the other. UNH generated some early pressure. Their "stuff-it-in" tactics went close several times, but Concordia's defense, lead by goalie Jessica Audet, held firm. Soon the Stingers started to make some heads-up passes. Next the Concordia team speed cranked up and they were off into their own marvelous zone. At that point, even the talented Wildcats could only watch. It was tremendous hockey by the Montreal club. Anne Rodrique (Genevieve Fagnan, Mai-Lan Le) scored the only goal of the period for Concordia when she swept in an excellent pass from the point. The goal was made by the extraordinary fore-checking effort of Le. She managed to strip the puck from two UNH players with some super digging. Le then changed the point of attack by whipping the puck around the boards to the opposite point for the resulting play. Lovely goal!
In the second, New Hampshire came out strong and fast. The patient Stingers held it together and then struck back. Lisa-Marie Breton (Corinne Swirsky) made it 2-0 Concordia when a UNH defender tried to play superstar and instead produced a turnover. The Stingers went further in front when Le (Kari Colpitts) hit turbo and tapped the puck in at the far post. Colpitts laid on the lovely dish, as Le burned up the ice to finish the 1-2. Lovely goal! Defender Delaney Collins (Swirsky) concluded the scoring with a power play goal. The key was that Swirksy waited and held onto the puck before giving Delaney the perfect pass to drill high glove side.
There was no scoring in the final interval. The Wildcats changed their goalie and mounted some solid pressure. Both teams played some fast tempo, up and down hockey. It was the kind of a game where you could sit back and think how lucky you were to see such fine play.
UNH is a very talented team. Their passing let them down today. The puck was seldom on the tape. The Wildcat fore-checking scheme was not able to create the pressure, it usually does, against the quick Stingers. The back-checking game did extremely well, and except for a time in the first period when Concordia zoned, New Hampshire was always looking dangerous. UNH was led by the surging moves of Brandy Fisher. The senior captain put on a show as she went for goals. Samantha Holmes and Melisa Heitzman both played exceptionally well. Holmes back-checking saved the Wildcats on several occasions. Heitzman swung forward and generated some interesting counterattacks. On the blue line, fresher Brandi Kerns read and reacted well to the incoming attackers. Nicki Luongo played a steady, smart game on defense and kept things tidy at the back. Overall, with the resilience UNH showed against Concordia, the Wildcats will be in the honors this season.
Concordia is super. They have a drive that let's them execute their wonderful attack with elan. At the same time, the Stingers have the composure to wait for the right moment, and then strike with clarity, purpose and power. It is a lovely blend. Audet played an excellent match in goal, snuffing out chances with ease. Defender Collins has a massive ranging ability that allows her to stop plays and swing onto the attack. Her passes are killer. Up front, all the lines move so well and make the short sweet passes that cut apart the opposition. The line of Breton, Swirsky and Tara Campbell was always a threat. The plays they created were superb. The line of Monelle Herbert, Sara Matheson and Karen Kendall also made some delightful plays. The line of Colpitts, Rodrique and Le was incredible. They ripped up the ice with style. The woman of the match was Le. Her digging, quickness of thought and action and skating were divine. Le was fabulous. Overall, Concordia rejuvenated my love for hockey with their sublime game.
***
Date: Sat, 17 Jan 1998
Subject: PC Women 1 - Concordia 4
Late Friday afternoon at the Husky Tournament at Matthews Arena, the Providence College Friars were dusted by the Concordia Stingers 1-4. Concordia used brilliant skating and a fantastic short passing game to outclass their rival. It was a great game to watch.
The match started fast and furious. The Stingers were always on the move and the Friars were giving it their all. Gradually the visitors from Montreal took their play to a higher realm. Concordia was using some wonderfully quick misdirection passes and catching PC out. Tara Campbell (Corinne Swirsky, Delaney Collins) gave the Stingers a 0-1 lead when she buried her chance high into the netting. The play developed off a series of headman passes, and was finished by the perfect center out of the corner that left Campbell all alone in front of net. Concordia was on song and it was a treat. Campbell (Lisa-Marie Breton, Amy Coelho) made it 0-2 Stingers when she finished a lovely three-way passing play. Wow!
Canadian women's college hockey has a national championship starting this season. No graduate students are allowed on the teams. Coelho, who graduated from Dartmouth in 1997, is working on an additional undergrad degree at Concordia.
The second period featured much slower play. Concordia was off the boil. Providence got their only goal of the contest when fresher Jessica Tabb converted a breakaway. The Stinger defense was guilty of giving the puck away at center ice. After a series of fruitless PC power plays, Concordia regained their two goal lead when Karen Kendall scored on a nice solo effort.
In the final frame, the Stingers were like a hot knife going through butter. Their play development and variations were marvelous. Catherine Bertrand (Breton, Annie Boucher) concluded the scoring when she received a great setup pass right in front of net. Bertrand had the time to unleash a full slapper.
Concordia demonstrates how quiet skills can develop delightful patterns. The players use each other so well. Every Stinger skates well off the puck and helps make that extra bit of space that's so important in hockey. The quick sharp passing, and edgy skating makes for incredible hockey. The woman of the match was the line of Campbell, Swirsky and Annie Suprenant. They move so well as a unit and play with style. Campbell is a real sniper and only needs half a chance to have the puck in the back of the net. However the point is, that line plays excellent hockey. The line of Monelle Hebert, Andrea Babony and Kendall flows over the ice. Kendall is a very talented gunner. On the blue line, Marie-Claude Pelletier and Collins are a slick pairing. They play with an elegance that's highly effective. Genevieve Fagnan was the other defender who made many refined breakup plays. Overall, if you get a chance to see Concordia - go!
Providence College put a ton of effort into the first part of this match. They seemed to tire towards the end. The Friars lack direction, and I believe the players get frustrated when their output comes to naught. Tabb was burning up the ice. Her timely rushes looked outstanding. She needs more support to be more productive. On defense, fresher Valerie Bono did a splendid job of filling the passing lanes. Overall, PC is still looking to turn it around.
***
Date: Fri, 16 Jan 1998
Subject: NU Women 0 - UNH 3
It was a great day for hockey, as lightly falling snow coated Boston. The opening match of the Husky Tournament found the host Northeastern Huskies dominated by the New Hampshire Wildcats 0-3. UNH played a fine game of total hockey, with all of their players either attacking or defending together. NU could not find their skating legs.
There was no scoring in the first period. The contest was a tad chippy as the teams accentuated their checking play. The Husky Invitational has often produced great goaltending exhibitions, like the one three years ago, when Meghan Smith of PC played a couple of sensational matches. UNH's Alicia Roberts and NU's Erika Silva both had excellent games in net.
In the second, Melisa Heitzman (Nicki Luongo, Michelle Thornton) put UNH on the board when she tucked home a nice pass from the point. The play developed from a face-off. The Wildcats were beating the Huskies to the puck and were playing with a ton of energy. Northeastern was rather lethargic.
At the start of the final segment, Kim Knox gave UNH a 0-2 lead when she drilled her shot, as the NU defense backed in. The Wildcats continued in control throughout the third, and finished off the scoring when Brandy Fisher (Luongo) skated in an empty net goal.
I can easily see why New Hampshire is undefeated in the ECAC League. They have the best team play. Every player knows exactly what they are suppose to do, and they do it with a lot of confidence. Whether they are fore-checking to create the turnover or back-checking to stop the other team, UNH plays exceptionally well together. Today's win was clinical. The UNH woman of the match was fresher Brandi Kerns. This kid skates great and plays with a presence that let's her create openings. Kerns does need to remember to keep her stick on the ice, but played a brilliant match. Fellow fresher defender Winny Brodt also is very talented. She can overdo it, but when she plays within her game Brodt anticipates well and can make the subtle pass. In goal Roberts made some wonderful quick reaction saves. Up front Samantha Holmes filled in well when there was the odd lapse. The line of Fisher, Sara Cross and Knox played aggressive, intelligent hockey. Overall, I can see UNH doing the double, if not the treble.
Northeastern was not on song. They looked fairly good in the first with their checking game. However the Huskies could not take it up a level and get their skate and pass game running. The Husky woman of the match was Silva. The fresher goalie is always with the puck and made some super saves today. Keri-Anne Allan played a heads-up match that let her mark her opponent perfectly. Allan is playing with a ton of poise and is also moving her team forward. Fresher Kelly Martin had a go on the blue line today, and looked good. She moved the puck around for her mates very well. The line of Crystal Baumgartner and freshers Jennifer Santerre and Lisa Giovanelli was the only line that was moving for NU. Santerre played with intensity and led her line. Overall, not the kind of performance I expect from Northeastern.
***
Date: Mon, 29 Dec 1997 22:16:38 -0500
Subject: Minnesota Women 3 - PC 0
Monday afternoon at the Brown Holiday Tournament, the Minnesota Golden Gophers beat the Friars of Providence College 3-0. It was a slow match that lacked intensity. However it was a good win for Minnesota who controlled play at both ends of the ice.
The game opened with the Gophers stringing together some nice passes and looking dangerous. Ambria Thomas (Nadine Muzerall, Kris Scholz) gave Minnesota the early lead when she drilled her shot high glove side. The PC defense was at sixes and sevens. The Friars were looking pretty disorganized. Meanwhile the Gopher's tight play, led by premier fore and back-checker Matty Brekken, kept them on top. Muzerall (Thomas, Brittny Ralph) put Minnesota up by two when she took a long-ball pass behind the Providence defense, went in all alone and deked the puck into the back of the net. Nice goal!
There was no scoring in the second period. Both teams could learn to keep their sticks on the ice, as play got somewhat rough. Co-captain Catherine Hanson tried to get the Friars moving from her defensive role with several telling surges. However there was always a Gopher there, like the back- checking Julie Otto to snuff out the PC attempts.
In the final interval, Providence tried to sustain some pressure, but they seemed to lack direction in the art of scoring goals. Minnesota was prepared and maintained a solid wall. Brekken (Marisa Pettiford, Betsey Kukowski) finished the scoring for the Gophs when she knocked one in at the near post.
The trivializing of sport with loud pop music at every stoppage of play was unfortunately in vogue at Brown. It was not a pleasant experience.
Providence is a team in need of guidance. The players often looked like they didn't know what they should do next. There was very little passing of note. The PC woman of the match was Hanson. She moved very well and tried to lead her team forward. Hanson is a strong blue liner and laid off a few decent dishes for the Friars. First-year defender Valerie Bono also looked good. She plays a heads-up game that let her make many intelligent plays. Up front, first-year Jessica Tabb is a center with a ton of potential. She has a great skill set, but needs some direction if she is to realize her promise. Overall, the Friars need to get it together soon if they want to succeed in the ECAC.
Minnesota is a varsity program for the first time this season. The team is made up of mainly first-years and sophomores, but already they are playing Gopher (Herb Brooks) hockey in many ways. The players are all on the same page, and are controlling the game well. They also have their passing game clicking. What is missing right now is the mobility and speed that makes Gopher hockey stunning to watch. The woman of the match was Brekken. The first-year forward moves so well and does so many little things just when you need them. Brekken is the main digger for Minnesota, but also can put the puck in the net. Fellow digger, and senior captain Julie Otto (a transfer from Northeastern), also was very good. Her back-checking was superb. The big line of Muzerall, Thomas and Scholz looked good as a unit. However, they all need to work on their movement. Muzerall made some lovely shifts. The defensive pairing of Angela Borek and Ralph was very strong. They worked together well and always seemed to be ahead of the other side. Tai Thorsheim was the other blue liner who made some good breakups. In goal, Erica Killewald kicked out the few tough shots she faced. Overall, when Minnesota gets more mobility, watch out.
***
Date: Sat, 13 Dec 1997
Subject: Harvard Women 1 - NU 5
Saturday afternoon at Bright the Crimson of Harvard were mastered by the Northeastern Huskies 1-5. NU is starting to get their passing game together and were able to expose Harvard's flaws. The Crimson seemed more interested in running interference than getting involved in a hockey game.
The first period opened with Northeastern trying some experiments and periodically pouring the pressure on in the Harvard zone. The Crimson were creating some plays, but looking brittle. First-year Betsy Dyke gave NU a 0-1 lead when she knocked the puck in low to the far post. Harvard tied the match with a power play.
As the second period progressed, Northeastern's passing game started to click. Stephanie Acres (Jessica Ferwerda) slipped one under the goalie to take the lead for the Huskies. Dyke got credit for the next NU goal when a Harvard defender deflected her shot from the circle. By that point the Husky fore-checking schemes were in full flower and pressing Harvard to the limit. Colleen Coen (Jennie Setaro, Kathryn Waldo) made it 1-4 NU when she redirected a blast from the point by Setaro. Lovely play!
In the final segment, Jennifer Santerre (Acres, Keri-Anne Allan) closed out the scoring off a wonderful pass from Acres. Harvard had been caught out of position. The last part of the game turned ugly, as Harvard did not represent themselves well.
Northeastern is developing fine. Their mobility let them slip in and out of places and create space. The Husky passing game is starting to produce a nice attacking shape. The woman of the match was the exposed wrist line of Beth Claggett, Sarah Smythe and Lisa Giovanelli. Smythe looked real good cycling around the zone and did so many little things well. Giovanelli is a leech. Her back-checking skills are super. Claggett put together several nice moves and passes. She has the potential to be a dazzling forward. Hilary Witt and Acres both had their moments today. Witt motored forward and shielded the puck with her body. She also did some excellent back-checking. Acres started to pull her marvelous artistry together with some refined shifts. On the blue line, Kim Beneduce and Ferwerda moved well as a pair. Their penalty killing was superb. Setaro used her quickness and power well in her zone and dished off some lovely disguised passes. Jaime Totten's defensive skills were fantastic. She broke up rushes with ease and held it together at the back. Erika Silva was in net and has the ability to make saves look simple. Overall, the Huskies are improving.
***
Date: Sat, 22 Nov 1997 19:02:50 -0500
Subject: Harvard Women 4 - Dartmouth 5 OT
Saturday afternoon at Bright proved to be the best hockey game I have seen in the young season. The Dartmouth Big Green edged the Crimson of Harvard 5-4 in overtime. What made it such a treat to watch was the fact that first one team would dominate and then the other. In the end, Dartmouth's superior mobility gave them the advantage.
The match opened with Harvard busting up the gut for two quick strikes. Dartmouth looked shocked by the two Harvard goals, but managed to come back. Sarah Hood picked up a long pass that was bobbled by the Crimson defense. Hood torqued it, blew by the other Harvard defender and tucked the puck home. Lovely goal!
In the second, the Crimson seemed to be sitting on their lead. Harvard has a penchant for killing off their own power plays that prevented them from extending their lead. Neither team was in control for large periods of time. However as the period waned, the Big Green started to turn up the heat. Kathleen O'Keefe (Hood, Michelyne Pinard) scored on a bang-bang-bang play, during a 4 on 4 situation, to tie the game. They had controlled the puck in the Harvard end when Hood made the killer pass to O'Keefe.
As the third period started I felt somehow Dartmouth was going to win this match. Sure enough, Big Green scored again to take a 2-3 lead at the start of the period. Jen Wiehn (Lauren Trottier, Pinard) scored from the side of the net after a three-way passing play. Harvard tied the match when they caught the Dartmouth defense at sixes and sevens. It was up and down hockey with both teams going for victory. The Crimson regained the lead at 4-3 off a fine solo slanting move. Dartmouth roared right back as Carrie Sekela (Trottier, Wiehn) struck home a rebound when the Harvard defense couldn't clear the puck. Finally in overtime, Wiehn (Hood) threaded in the winning goal off a perfect pass from Hood. Both teams had played extremely well.
Dartmouth has a very interesting team. They have a number of talented first-years who are fitting into the Big Green system nicely. I have a feeling that when this team is on song, they could beat any team in the ECAC with their excellent skate and pass game. The woman of the match was Hood. The senior co-captain did it all. She back-checked, she scored a brilliant goal at a timely moment, and she dished off a number of lovely feeds, including the game winning goal. Hood is a strong player who could help her team into the honors this season. O'Keefe was another attacker that at times looked very dangerous. First-years Trottier and Wiehn are marvelous. They strung together a lot of first-class passes. Trottier has a soft stick and a myriad of moves. Wiehn made numerous telling passes. The line that isn't, O'Keefe, Hood and Pinard was easily the best line on the ice. It was only united a couple of times, but produced a key goal to tie the game in the second. Together, those three are something special! The blue liners were lead by senior co-captain Jen Lane. Lane is the on-ice commander who pushes her troops forward. Wendy Soutsos was the other DC defender who played a very smart match. Overall, I look for Dartmouth to be one of the contenders in the ECAC and Ivy Leagues.
Match reports 1996-1997
Date: Sun, 16 Mar 1997 18:51:44 -0500
Subject: UNH Women 2 - Northeastern 3
Sunday afternoon at Matthews the University of New Hampshire Wildcats were defeated 2-3 by the Northeastern University Huskies in the ECAC Women's League Championship final. This 1997 triumph, along with wins in 1988 and 1989, gives Northeastern three ECAC Championships. The tournament MVP was the NU's Hilary Witt who had two of the goals.
The final started slow but built into a game with end-to-end action and periods of pressure by both teams. There was no scoring in the opening frame. It was typical final four defensive hockey.
At the start of the second, Northeastern came out big. Hilary Witt (Stephanie Acres) opened the scoring when she fired home from the left slot. The play was made by Acres who intercepted a breakout attempt and then provided the lovely soft feed to Witt. UNH had been pinned back but that goal got them pushing NU. Samantha Holmes (Carisa Zaban, Heather Reinke) finished off a wonderful length of the ice break by taking the puck to the net and tucking it under the goalie. The goal was made by the exquisite cross-ice pass from Zaban that set Holmes free. UNH was looking in control and followed up that score with another by Holmes (Brandy Fisher). The Huskie defense had collapsed as Holmes walked in front and drilled her shot. Northeastern came storming back with a ton of pressure. Eventually Erine Metcalf (Jessica Wagner) tied the game at two with a power play blast when she was allowed to waltz down the left wing. NU scored the winner from a power play goal by Witt (Emily Pemrick, Jaime Totten). You could feel that goal coming as the Huskies flipped the puck around in the UNH zone. It was a great period of hockey!
In the final period, both teams played wait and hope-for-a-break to start. Gradually Northeastern started putting more pressure on the Wildcats and thus were able to pull out the great victory.
New Hampshire looked a tad tired in the third and perhaps yesterday's late overtime contest had an effect. The Wildcats did not produce the elegant passing plays they used to defeat PC. However the defending Champions did give Northeastern a battle. Reinke led the defense with her strong skating and good reads. Fisher made a couple of interesting solo bursts. Holmes was a force today and took her two goals with a flourish. Zaban had another incredible day of passing the puck. She certainly is the driving force for the Wildcats.
Northeastern played a much more engaging match in the final. I would have liked to see them go for more goals, but their scores were delightful. My theory on women's college hockey is that you are as good as your first-years. The Huskies seemed to augment that idea today. Naturally they also got strong senior leadership, but with the level of talent rising with each new class, recruiting is the key. All four NU defenders played very well today. Metcalf was able to read the attack and breakup passes and so could go forward and use her heavy slap shot. Setaro used her movement, passing and vision to fly over the ice surface. Totten had a smart weekend on the blue line and helped form a solid backdrop. Keri-Anne Allan played some fine one-on-one marking and supported the attack effectively. In goal, Shannon Meyers had a shaky start but came back to make some important saves. The line of Waldo, Wagner and Cheatham did a ton of muck work which aided the victory. King, Tapani and Scerra did their share of the digging and pulled off some nice moves. Acres, Pemrick and Witt were the big line. Pemrick produced an excellent back-checking game and made the telling passes. Witt exploded in the second period and was the true power forward as she gushed up ice and let her shot rip! The woman of the match and the woman of the weekend was Steph Acres. Whether she was fore-checking and filching the puck with her deft touch, or battling a face-off opponent for a draw, Acres was marvelous. Acres ability to know where everyone is on the ice and produce the awesome setup was a major reason Northeastern won their third championship. Overall, so much for my play-off predictions. Northeastern wins a remarkable double taking home the honors in the Beanpot and the ECAC Championship. Hail Huskies!
***
Date: Sat, 8 Mar 1997 18:31:03 -0500
Subject: NU Women 6 - DC 2
Saturday afternoon at Matthews the Northeastern University Huskies mastered the Dartmouth College Big Green 6-2. The Huskies used three opportunistic shorthanded goals to advance to next weekend's ECAC semifinals at NU. DC could not get it together and had trouble generating serious scoring chances.
The game started with both teams playing tense play-off hockey. There were some individual moves that were interesting, but in general it was go-to-the-net. Northeastern opened the scoring when Bree Cheatham stole the puck twice deep in the Big Green zone. DC was on a power play, but Cheatham managed to beat the defender and lift the puck high into the netting. Kathryn Waldo (Courtney King, Cheatham) made it 2-0 NU when she drilled her shot high at the far post. The goal came from a three-player break-in and was made by an excellent cross-ice, back pass from King.
At the start of the second, Dartmouth's Wendy Soutsos (Amy Coelho, Kathleen O'Keefe) scored a power play goal to cut the lead to one. From a face-off in the NU zone, the puck was worked around to the point. Soutsos shot bounced in off the goaltender. At that point the contest came alive. Both teams started using their skate and pass games and the intensity rose. Gradually that superb spell of hockey gave way to the tense, slower variety. In the final seven seconds the Huskies scored the killer goal. Stephanie Acres (Keri-Anne Allan, Emily Pemrick) hit a rebound over the goalie for a 3-1 lead. The play was made by a fantastic end-to-end rush by Allan.
As the final interval got underway, NU's King (Erine Metcalf) scored a shorthanded goal from a rebound. Metcalf made the end-to-end break that set that goal up. Waldo made it 5-1 Huskies with another shorthanded effort when she stole the puck in the Big Green corner, walked in front and buried her shot through the goalie. Hilary Witt (Acres, Kim Beneduce) finished the Northeastern scoring when she followed up her own shot, after a 1-2 break up the gut. Dartmouth closed out the scoring when Michelyne Pinard (Soutsos, Erin Rath) slid home a try from a nice 1-2 play.
Dartmouth did not have a good outing. Some individuals played very well, but as a team they could not generate an attack. I kept waiting for them to break out of their shell and hit stride, but that unfortunately did not happen. The Dartmouth woman of the match was Jessica Clark. She skates and moves the puck so well. I felt Clark directed plays because she always was one step ahead of the play. Emilie Schnitman was the other forward who put on some nice moves and created breaks. The defense was led by the strong, dynamic skating of Coelho. She is a very steady defender and carried the puck expertly. Soutsos was the other blue liner who made some big time plays. She read the situation extremely well. Overall, a disappointing game from a very talented Big Green team.
Northeastern did not have a very good attacking shape today. They did score goals, and at timely moments. NU also demonstrated some super penalty killing today as they ragged the puck and converted any opportunities presented. The woman of the match was Kathryn Waldo. She put on a number of choice shifts today to create space for herself and her mates. Waldo skated and passed with authority and was the driving force behind today's victory. Cheatham also had a great day. She held onto the puck to setup mates and was always digging. Fabulous first-year forwards Witt and Acres provided drive and quickness. Witt was the power attacker and made some lovely passes. Acres darted over the ice and used her refined touches to create plays. On the blue line, Jamie Totten had a good go-get-'em defensive style. She stopped numerous attempts. The other stunning Husky today was defender Allan. She used her vision and skating ability to turn away from desperate situations. Allan had a huge match. Overall Northeastern will need to move the puck around better if they hope to advance in the next round.
***
23 February 1997
NU Women 1 - Dartmouth 2
Sunday afternoon at Matthews, the Northeastern University Huskies were defeated by the Big Green of Dartmouth 1-2. It was a great game filled with fast skate and pass hockey. These two teams matched up evenly and it was a treat to see such an excellent hockey game.
The first period started slowly. Both teams were shaking off the effects of Saturday's exercise. Dartmouth was playing a withdrawn defensive game with the occasional counterattack. Northeastern seemed to be working on a number of experimental sets. Big Green's rotation style power play was the highlight of the first period, as there was no scoring.
In the second both teams picked up the tempo and started making dangerous moves. DC was using a soft slide pass to great effect and pulled off some interesting misdirection plays. NU opened the score with a shorthanded goal from Emily Pemrick. She stole the puck and burst in on the Dartmouth goal, making a demi-deke before roofing her chance.
In the final interval Dartmouth looked in form. Their movement and passing for each other was splendid. It paid off early in the period when Michelyne Pinard (Erin Rath, Amy Coelho) tipped in an outside shot. The play developed instantly from a face-off in the Husky zone. Northeastern came back and applied some strong pressure with its own superb passing game, but could not put the puck in the net. With about four minutes left Dartmouth won the contest when Sara Nelson (Emilie Schnitman, Sarah Hood) converted a lovely three-way passing break. NU mounted some pressure, but DC was able to hold onto a fine victory.
I would not want to meet Dartmouth in the opening round of the play-offs. Despite their record, they are a very skillful group of players who work extremely well with each other. I could just feel their final goal coming the way line after line was able to toss the puck around. The Dartmouth woman of the match was the line of Emilie Schnitman, Sara Nelson and Sarah Hood. They went at the Huskies like a wave of attackers. They were a very opportunistic line that were unlucky not to score more. Kathleen O'Keefe and Sarah Halsell periodically worked some outstanding 1-2 plays. In goal, Melissa Siegfried came up with a big effort. She made several critical saves to keep the game tight. On defense Jen Lane reacted quickly and fended off many Husky sorties. Amy Coelho was the other blue liner who stood out with her fine reads and terrific skating. Overall a big win for Dartmouth, and one that shows them they can play with any team.
Northeastern put out a good effort and the experiments they used will no doubt be good building blocks for the future. The one suicidal defender breakout pass they need to bury quickly before it results in easy chances for the opposition. The problem today was they forgot to score goals. The passing and skating was there, but the final shot was sadly missing. The Northeastern woman of the match was the line of Hilary Witt, Stephanie Acres and Emily Pemrick. That trio pulls off some sweet plays and has the explosive drive to be in on you before you know it. The line of Jessica Wagner, Kathryn Waldo and Bree Cheatham or Angela Scerra also was motoring well. The space they created for themselves was excellent. Jaime Totten held things together at the back with her edgy play. She kept the Big Green just off the mark many a time. Jennie Setaro was the other strong defender whose speed allowed her to range far into the attacking zone. Netminder Shannon Meyers played exceedingly well. She made a number of combination saves on DC power plays. Overall a good game, with a lot learned, but obviously lacking the finishing touch.
***
Date: Sat, 22 Feb 1997 19:21:54 -0500
Subject: Harvard Women 5 - Dartmouth 2
Saturday afternoon at Bright, the Harvard Crimson pulled off a stunning 5-2 victory over the Dartmouth College Big Green. Harvard took their chances well and used a tight defense to win the match. Dartmouth looked great in the first period but seemed to panic after that and didn't get back in the game.
The Big Green came out strong. They were skating well, passing wonderfully and had a lovely shape to their attack. Sarah Halsell (Jessica Clark, Jen Lane) opened the scoring for DC when Clark went in on a left wing break. She beat her marker with a nice move and feed Halsell at the far post. Halsell hit high into the netting. The Crimson came back when Melissa Milbert's point shot was tipped over the Big Green's goalie by her own defender. Harvard took a 2-1 lead off a good passing play right in front. DC still looked good, but Harvard was counterattacking effectively. The Crimson a two goal advantage when a solo burst beat two DC players. The Big Green came back to make it 3-2 after one when Halsell (Jaime Arndt, Clark) got the final touch. Dartmouth kept digging and Arndt got the puck and took a wide-angle shot that slipped through the goalie's pads.
In the second Dartmouth stopped using its very effective down low roll plays and started playing long ball. It didn't seem to work as well and the Big Green was left with outside shooting for the rest of the afternoon. The only score in the second came on a long breakout play by Harvard.
In the final period, Harvard made it 5-2 when a long-range blast found net. Harvard had been putting on a spell of pressure and that goal basically ended the game. Dartmouth kept going but looked like they felt the puck wasn't bouncing for them.
Dartmouth is a great example of a team that uses all of their players and uses them wisely. Coach George Crowe always comes up with a new wrinkle to his attacking schemes. He fits his plans to the players he has which I find very intelligent. Why the team didn't stay with the excellent attacking shape they had in the first period I don't understand. The Dartmouth woman of the match was Michelyne Pinard. She pulled off some incredible moves and created a ton of open space. Pinard's linemate Malaika Little also looked good going to the net. Little's power game went close several times. Jessica Clark led her line with some fine passing and skating. She too pulled off some fascinating shifts. Sarah Hood was the other DC forward who tried to break the game open with her commanding rushes. The defense was held together by the wonderful movement of Amy Coelho. Her strong, active blue line play was complimented by her surging rushes. Overall I was very impressed with the team play of Big Green, but today's loss may send them to Purgatory for the play-offs.
***
11 February 1997
Women's Beanpot: NU wins 1997 Championship
Tuesday evening at Boston College's Conte Forum the 1997 Beanpot Championship was won by the Northeastern Huskies when they beat the Crimson of Harvard 8-1. The Boston College Eagles defeated the Boston University Terriers in the third place match 9-0. It was a good night of hockey that was energized by the increasing numbers of high school, prep and club players coming to see their future event.
Game 1: Boston C. 9 - Boston U. 0 3rd pl
The opening match featured the stylish control game of BC dominating club side BU. The woman of the match was Genevieve Missirlian. Her elegant blue line moves kept things tight at the back for the Eagles. Gena Nolin was the other player that impressed with some lovely passing. Stacey Kielman was in goal for BU and made a number of fine saves. The defensive pair of Christine Grabowy and Beth Caritey provided fair coverage. Meg Nakashara was the other blue liner who showed a lot of determination to get the puck clear. Up front the Terriers featured Shana Osler who made several nice rushes. Overall it was good to see Boston University with a growing squad of players.
Game 2: Northeastern 8 - Harvard 1 Champ
The second match featured a good, fairly clean game of hockey. Harvard took the lead when Elizabeth Ganzenmuller knocked home a loose puck. NU was guilty of an early defensive lapse. The Huskies came back when Emily Pemrick (Erine Metcalf, Hilary Witt) put the 3rd or 4th rebound in off a scramble in front of the net. Keri-Anne Allan (Stephanie Acres) made it 2-1 Northeastern when her point shot deflected over the Crimson netminder. The play developed from a face-off deep in the Harvard zone. For long spells of the first period it seemed like NU was on a continuous power play. Acres (Allan, Tapani) finished off a right wing break by pulling off a wrap around from behind the goal.
The second period featured more up and down hockey. Northeastern increased its lead when Jessica Wagner (Kathryn Waldo) converted the perfect centering pass from Waldo. At the end of the second, the Huskies struck for two quick goals as Harvard's legs failed them. Waldo (Wagner, Angela Scerra) fired through a screen of backing in Crimson defenders to make it 5-1. Pemrick (Acres, Witt) scored the nicest goal of the night when she slammed home her chance at the back door. The play was made by the brilliant pass from Acres as the rotation scheme left Pemrick wide-open. Wow!
In the final interval, both teams looked tired from their third game in four days. Waldo's slot blast found netting to extend NU's margin. Acres (Jennie Setaro) finished the scoring at 8-1. Setaro laid on a great long ball feed off the boards to Acres. Going in 3 on 1 Acres faked a pass and drilled her shot in off the far post. Lovely goal!
Northeastern found their scoring touch. They will need it this weekend if they want to maintain home ice for the play-offs. The Huskies played a calm confident game and worked on a number of plays. It was good to see 6 different defenders and 4 lines in action for NU. The fourth line of Michelle Cacchiotti, Clytie Sadler and Katie Wiren played very well. Sarah Smythe had some moments of attacking flair. Waldo used her skate and pass game to create numerous openings for herself and her mates. Wagner had a strong back-checking game and took her goal well. Allan's defensive cover looked good and she found time to join the fray. Erine Metcalf hit several nice long ball passes. Jaime Totten was the tough defender who not only broke up the play but produced the fine outlet pass. The woman of the match and the Beanpot MVP was Steph Acres. This kid is stunning at creating space and is also a gunner. Acres' movement and passing is the catalyst that makes Northeastern flow. Hail Northeastern the 1997 Women's Beanpot Champion.
***
Date: Sun, 9 Feb 1997 19:56:47 -0500
Subject: NU Women 0 - Brown 3
Sunday afternoon at Matthews the Northeastern Huskies lost to the undefeated Brown Bears 0-3. Bruno has a ton of talent and used some fast skating to control the game. NU played a heck of a defensive game, but needs to recover its scoring touch soon.
The first period started with Brown applying some pressure and the Huskies counterattacking. Bruno defender Tara Mounsey opened the scoring when she intercepted a Northeastern breakout pass. She jumped into the high slot area, got the puck and drilled her shot. Brown has some lovely skills but it all was wasted by the lack of attacking ideas.
There was no scoring in the second. NU came out big at the start of the period and made a few dangerous plays. The Bear defense held. You could feel that Bruno would get it together.
At the start of the final frame, and just as a Northeastern power play was over, Brown's Katie King collected the puck at center ice, dusted the Husky defense and slide the puck under the goalie. It was a well-timed score taken exquisitely. The Huskies continued their defense posture but couldn't generate any serious scoring chances. King (Jordan Jiskra) scored a shorthanded goal to make the result 0-3. King had been killing a penalty by ragging the puck. She then slipped the puck to Jiskra, took the return and cut hard on the NU net before hitting her shot high into the net. Lovely goal!
Fans and relatives as well as players and coaches need to take a look at their behavior at ECAC League games. A spectator or player should be able to view or play a game without being interfered with. Blocking other's view and taunting players is cheap. The game is turning ugly at times due to the lack of respect players are showing each other. The defensive concepts that promote that idea are at best lame.
Brown has incredible individual talent. Unfortunately they did not play as a team. The problem is the lack of tactics that would better use the players. It is like watching the national side that also appears clueless. The woman of the match was senior defender Becky Kellar. She held the team together and provided the space that let others shine. Why Kellar never gets a look from Team Canada I do not understand. Her passing, skating and vision are superb. Jaime Abel, Julie Iler and Mounsey are very mobile blue liners that anticipate the play extremely well. Mounsey has a very powerful shot but needs to learn how to use her mates better. First-year Alison Brewer is a supple netminder and made her saves look simple. Karen Emma is a real razor. Her passing was marvelous. The other Bruno treat was power forward King. She took her goals with a touch of class. When King hits the afterburners there are few players that can stay with her. Overall I can readily see why Brown has its perfect record in the league. All hail the 1997 Ivy League Title holders!
Northeastern needs to go for goals. Their defense and transition game are on song. Their attacking zone play was stagnant this weekend. The Husky woman of the match was Jessica Wagner. The senior forward played an excellent game at both ends of the ice. Wagner always was in the right spot. The defense was led by Jaime Totten. Her reads let her step up and make the big plays. Jennie Setaro provided good defensive coverage with her strong skating. Stephanie Acres generated breakout plays with her lovely lay offs and was having a go with her powerful shot. Hilary Witt did some fine back-checking and produced some attacking flair. Overall, Northeastern still needs goals.
***
Date: Sat, 11 Jan 1997 19:54:48 -0500
Subject: Harvard Women 2 - Cornell 6
Saturday afternoon at Bright the Harvard Crimson were beaten by the Big Red of Cornell 2-6. Cornell used fast skating, strong fore-checking and effective teamwork to take the game to the Crimson. Harvard seemed slow and not on the same page.
The game started with both teams playing tentative hockey. Big Red was making sloppy passes and Harvard seemed to have trouble controlling the puck. Dana Antal (Morag McPherson) opened the scoring for Cornell when she pulled off a lovely inside-out move to deke the puck into the net. McPherson made the play by back-checking until she got the puck and then feeding Antal. McPherson (Alison Stewart, Antal) made it 0-2 when she converted a good feed from the corner.
In the second, Cornell started to work their 1-2's better which generated more scoring opportunities. Harvard had some individual breaks. The period started with a Crimson power play goal. The Big Red struck back with a power play goal of their own when Kelley Boutin (Erin Schmalz, Colette Bredin) finished off some excellent puck movement. Several chances were created by Cornell on this power play because of their stellar passing. Schmalz (Bredin) made it 1-4 Cornell in the last minute of the period, when Bredin went on a right wing break and took a shot that Schmalz helped over the line.
In the final interval, both teams at times looked like they were saving it for tomorrow. Cornell managed to produce a swarming attack periodically. Bredin (Schmalz, Tracey Cornell) scored a power play goal during one of those frenzies. The final touch on the goal was a nice deke by Bredin. T. Cornell (Bredin, Schmalz) made it 1-6 Big Red when she knocked in the puck after a 1-2-3 break-in play. Harvard concluded the scoring when they stole the puck in the Cornell zone.
The way Cornell played today I would guess they are ready to move up the ECAC and Ivy League standings. It appears that it is very important for them to go out and get goals early. Once they started scoring the flow and overall play greatly improved. The woman of the match for Cornell was Dana Antal. She pulled off some amazing moves against Harvard. It was a lot of fun watching her quickness glide her past defenders before making the deceptive pass or taking the elegant scoring chance. Her linemate McPherson might be the best digger in the ECAC. She can really lock on and often comes up with the puck. Together with first-year Stewart they are a very powerful line. T. Cornell was a force on the ice with her strong fore-checking game. Her linemates Schmalz and Bredin were ready for any loose rebounds. Together they give Big Red a very good second line. The defense was led by first-year Patty Pate. She can really mark her opponent well with her excellent skating. Leanna House and Heather Davidson were a very effective blue line pairing. Overall, Cornell has the talent to go far.
Harvard could not match Big Red's skating. It was very good to see Sally Maloney and Kim McManama getting a regular shift. The rest of the team did not appear as tired in the later stages of the game because of their efforts. The Harvard woman of the match was Christa Calagione. She was a powerhouse with her dynamic skating. Calagione provided the cover that let her teammates perform. Melissa Milbert also made some good breakup plays in her own zone.
***
Date: Sun, 8 Dec 1996 19:32:08 -0500
Subject: Harvard Women 4 - UNH 7
Sunday afternoon at Bright the Harvard Crimson were carved up by the University of New Hampshire Wildcats 4-7. UNH used their exceptional team play to pull off a convincing victory. Harvard's players should be extremely pleased that they were winning 4-3 after two periods.
Play started slowly today with both teams looking a tad fatigued from Saturday's exercise. Carisa Zaban (Melisa Heitzman, Brandy Fisher) opened the scoring for the Wildcats with a power play goal. Fisher had dug the puck to Heitzman in the far slot and she redirected the puck to Zaban at the near post. Tina Carrabba (Sabrina Monsen, Sarah Holt) made it 0-2 when she finished off a 3 on 1 break. Holt had made the play at the blue line by stepping up and intercepting a knock out attempt. UNH looked in control of the game. However, in the last ten seconds of the period, Harvard flicked the puck into the net.
At the start of the second period, Harvard struck again to tie it at two. A few minutes later, Harvard gained the lead from a face-off. The Wildcats came back with a power play goal by senior captain Heather Reinke (Zaban, Heitzman). UNH likes to use an out of the corner, behind the goal line play that allows them to bang the puck in from either side. This time the puck was knocked out to Reinke, who was dashing in from the point for a lovely goal. Harvard came right back and stuffed a chance for a 4-3 lead!
As the third period started, I sort of figured it was time for a reality check. New Hampshire came out and dominated the period. Samantha Holmes (Fisher) tied the game at four when she drilled a nice feed from Fisher. UNH had put on tremendous pressure and you knew a goal was coming. Reinke (Melissa McKenzie, Regina Renner) regained the lead for the Wildcats when her point shot deflected in off a Crimson defender. Heitzman (Zaban) made it 4-6 when Zaban controlled a face-off in the Harvard end. Heitzman (Fisher, Kim Knox) finished the scoring with a power play goal.
New Hampshire has the most consistent team play I have seen this year. All the players seemed focused on the same page. The line of Zaban, Heitzman and Knox were exceedingly good together, but so were Fisher, Holmes and Carrie Jokiel. The third line of Carrabba, Monsen and Renner also did a fine job as a unit. The woman of the match for UNH was Carisa Zaban. She seems to be the heart of the team because her rushes generate so much energy. Zaban was the spark that lifted the Wildcats. Fisher, Heitzman and first-year Holmes are all very talented forwards with fine skill sets. The defense was led by the quiet elegance of Reinke. Her fluid skating kept things tidy in her own end and helped push the team forward. UNH has three good looking first-year blue liners in: Kerry Maher, Michelle Zoanetti and McKenzie. Their movement and execution was strong. Overall, it was good to see a team playing so well together.
Harvard must be happy to have played well against a very strong team. They had some trouble breaking the puck out of their own zone today, but in the second period they gave the Wildcats all kinds of pressure. Jenny Duval was the defensive forward of the day. Her back-checking helped stop numerous UNH rushes. On the blue line Calagione was using her free-floating status well. She was picking up unmarked players and using her skating awfully well. Melissa Milbert was the other defender that covered the trouble spots in the Crimson zone. Overall it was a fine effort by the players.
***
07 December 1996
Harvard Women 5 - Colby 8
Saturday afternoon at Bright the Harvard Crimson were blitzed by the Colby White Mules 5-8. It was easily the best match I have seen this season. Both teams produced some sparkling plays in a sensational game.
The first period opened with a flash of brilliance. Colby's Barb Gordon (Cary Charlebois, Meaghan Sittler) weaved her way out of the corner, through the Harvard defense and tucked the puck by the goalie. The Mules went up 0-2 on a power play goal by Gordon (Sittler). The give and go, cross-ice passing play was an ooo-la-la play that froze the Crimson defense. The play was precision execution and could easily be the goal of the year. Wow!!! Sittler scored Colby's third goal after faking to Gordon, but drilling her shot high glove side. The Mules were on a roll and looked like they might totally outclass Harvard. While killing a penalty Harvard collected a score. Gordon (Stacy Joslin) restored Colby's three goal lead when she burned up the gut and flick her shot high. In the last minute of the period, Christa Calagione (Colleen Malek, Kyle Walsh) closed the gap with a blast from the point.
In the second, the Mules came out and added to their lead when Stephanie Zegras (Shannon Kennedy) knocked in a rebound. The play was made by the powerful rush of Kennedy who had motored from end to end. With a 2-5 lead, I thought Colby would walk away with the game, but instead Harvard poured on the pressure and pinned the Mules back. Jen Gerometta got one when Colby was at sixes and sevens. Then Harvard cut the score to 4-5. Ganzenmuller made a nice pass to set up the chance. Colby answered when Kennedy (Beth Arduini) flipped the puck home after a Crimson defensive error. But Harvard came right back with some telling pressure to make it 5-6 after two periods.
In the final interval, the Mules' Gordon went on a solo break and knocked in her own rebound. Sittler (Gordon) finished the scoring when Gordon did the digging and Sittler the drilling. Harvard came close a couple of times but Colby had tighten its defenses. The 5-8 final reflected the remarkable performances of both teams.
Colby has a very good team. I believe their new coach is holding them back by not playing the third line regularly. In the ECAC League you will not be a contender unless you use your third line. The better teams will have their big guns rested and ready to settle the result. The Mules defense looks weak, and again one of the reasons for that is some players are being overplayed. The Colby tradition of stylish offense is being carried on by the brilliant play of Gordon and Sittler, and enhanced by first-year defender Kennedy. Barb Gordon was the woman of the match. Her four goals were exquisite. Gordon is an elegant skater with pace and the ability to cut in and out of any situation. Sittler is a power forward with excellent touch. Her passing is superior stuff. Kennedy is a strong player with fine skating and superb defensive reactions and can also play up front. She can overcommit, but with her speed and desire she can make up for it. Joslin held the defense together with her sharp vision. Charlebois, Arduini and Jenny O'Donnell also put in strong performances on the attack. Their skating and line play was real good. It was fun to see such an interesting attack and I look forward to seeing Colby in the play-offs.
Most of the Harvard players should be proud of how well they played today. They turned what could have been a rout into an excellent hockey game. Ganzenmuller provided some splendid passes. Jenny Duval and Walsh had strong back-checking games. Sally Maloney, when she got ice time, also helped the team effort. The defense was led by first-year Christie MacKinnon. She has become one of the on ice leaders for the Crimson. Calagione made some marvelous long ball passes from her own end. Melissa Milbert again pulled off some very smart plays. Malek and goalie Jen Bowdoin faced a ton of pressure today, but hung in there.
***
Date: Sat, 16 Nov 1996 19:48:30 -0500
Subject: Harvard Women 2 - Princeton 8
Saturday afternoon at Bright Hockey Center the Crimson of Harvard were crushed by the Princeton Tigers 2-8. The Tigers were powered by forwards Mandy Pfeiffer, Karen Chernisky, Ali Coughlin and Amy Macklin as they gave their new head coach Jeff Kampersal his first ECAC League victory. At times Harvard looked very good, but too often they buckled to the superior Princeton pressure.
The game started with both teams being very cautious. After a Princeton power play, the Crimson opened the scoring. Alexis Scott (Pfeiffer) tied the game at one when she was setup at the back door. Pfeiffer made the play with a wonderful rush up the left wing, where she eluded several checks, finishing it off with the telling pass.
In the second period, Harvard came out quick and regained the lead in the opening minute. Kyle Walsh (Christa Calagione) worked a fine 1-2 at the blue line, closed on net and roofed her shot from a sharp angle. The Tigers tied the match at two when Chernisky (Coughlin) scored a power play goal. The play was a perfect 1-2 setup out of the corner that froze the Harvard defender. Just after that PPG Macklin (Coughlin) gave Princeton the lead for good. The Crimson was at sixes and sevens and guilty of backing in on their goaltender.
At the start of the final period, Coughlin (Pfeiffer) drove home a rebound to make it 2-4 Princeton. The Tiger pressure was too much for Harvard. Macklin (Coughlin, Chernisky) scored on a lovely three-way passing play from a face-off in the Crimson zone. Chernisky (Coughlin, Vicki Urbas) made an excellent solo break up the gut which she finished with a deke right, while tucking the puck left into the net. Pfeiffer (Danya Marshman) made it 2-7 when she took a feed from her winger, held unto the puck and timed her roof shot expertly. Urbas (Mikhael Miller, Erin O'Dea) concluded the scoring for Princeton when her low point shot found net.
Princeton has a large team, but unfortunately mainly went with their big guns today. Obviously it worked well, but I wonder how well the plan will play out eventually. Playing only three defenders is also very dangerous in the ECAC, especially when you have players on the bench that looked good when they got their chance. The woman of the match was Mandy Pfeiffer. The senior center has such good speed, vision and the ability to hold onto the puck until something presents itself. Her linemates Scott and first-year Marshman played well as a unit. The first line of Chernisky, Coughlin and Macklin was a force on the ice. Chernisky has an extremely powerful presence and used her skills to push the Crimson back. On defense, Heather Cowens led the way with smart heads-up play. Urbas and first-year Dani Holtschlag made for a tight defensive unit. In goal, Tammy Orlow made some combination saves at critical moments of the game. Overall, it was a great way for Princeton to open its ECAC League campaign.
Harvard has a very small squad of players. That is because five returning players dropped the program. Walsh, Jenny Duval and Elizabeth Ganzenmuller played well as a line. Walsh had a fine outing with her intelligent fore-checking game. The defense was led by the excellent stand-up goalkeeping of Jen Bowdoin. She did not get that much support today from her team, but still stoned many a shooter. Christa Calagione coupled strong defense with wise attacking team play today. Calagione is one of the key players for Harvard this year. If she keeps the team first, and her defensive duties together the Crimson could have a very good season. Colleen Malek, Melissa Milbert and first-year MacKinnon round a defensive unit that will do better, if they keep it simple. All the Harvard players need to spend more time on elongated stride drill. Their skating just doesn't cut it in the ECAC. Overall, the Crimson players showed a lot of potential.
Match reports 1993-1996
Date: Tue, 12 Mar 1996 19:52:50 -0500
Subject: UNH Women 2 - Dartmouth 1 OT
Saturday afternoon's second ECAC Women's semifinal featured the host University of New Hampshire Wildcats edging the Dartmouth Big Green 2-1 in overtime. This was the best game of the weekend because of the incredible performance of Dartmouth's goalie Sarah Tueting. Fans, coaches and players were left amazed by one awesome save after another. UNH ultimately won the match with its forceful attack.
The game opened with waves of Wildcats breaking into the Big Green zone. If it hadn't been for the heroics of Tueting the score could have been many to none early in the game. As the match unfolded though there was no scoring in the first two periods. UNH was getting frustrated as the game wore on. Dartmouth was looking for the quick break and you had to guess that if they could get one goal, they might win the game.
In the final period, Sarah Howald (Sarah Hood) put DC up 0-1. The play happened at the start of the third from a face-off in the UNH end. On the ensuing center ice face-off the Wildcat's first-year sensation Carisa Zaban took the puck right up the gut and roofed her shot. It was like lightning had struck close by, and before you could get set the thunder clash shook you. Wow! From that point on UNH and DC played very tight hockey. I thought the Wildcats were particularly good off the puck, but not nearly as good when they were in possession. Big Green was still hoping for a break. They got one when, with two minutes left in the third, UNH was given a penalty! Dartmouth produced a lot of pressure during that time and even rang a shot off the post. The Wildcats looked thrilled to be going into overtime.
At the start of the extra time again it was the Sarah Tueting show. However the UNH pressure proved too much. Kimberly Knox (Melisa Heitzman) scored the winner after the two players had closed in on the net and fired until the final rebound went in.
Dartmouth, like Brown, did not play as well as they could have. It appears the Ivy teams are not ready yet for the huge play-off games. I think it is a matter of time and experience, but this weekend both teams were psyched-out. Big Green's first line of Hood, Howald and Emilie Schnitman was fairly effective. Hood made some nice passes and Schnitman put in a ton of skating for the team. Kathleen O'Keefe and Phoebe Manchester played strong games at both ends of the ice. Blue liner Amy Coelho used her fast reads to produce a strong, tough defensive game. Sara Vogler was the other potent defender with her fine skating. I love goal scoring more than most people, but a performance like Tueting's was scintillating. It stands out because of the number of quality shots from close in that she stopped. The woman of the match, and the woman of the weekend was Tueting.
UNH played a very smart game. They knew Dartmouth had a hot goaltender and so they took the game to Big Green from the opening face-off. I can not say the Wildcat concept of an attack inspires, but if there was a loose puck, UNH had it. Heather Reinke and Lisa Widdecke had solid games on defense. Both brokeup plays and engineered counterattacks. Knox, Annie Camins and Tricia Dunn were the leaders up front. However the key to the Wildcats is their super team play. Of the four teams in the finals, New Hampshire had the best teamwork. All the squads had good team defenses, but UNH seemed to have the most energy to attack. The woman of the match for the Wildcats was Zaban. Without her individual creativity and drive, I think UNH would have lost this match. It is a pity so few teams try to enhance the artistry of goal scoring.
***
Date: Sun, 25 Feb 1996 17:47:53 -0500
Subject: Harvard Women 0 - Cornell 5
Sunday afternoon at Bright the Cornell Big Red won the Ivy League title in style by whipping the Harvard Crimson 0-5. Cornell played an excellent match that featured strong skating, good clean checking at both ends of the ice and exceptional team play.
The first period started slow. Harvard looked the more lively with periods of pressure in the Big Red zone. However I felt the control game of Cornell would take over. Robin Thompson (Dana Antal) gave Big Red the lead when she took the puck up the gut on an end to end rush and finished the play by stuffing it past the Harvard goalie. Thompson seized the moment which was smart, but also had fine spread support from her mates.
In the second Harvard's defenders looked drained from too much ice time and not enough bodies being employed by the coach. Janna Dewar (Leanna House, Heather Davidson) finished off a lovely 1-2 break to give Cornell a 0-2 lead. Big Red was back-checking superbly and when they got the puck they were turning up ice for the quick break.
In the final period Erin Schmalz (Dewar, House) knocked home a lovely centering pass from the corner. Antal (Thompson, Morag McPherson) made it 0-4 Cornell when Thompson missed her breakaway attempt. Antal was left to pick up the rebound in the slot where she twirled and fired home. Big Red was flying high now and concluded the scoring with a power play goal. Thompson (McPherson, Antal) drove in her try when she was set-up at the backdoor. It was a fine power play that featured an intelligent set and good passing.
Cornell played a marvelous game today to win the Ivy League crown and get ready for next week's ECAC first round play-offs. Full marks to coach Julie Andeberhan (Sasner) for how well she has developed the Big Red Women's team. She is one of a few coaches in the league that works on skating, and it shows. Cornell are not all great skaters yet, but the improvement is good. The traditional Big Red checking game was clean and effective. The attack shows signs of an interesting future. The sets and the ability of players to move to open space looked real good. The woman of the match was the line of Thompson, McPherson and Antal. Thompson showed a lot of desire and some fine passing. Antal was also a clever passer and a very creative force on the ice. If she improves her skating, she could be something else. McPherson checked all over the ice. What impressed me the most about her was her talent to turn and go. McPherson is a great defensive forward, but if she ever starts to like scoring goals, look out! Tracey Cornell held her line together and is one of the reasons the rest of the team could accomplish what it did. Dewar is such a strong player on the ice and yet has fabulous touch. Her skating paid off big time for the team effort. On defense Stacey Hutton played a very good heads-up game. Overall I am very happy for Cornell as they won the Ivy title and did it with a flourish.
Harvard's three seniors, Ellen Frump, Stacy Kellogg and Holly Leitzes played their final game today. Frump performed admirably as a checking wing. Her efforts helped make her line play that much better. Kellogg was a hustling forward who marked her opponent well and was ever the opportunist in front of net. Leitzes was Harvard's best skater and the outstanding defender during her four years. Her strength and determination will be greatly missed. In today's match, Leitzes was excellent. She broke up a couple of three on one breaks. I can't say the rest of the team played that well today. Next season has some interesting possibilities. Will this year's first-year class (Walsh, Dubois, Gerometta, Kreindler, Ganzenmuller, Landry, Nottebohm and Milbert) be able to raise their game to better compete in the ECAC League? The skating will need to improve, but the prospects look good with this strong core of young players.
***
Date: Sat, 24 Feb 1996
Subject: Harvard Women 3 - St. Lawrence 4
The afternoon half of St. Lawrence Saturday found the Saints defeating the Harvard Crimson 3-4. St. Lawrence seemed to be very up for the match and perhaps last season's game that ended with some dubious penalties gave the Saints a revenge motive. Harvard played well, but by again overplaying some players, others were left on the bench which resulted in fatigue at critical moments.
The first period opened with SLU's Andrea Blakeley breaking up the gut, cutting to the left slot and firing home. Both teams were putting pressure on the other's net and the tempo of the game was excellent. Julie Barnett (Blakeley, Danielle Neal) put the Saints up 0-2 when she tipped in a drive from the point. Harvard came back when Stacy Kellogg poked in a rebound. The played developed from a face-off.
In the second, play was more rough. The Crimson tied the match on a power play goal by Alice DuBois (Christa Calagione). Calagione had carried the puck into the zone before releasing Dubois with a nice pass. Dubois deked the defense and roofed her shot. The goal was lovely, but probably should not have occurred as Harvard's leading goal scorer had given an SLU player a vicious crosscheck to the head. It was not the only incident by this player today and it deserved at least a five minute major. Harvard took the lead on another power play goal. St. Lawrence was playing patience defense and producing good breaks, but was not getting rewarded.
In the final period Harvard had some exhausted defenders. Barnett (Kathryn Kotary) tied the game at three after a nice end to end rush was concluded with a left wing shot that found net. Harvard and St. Lawrence were exchanging spells of pressure. The Saints won the match when Jodie Bard (Rhonda Mitchell, Blakeley) stuffed home a rebound after the initial shot from the point.
St. Lawrence has a pretty talented team. They played solid defense and their passing game created some interesting rushes. The woman of the match was Blakeley. A wonderful skater she plays with explosive energy. Blakeley attacking skills are exquisite and she even blocks shots expertly! Her linemate Barnett carried the puck very well and kept her head up looking for the open player. All four of the Saints defenders played very well. Kelly Mahncke dished off some lovely passes and read the play well. Mitchell was a tough defender who was very difficult to get by. Kyla McKee and Neal rounded out the defense with strong work in their own end and the ability to join the rush. Overall I was very impressed with the game the Saints put together today.
I have to wonder what direction the Harvard Women's program is headed. It is inexplicable to me why some players are not seeing ice time. Olivia Nottebohm did not look injured in warmup and has played very well on defense but saw no time on the blue line. Meanwhile Harvard played two and a half defenders for the whole game. Add to that the amount of stick holding and diving to draw penalties and the demi-hook to stop other teams and I am left distressed. Jen Bowdoin played very well in goal. She faced the shooter and made many saves look easy. Holly Leitzes was a force on defense, but was looking awfully weary in the third. The line of Casi Walker, Dubois and Jen Gerometta played very well. Their passing and skating looked good. Kyle Walsh and Kellogg showed a ton of hustle at both ends of the ice. Overall it was a fair performance by some of the players considering the attitude of others.
***
Date: Sun, 14 Jan 1996
Subject: Harvard Women 2 - Dartmouth 4
Sunday afternoon at Bright, the Sarahs beat the Jens - oops - the Big Green of Dartmouth beat the Harvard Crimson 2-4. The match was excellent, with both teams skating with great intensity. In the end, Dartmouth College was able to take it to the Crimson with their fine passing.
In the opening period, Kathleen O'Keefe (Sarah Halsell) got the final DC touch as a Harvard defender put the puck in her own net. The play happened in the first minute and was a result of some early Big Green pressure in the Harvard zone. The Crimson came back and put some of its best pressure of the game on Dartmouth. Kyle Walsh (Ellen Frump) shot high glove side to tie the match after she was setup on a fine pass out of the corner by Frump. The Big Green regained the lead during a four on four situation when Malaika Little (Sarah Hood, Sarah Howald) knocked the puck in from the side of the net off a nice 1-2 play. Play had gotten chippy at the end of the first, and Little just managed to score while being hit.
The second period featured a ton of Dartmouth pressure on the Crimson goal. However the only goal was scored by Harvard. With the Big Green defense backing in on their goalie Harvard tied the game at two. The rest of the period stressed good passing by DC and strong checking by Harvard.
In the first minute of the final period, Howald (Hood) gave Dartmouth a 2-3 lead. Hood had controlled the puck in the corner and was skating behind the net when she dished off a surprise feed to Howald in the near slot. Lovely play! Howald (Hood, Little) scored again to put Big Green up by two goals. Little had taken a strong shot, which Hood again controlled in the corner. As the players rotated Howald ended up alone in the corner with the puck. She walked in front of the net all alone and fired home. Another lovely goal! The Big Green continued to pressure Harvard. The Crimson tried to attack, but the Dartmouth defense held firm and closed out the match.
Dartmouth has a very talent and large squad of players. I expect them to challenge for the top spots in the ECAC League and the Ivy League. Their passing and team play is super. I think if they could turn and go a little sooner, they would be an even more deadly offense. The woman of the match was the first line. Howald, Hood and Little played brilliantly. Howald had the nice touch and read the play so well. Hood made some incredible passes and back-checked superbly. Little has a heck of shot and played big in the third period. The line of Jessica Clark, O'Keefe and Halsell was also very strong. Clark was all over the ice with her high energy performance. She seemed to control the game when she was on. O'Keefe surged forward periodically to make some fine rushes. The line of Michelyne Pinard, Phoebe Manchester and Michelle Erickson or Emilie Schnitman also logged a convincing game. Manchester played with such style. Pinard did so much for the team with fore and back-checking. In goal, Sarah Tueting came up with some big saves when Harvard was trying to get back in the game in the third period. The defense was lead by Amy Coelho. Her reactions were first-class stuff. Coelho dominated her own zone. Sara Vogler was so cool. Her skating and strength are marvelous. Jen (must be a deserter?) Lane and Wendy Soutsos were also on form back at the blue line. From their rotating power play to their tough defensive work, I thought Dartmouth play a splendid match.
Harvard was up against it playing such a strong team. They did very well to keep the game as close as it was. I thought both Calagione and Holly Leitzes had very good games on defense. Calagione filled the passing lanes well and was a one-player break out unit at times. Leitzes carried the puck very well and was extremely strong in her own end. Olivia Nottebohm saw limited time on defense, but played very well when she got her opportunity. Walsh, Alice Dubois and Stacy Kellogg were the top forwards for the Crimson. Kellogg's back-checking was solid. DuBois and Walsh had spells of quality skating. It was a good match for Harvard in that they were able to hang in there.
***
Date: Sun, 10 Dec 1995
Subject: Harvard Women 8 - Middlebury 1
Saturday afternoon at Bright the Harvard Crimson beat the Middlebury Panthers 8-1. The match was a disappointing effort by the Crimson who could have developed their new lines and tried out a needed backup defender. Middlebury looked tired from yesterday's close contest with BC.
The first period found Harvard pinning the Panthers back in their own end. The Crimson scored early. At that point Middlebury was able to pick up their game and hold Harvard to the one goal.
At the start of the second, the Crimson came out and scored three quick goals that took the life out of the Panthers. Alice DuBois (Casi Walker, Holly Leitzes) finished off a rapid 1-2 passing play from the left slot. The play was made by the excellent pass from behind the net by Walker. Ellen Frump (Kyle Walsh, Jenny Duval) made it 4-0 Harvard when she lifted home her shot from the right slot. Middlebury pulled one back when Janice O'Neil (Whitney Parks) concluded a nice break in play with a well placed shot. Harvard had just replaced starting goalie Jen Bowdoin with Whitney Smith. The Crimson closed out the scoring for the period when Kreindler knocked in a rebound.
In the final period the Panthers were able to raise their defenses again and only allowed one more goal.
Middlebury has an interesting team. They need to work on their skating. They need to develop more poise. I wish the Panthers could all watch a player like Wendy Tatarouns play. A small forward, she leaves big players in her wake with her excellent skills. The woman of the match for Middlebury was Jennifer Hefner. A strong, cool defender she played a very smart match. Hefner faced a tough challenge extremely well. First-year defender Heidi Howard also acquitted herself well. She played some solid defense. Lara Goff and linemates O'Neil and Parks played awfully well together. I was most impressed with the amount of energy first-year Goff put into the match. Overall I think the Panthers weathered the storm pretty well and will continue to excel in the ECAC Alliance.
I always feel a well-coached team uses games against easier opponents to prepare themselves for the tough competition. Harvard unfortunately spent the day between "diving school" and acting out the "we're better than them" attitude. The result was a wasted opportunity filled with individual heroics that won't cut it against the better sides. The woman of the match for Harvard was first-year forward Walsh. She showed some good skating today. Walsh's bursting moves were the bright spot of the afternoon. I thought Kreindler and Kellogg had a good outing on the first line. They both produced some fine passes today. Walker displayed some strong play on the third line. I thought it ominous that first-years DuBois and Walsh are not currently playing together. Together they had demonstrated some lovely teamwork the Crimson desperately needs. Overall it was not a good performance.
***
Date: Sun, 19 Nov 1995 09:22:34 -0400
Subject: BC Women 2 - Colby 3
Late Saturday afternoon at Kelley Rink the Colby White Mules edged the Boston College Eagles 2-3. It was a pulsating game with both teams giving it all they had. In the end the superior attacking concepts of Colby were the critical difference.
There was no scoring in the first period. BC was busy boxing the Mules out from in front of their net, and while Colby broke well, the teams nullified each other. In the second, the White Mule puck movement increased, but it was the Eagles who converted more of their chances. BC opened the scoring. The Mules tied the match when Barb Gordon (Juliana Bontecou) stuffed the puck after some tremendous offensive pressure. The Eagles regained the lead with a power play goal when Erin Magee (Genevieve Missirlian) finished high stick side. There had been a scramble in front of the Colby net and Magee reacted quickly. As the final period started, things looked tough for the White Mules. BC goalie Kristin Gray and her defense were playing excessively well. However, Colby came out quick and netted two goals. First Gordon (Meaghan Sittler) put her backhand high into the net after a clinical 1-2. Then Sittler intercepted the puck from BC, used a defender as a screen and drove the puck in at the far low corner to give Colby a 2-3 lead. The rest of the third period was wild with both teams producing a number of excellent scoring chances. It was a great game to watch!
Colby played a wonderfully entertaining match. The team uses the entire ice surface so well. Colby's passing and the use of the whole attacking zone to create chances is superb. The women of the match for the Mules have to be Gordon and Sittler. Both have exceptional skating, stickhandling and passing skills. Sittler is strong and never gives up no matter how hard it gets. Her moves are super. Gordon is ingenious. She uses space well to setup her mates. Gordon is also a first-class defender and can dominate the game from her blue line. Together they are a treat to watch! Rebecca Floor was the other Colby forward that caught my eye. Another smart player, she flowed exceedingly well. The Mules have a very small squad and for most of the game only used three defenders. Captain Sarah Gelman played a very bright match and provided good defensive coverage. Stacy Joslin was another tough defender. Goalie Marie Polichronopoulos came up big in the third. I'll have to say it's somewhat unfair to pick out individuals on this team, as the key is that they play so well together. Every Colby player executed their part very well. Sure there were errors, but it's just exciting to see a team play such a marvelous attacking style and be in touch with each other. Merci beaucoup!
Boston College played their hearts out. They use a very limiting style of play. Getting the confidence/skills ratio right is the hardest job for a coach. I feel BC could do much better using more of its squad, developing the skating, and showing trust in the players. The woman of the match for the Eagles had to be goalie Gray. She is the finest netminder I have seen this season. Captain Gray is a wall, stopping pucks in so many ways, and making it look easy. The defense was led by Dominick who is a super strong player. The other BC captain is a fine team leader who pulls her team together on the ice. Beckie Duvall was the other defender that impressed me with her good reads. She reacted well to the flow of play. Laura Traynham played a smart heads-up game. She did so many little things that helped make her team work. Overall BC looked pretty good. They will give many teams more than they want this season.
***
Date: Sun, 29 Jan 1995 10:47:37 -0500
Subject: Brown Women 4 - Princeton 6
Saturday afternoon at Meehan Auditorium found the Princeton Tigers using their superior team speed to pull off a big 4-6 Ivy League victory over the Brown Bears. Skating three lines, Princeton looked poised for the win and proved they can beat any team in the ECAC. Brown looked tired and played with a split personality, at times making the simple heads-up play, at times lacking direction.
There was no scoring in the first period. At this stage of the season it was nice to see both teams using a number of interesting set pieces. The Tigers were using an overload on one side of their power play and then running a double roll to leave the trailer on that side with a free shot. Brown was using a low point shot directed wide of either side of the net for the deflection.
In the second, Joy Woog (Molly Driscoll) was setup at the point after a break in play. She drilled her slap shot high glove side to give the Bears a 1-0 lead. Kathy Issel (Karen Chernisky, Heather Cowans) tied the match after the Brown defensive gave the puck away and backed in on their goalie. The Tigers took the lead with a shorthanded goal when Sue Reece (Shari Seibert) let it rip from the point. Princeton made it 1-3 when Mandy Pfeiffer (Sophie Caronello) made a tremendous move out of the corner. Pfeiffer had been making wonderful plays all day and it was fitting that she was able to tuck that one under the goalie's pads. On the ensuing face-off, Danielle Solari hit the jets and scored a lovely solo ooo-la-la goal to help bring the Bears back (2-3). However before the end of the period, the key play of the game occurred. Issel (Chernisky) made a big break up play in her own end and sent Chernisky up wing. Somehow Issel managed to burst up ice and get in position at the far post. When she got the perfect centering pass from Chernisky, Issel buried her shot between the tender's legs. Fantastic goal!
At the start of the final period, Solari (Woog) brought Brown back again (3-4) when she pulled right and knock the puck in left. Excellent move! With six minutes left, Becky Kellar (Katie King, Woog) was setup all alone during a break in play. Kellar drilled home her shot to tie the match at four. One minute later, Chernisky (Paula Rose Stark, Issel) finished off a nice 1-2-3 break in play. Action had been up and down the ice, but the Tigers seemed to have more zip in their play. Princeton finished the scoring at 4-6 when Pfeiffer scored after much Tiger fore-checking.
Princeton played at the level I knew they could today. The key was the team speed they had from playing three lines. A smart move was putting the very skillful Mari Fukuda on the third line. She held that line together and made it a force on the ice. The combined skating of the Tiger's three lines versus Brown's two lines is what won the game. In addition goalie Liz Hill played super. She made sure that the Bears did not get any easy goals. She was helped by the strong partnership of defensive pair Reece and Margaret Grant. Their good reads and quick reactions deflected many plays. The woman of the match was Mandy Pfeiffer. Centering the second line, the sophomore intercepted numerous passes and was bursting in on net all afternoon. Pfeiffer played a stunning game. On the first line, Issel and Chernisky were powerhouses. Issel turned it on and pulled off some incredible moves. In addition she provided extra help in her own end of the ice. Chernisky was flying and demonstrated lovely puck skills. Together they are playing hockey at its highest level. I am very pleased to see Princeton playing so well. The stretch run for the league title and the play-offs beyond should be more thrilling with the Tigers on song.
Brown started slow and finished tired. There were times today when the Bears started to turn it on with their marvelous puck control and ability to make the simple play. However, as I had feared, when they play teams that can skate three lines against them, the fatigue factor can become large. At this point they need to go back to the simple direct game they were playing and seriously consider a third line. The defense needs changes too, as two of the goals would not have occurred if a "real" defender had been on the blue line. The Brown woman of the match was Danielle Solari. She pulled off a number of great moves and almost brought her team back into the game. The partnership of Nan Gorton and King looked wonderful at times, but like many other Bears, they disappeared for periods of the match. I do not know if the problem is the split direction I see the team having or what. I do know I saw Gorton and King make a number of excellent 1-2 plays on one shift, and then nothing on the next shift. On defense Woog made many fine setup passes by keeping it simple. I also liked the play of Andrea Spruell who made several good rushes from her blue line. I would not count the Bears out of anything, but they do need to get their collective minds on the same page. When they do that, they will again have the most firepower in the league.
***
Date: Sat, 14 Jan 1995 19:00:47 EST
Subject: Concordia Women 4 - Providence 4
Friday evening at the Husky Invitational, the Concordia University Stingers and the Providence College Friars played to a 4-4 draw. At times Concordia dominated play, but at other times they looked less than super. PC played a great game of team defense and was able to press play just enough to stay with the Stingers.
In the opening period, Karyn Bye (Suzanne Lepage) pulled off a dynamic solo move, when she skated the puck into the Friars' zone, held on, and then pulled out of the corner and in front for a goal. Providence came back when Amy Carlson (Alison Wheeler) knocked in a rebound. The play was all Wheeler coming off an end to end rush. The Friars made it 1-2 in the last minute of the first when Wheeler (Catherine Hanson, Emilie Turcotte) converted on a play out of the corner after tons of pressure by Concordia. Stinger Carrie Barkley (Bye, Nancy Deschamps) tied the match in the middle period during a spell of pressure which produce a three-way passing play and nice weak side setup. However, before the period was over PC had regained the lead at 2-3 when Wheeler (Stephanie O'Sullivan) put home a half-chance. Play had been up and down the ice when that PC break in caused a Concordia defensive error. In the final period, Beth Beagan (Cammi Granato) put home the perfect pass. Granato had dug in along the boards, gotten the puck and skated in on net before releasing the wonderful setup. That goal tied the game at three, and came after CU had killed a couple of power plays and had started to press their attack again. Again the Friars struck back with O'Sullivan (Wheeler, Karen McCabe) cutting in and pushing the puck home at the near post. Concordia kept up the pressure and in the last minute of play Granato (Martine Berube, Bye) tied the match. The Stingers had pulled their goalie for the extra attacker, and used some brilliant puck movement to change the point of attack enough to leave Granato with a clear shot on net.
Providence hung loose and together to weather the storm of the Stingers' attack. They did so by shortening their bench and making the most of their chances. While it was a very good effort by the team, it still remains sad to see PC without their big attack. The woman of the match for the Friars was Wheeler. Her leadership and strength on the ice is what makes that team click. Wheeler's play-making abilities are first-class stuff. O'Sullivan had a fairly good shooting and skating night. Kathleen Brophy back-checked extremely well and was no small reason for the good result. On defense both Melissa Mills and Hanson had strong games breaking up plays. In goal, first-year player Meghan Smith looked very sharp. She faced the shooter and made many excellent saves. Alana Blahoski spent the first part of the night as a center before returning to her new role as defender. I'll have to say while her movement on the blue line reminds me of Geraldine Heaney (TCW), she needs to develop her defensive skills a lot, and listen to her partner more, if she is going to be effective.
Concordia is not as strong as I thought they were. The entire team skates great. I found it extremely interesting to see how well he has the three Team USA players moving. Last April in Lake Placid none of these players were moving nearly as well. The Stingers could have more purpose to their attack, but their power/control game is solid. The woman of the match for Concordia was the first line: Beagan, Granato and Laurie Cartman. Beagan's speed seemed to put her in the right spot all the time. Granato was demonstrating her fine skating, touch and determination. Cartman was a strong skater and an excellent passer. On the second line, Bye and Deschamps formed a lively partnership. Bye has marvelous drive and power. Deschamps has wonderful presence and is a smart heads-up player. They are a fun group of attackers to watch. The defense is led by Michelle Johansson. Last year I wondered why she was not on Team USA. Now I wonder even more. Her fluid strides and pre-eminent puck control make he one of the best defenders I have seen this season. I think one of the little details that I liked best about Concordia was that they didn't give up early on their power plays. In fact they usually tried to extend their pressure for an extra 20-30 seconds. That's a positive attitude and one I enjoy watching.
***
Date: Sat, 10 Dec 1994 21:37:37 EST
Subject: Brown Women 6 - PC 1
Saturday afternoon at Meehan Auditorium found the Bears of Brown crushing the Friars of Providence College 6-1 in a non-league match. While the game was a good win for Brown, neither team played with great intensity. Perhaps they were giving each other too much respect?
The match started slow with both sides eventually creating chances. However after a short time, the Bears started to press. Andrea Boudreau (Danielle Solari) was given a nice setup right in front, and she roofed her chance high glove side. During a 5 on 3 power play Kathy Hopkins (Becky Kellar) also went high glove side. Her right point slap shot gave Brown a 2-0 lead. Nan Gorton (Katie King) followed up with another power play goal on a near identical play. Providence scored their lone goal when Emilie Turcotte (Melissa Mills) tried her luck from the right point and found the high stick side of the net.
In the second period, Gorton (Kellar) pulled off a lovely ooo-la-la play when she beat a PC defender, went in all alone, deked the goalie and then drilled her shot into the back of the net. Kellar (Gorton, King) finished off a wonderful swarm play which featured three quick passes and a goal. The Bears finished the scoring in the period and the game when Kellar (Gorton) shot home after a quick 1-2 break in play.
It was sad to see Providence playing as they did. The Friars had one of the most exciting attacks in hockey. Now, while the skating still looks good, the direction of the team seems to have been lost. They may have just had a bad day, but somehow I fear we have yet another team that confuses team defense, and chippy play to cover for poor concepts, for well organized team play. The two players that stood out for the Friars were Alison Wheeler and Stephanie O'Sullivan. They play together on the first line and can setup each other expertly. Wheeler has very good speed and can shoot, but her number one asset has to be her touch. She can lay off some lovely passes. O'Sullivan has good speed and a canon of a shot. She made a couple of solo power rushes that were excellent. Those two will provided many teams with tremendous problems. On defense, PC has the speedy Alana Blahoski having a go. It is odd seeing the fiery center using her elegant moves back on the blue line. I'll have to say that she needs a lot of work on defensive skills if she is going to becoming a good defender. The blue liner that caught my eye for Providence was first-year player Catherine Hanson. She made some errors, but she also pulled off a number of good plays. Overall, the Friars do not appear to be the powerhouse they were. Undoubtedly they will play better later this season, but they need some direction if they are going to really click.
The Bears did not play a very sharp game. Still, they destroyed a team I thought would give them a very close match. The passing seemed very crisp today. My woman of the match had to be Gorton. Her speed and desire let her blow right through PC several times today. Gorton's passing is marvelous stuff. She is a truly gifted player. Kellar also had a stellar match. She got her chance at centering the first line today and did very well. Her back-checking even looked good! Kellar also continues to be the best at taking any half chances and putting them away. Boudreau had a great skating game. Solari had a quiet game and got injured in the second period and failed to return for the third. On defense Joy Woog again led the way with strong plays at her blue line. The converted forward is no small reason for the team's success. Hopkins, another converted forward, also stepped up and made some tough plays at her own line. Overall, Brown looks to be the best team in the league. I worry about the fact that they didn't play their third line at all today. A long season with only two lines leads to fatigue and injuries. Some of the defensive problems seem to be on the mend, others still need attention. Still, the Bears are easily the most explosive team I have seen so far, and I expect that will take them far.
***
Date: Wed, 7 Dec 1994 10:12:02 EST
Subject: Harvard Women 5 - Brown 7
Tuesday night at Bright the Brown Bears whipped the Harvard Crimson 5-7 in an Ivy League match. The Bears, currently with Russ McCurdy coaching behind the bench, came out huge and then sat back for an easy win. The score flatters Harvard who was never in the game.
Brown played the best hockey I have seen at Bright in the first period, since the days of Lane and Albie (Harvard Men). They have an incredible attack that pounded the Crimson one wave after another. Nan Gorton (Becky Kellar) opened the Brown scoring when she took a rebound out of the corner, skated to the slot and drilled her wrist shot through the Harvard goalie's pads. The play occurred on a power play. The Bears knew they had to get to the Crimson netminder early, or it would be a long hard night. Kellar (Gorton) made it 0-2 after Gorton's slap shot was saved, but left uncleared by the Harvard defense. Kellar (Katie King) scored a near identical play when King let rip a slap shot from the opposite side. King (Molly Driscoll) made it 0-4 Brown when at the end of a Harvard power play she took a lovely long break away pass from Driscoll, charged in on goal, and then deked the Harvard goalie before tucking the puck away. Excellent goal! With little time left in the first the Crimson scored their lone goal.
At the start of the second, Christa Calagione (Diana Clark) pulled off a wrap-around to cut the score to 2-4. Soon afterwards, Danielle Solari (Driscoll) hit the jets and performed her own ooo-la-la break in. Harvard managed to come back in the last minute of play when Stacy Kellogg was setup at the near post from behind the net. However Brown came right back when Andrea Boudreau (Solari) took the puck out of the corner, and fired under the goalie's pads, to make it 3-6 Bears.
In the final period, Brown sat back, and Harvard showed some pressure. The result was Calagione (Holly Leitzes) finishing off a clean shot from the right slot. That caused the Bears to wake up a little. Boudreau (Solari) put on a heck of shift to beat Harvard's backup netminder. The play was made by the efforts of Solari who had stolen the puck and beaten two Crimson defenders, before setting up Boudreau. Harvard closed out the scoring on a dubious 4 on 3 power play situation.
Brown is a great team. At times in the first period I thought I was back in Lake Placid watching Team Canada Women. Yes their attack is that good! Their problem is defense. If they can solve that problem, both on the blue line, and through team defense they could win it all. Joy Woog's play on defense was excellent. She seems a natural. I think her vision and set of skills makes her perfect for the blue line. Woog is so cool under fire, and then can hold onto the puck or make the telling pass. Her partner Driscoll looked much better. She still makes too many mistakes, but she is learning. My number one question for Brown would be: Why not play first-year defender Jodi McKenna on defense? She played extremely well against Northeastern. Wasting her on the third line is silly. Which brings up the only other problem for the Bears. They have to get that third line on the ice. Playing two lines does not make it against the better ECAC teams. Fatigue becomes a factor. The woman of the match had to be Brown's first line. Kellar, King and Gorton are a fantastic line. Kellar has a great, heavy shot. She also has some of the best anticipation on the team. If there is half a chance, Kellar's got it. King is the power forward. Her speed, touch and smarts lets her dominate the game. King is a great player who appears to be getting even better. Gorton has the speed and finesse to do anything. Last night she again impressed me with some of her defensive back-checking. Gorton is such a smart player with the puck and off the puck. Together those three are playing magnificently. The play of the game occurred when King hit Gorton for a break out play. Gorton carried the puck up ice and closed in on the Harvard goal with great speed and looking like she was going to shoot. Instead, at the last second, Gorton cut the puck back and across to the speeding and wide open King. King just shot wide, but what a play! Meanwhile, the second line featured Solari and Boudreau. On any other evening, I would have picked Solari as woman of the match. She has such great speed and just looks so good taking the play up the gut. Solari is an elegant player with all the moves. Boudreau also had a good game. She showed very good speed and pulled off some lovely moves. The thing I enjoyed most last night was getting to see a real attack again. Brown was using a number of offensive sets, but their angular runs, where the puck carrier goes wide, while the two other forwards slant to the net was thrilling stuff. This is a super bunch of skilled players, and they are a delight to watch. Merci beaucoup!!!
Harvard showed themselves to be the team I knew they were. They have been getting some good results, but in the process have not done the development of skills that the players need. The result: reaching doesn't make it against a skating team. In many ways this match was a coaching loss. When you only play three defenders, sooner or later, and often, its going to catch up with you. The energy factor and range of plays you can run are too low. The outstanding player for the Crimson was goalie Erin Villiotte. She made half a dozen saves/play break ups that would have resulted in easy goals in the first period alone. Villiotte got no help from her defense. Even though she had kept her team in the game, she was pulled at the start of the third. Stupid. Jen Bowdoin, who has shutouts this year against Boston College and Yale, came in and looked pretty good. She did not face the real Brown team, and her defenders played better in front of her than they had for Villiotte. Calagione had a big night. She was showing some drive and creating scoring chances. If she could keep her feet moving, she could be the offensive leader. Diana Clark and Jenny Duval were the only two forwards who kept their heads and played their games. They played some good two-way hockey and showed some fair skating. Overall, this games shows how far Harvard has to go to play with the big teams. Without the skill develop, I do not look for much improvement.
***
Date: Sun, 4 Dec 1994 10:07:15 EST
Subject: Harvard Women 3 - Princeton 1
Saturday afternoon at Bright the Harvard Crimson pulled off a huge 3-1 victory over the Princeton Tigers. The highly skilled players of Princeton fell behind 2-0 in the first and after that had a tough day. Harvard playing with a ton of confidence after their fine 2-2 tie with Northeastern put together an excellent team effort.
In the first period, the Tigers came out strong, but were unable to finish off their chances. The Crimson opened the scoring when Stacy Kellogg tapped home a slap shot from just inside the blue line. On the ensuing face-off Harvard stormed right back into the Princeton zone touched in after a scramble in front of the Tiger net. Princeton looked shocked, but ready to come back. During the second period the Tigers were having trouble connecting passes in their perimeter game. Something just was not clicking. Harvard continued to mount break out plays and scored. In the final period, Princeton was determined to score. Sensational center Kathy Issel (Mari Fukuda, Karen Chernisky) was given the perfect setup on the power play. A long break in play had spread the Harvard defense. Some exquisite Tiger passing left Issel alone in the slot. She picked the upper stick side corner with deadly accuracy. However after that goal, the Crimson played tough defense and pull out a wonderful win.
Princeton has three good lines, and two strong defensive pairs. I felt when watching the opening period that they would eventually blow Harvard off the ice with their superior skating and stick skills. For some reason the two quick Harvard goals got them down. The Tigers are led by co-captain Kathy Issel. She is a super smooth skater and pulled off several ooo-la-la moves yesterday. Issel is a tremendous player. Her linemates Fukuda and Chernisky are also highly skilled. Fukuda was always moving so fast out there and created some lovely plays. Chernisky made some good passes and can be a real sniper. The other forward that impressed me on Saturday was Mandy Pfeiffer. She had some stirring moves and led her line on the attack. The defense was led by co-captain Sue Reece. Her ability to close down other team's forwards is great. Reece also has a powerful shot and came very close to scoring several times. Vicki Urbas was the other impressive Tiger blue liner. She took chances, but often ended up with the puck. Overall, Princeton is a skating team that I expect will challenge for the league title and championship.
Harvard is hanging in there when the going gets tough and then playing their game very effectively. The team seems to have learned the new system and is playing extremely well together. The woman of the match had to be goalie Erin Villiotte. She was on, and when that happens it is very difficult to score on her. Villiotte was mega-goalie. On defense Holly Leitzes used her good skating and the poke check to help provide excellent coverage in her own end. Jenny Duval had another strong game. Her fore-checking has become very good. Kate Schutt and Christa Calagione performed a couple of 1-2 breaks that really looked good. Calagione had some good speed Saturday. Overall, the Crimson are keeping themselves between the puck and the other team, and in general running the break out and break in plays fairly well. Harvard is no powerhouse. They are a developing team who are playing with much confidence. The key is that everyone is playing, and playing as a team.
***
Date: Wed, 16 Nov 1994 10:44:25 EST
Subject: Northeastern Women 3 - Brown 3 OT
The big match Tuesday night at Matthews between Northeastern and Brown ended up a 3-3 draw. At times the Bear's new edgy-controlled attack looked like it might take over the game. But just when you thought those Huskies were down, they came swooping up the ice. A tie was representative of the play, with neither team having the legs to be totally effective, at this point in time.
The first period started slow. There was too much watching and reacting and not enough skating. Gradually the Brown Bears gained the edge as their talented team hung onto the puck and then made the telling pass. Katie King (Joy Woog, Danielle Solari) finished off a lovely series of passes in the NU zone. The perimeter passing was precise and left King with the nice tuck in at the far post. Becky Kellar (King, Woog) made it 0-2 Bears when her power play rebound concluded a series of attacks. Brown was coming at NU with waves of intelligent 1-2's, connecting the points, slots and corners in a wonderful maze of passes.
In the second period, the Bears continued to hold onto the puck well and makes their pass-pass-shoot game go, but the Huskies were slowly getting their game together. Kim Haman (Kim Drews) got Northeastern on the board when she hit home her own rebound after a fierce slap shot off a defender.
The third period found the Huskies making the score 2-2 when Courtney King (Angela Scerra, Bree Cheatham) shot high to the glove side. The play was a simple break in off a face-off, but highly effective. NU took the lead when Haman went on another solo effort a few plays later. Haman raced into the Bear's zone and following King's fine example roofed the puck high glove side. Brown quickly got its act back together and started pressing. A lovely end to end play was finished off by Solari (King, Kathy Hopkins) after King had waited just long enough to make the exquisite centering pass. In overtime, there was no scoring, though Brown did have some good chances during a power play.
The Bears of Brown have some very talented players. They do not have a big squad, and they have no experienced defenders. Last night they were missing a couple of players due to injury. The thing that impressed me with Brown, at this stage, is the new direction their attack has taken. They have more control and a lot more ideas of how to put the puck in the net. I have to think new assistant coach Russ McCurdy has helped them in that area. In goal, junior Libby Witchger was steady and made some fine saves. On defense, first-year player Jodi McKenna was real good. Converted forward Solari could be a jewel in the making back on the blue line. Her skill at carrying the puck along with her wonderful skating ability lets her get out of difficult situations. Add to that the fact that when she is on the ice, it basically means that Brown has a power play attack anytime they break in. Both Molly Driscoll and Kellar got time playing defense. Kellar looked ok, but Driscoll was very uncomfortable. Hopkins was the other Bear converted defender, who also needs time to settle. On the attack, Brown is lead by center King. She is a great player to watch. Speed, power, touch and the smarts to use it. King is a marvelous striker. Her mates Woog and Kellar (Driscoll in the third) were pretty active and always looking to setup the nice play. However, the biggest plus for Brown has to be the transfer of former Polar Bear Nan Gorton. Centering the second line last night, she was incredible. I love to watch her skate. Gorton is a real dynamo. Add to that, her best play last night was really when she jumped on the ice and gunned back to break up a Northeastern attack, and you may understand why the Bears could win it all. Andrea Boudreau and first-year player Kristin Basford filled out the second line and both played well. Overall, a fair start for the Brown Bears. They don't have many "support" players, but they do have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to skillful attackers.
Northeastern's biggest problem right now is team speed. Last night there wasn't much. There were too many players watching, and too few skating. Kim Flatt made some big saves to keep NU in the game, but at times did not stand up and face the shooter. Cheatham made a series of memorable rushes last night, in an attempt to get the team moving. She is really turning it on! Keri-Anne Allan also played a big game. She got caught out a couple of times, but her quick reads got her back in the play defensively and offensively. Kim Drews also played a strong match. Her skating and strength helps balance the team. On offense, Haman again was the leader. Her opportunistic rushes and setups are what got NU the draw. In fact she almost won the game. The only other Husky forward that showed much life was Courtney King. Her efforts on the ice leads her line and makes the team that much stronger. I'll have to say that overall Northeastern did not look good last night. The play in their own zone was poor. They let the trailer coming in from the point kill them all night. Still they must be somewhat happy at coming back on a bad night.
***
Date: Mon, 7 Mar 1994 10:04:09 EST
Subject: ECAC Women's Final: PC 5 - NU 2
Amidst the architectural melting pot of the western world, also known as the Brown athletic campus, the Providence College Friars came out quick and swarmed the Northeastern Huskies to win their third ECAC Women's Championship in a row. NU tried some low roll attacking to get back in the game, but without their rapid break in attack they just couldn't come back. It was a great game to watch since both teams were evenly matched, but on Sunday afternoon, PC was on their game.
In the first period, in frigid Meehan Auditorium, Alana Blahoski (Kathleen Brophy) opened the scoring for the Friars when she took a face-off in the Huskies zone and went straight to the net. PC had started the game fast and the second line was really buzzing. A short time later Chris Bailey (Wendy Cofran, Brophy) struck home a shot from the left point. In reality the puck was tipped in by Cofran. In the second period, Northeastern tried to pick up the pace of the game and were rewarded with a shorthanded goal by Kim Haman. Haman blocked a point shot and then raced the length of the ice before deking the goalie and tucking in her backhander. At that point the Huskies were back in the game and Providence seemed to be skating less and reaching more. Then out of a defensive break down, Lynn Manning (Alison Wheeler, Stephanie O'Sullivan) trailed the play in and was able to put a rebound high into the net. Only a few minutes later, Amy Carlson (Wheeler, O'Sullivan) shot home a near identical play. PC was up 4-1 after two and looked to be on their way. In the final period, PC kept the Huskies off their game until Kelly Tapani (Bree Cheatham, Haman) finished off a break in play by putting in a rebound after a nice shot/pass from the point. Providence finished the scoring when Wheeler (Manning, Kim Dowd) pushed in an open net goal.
Northeastern did not play as well as they can. It just seemed all afternoon that the puck wouldn't bounce for them. I thought Courtney King had a wonderful match on the second line. She was flying all over the ice. It was the best match I have seen her play. Shelley Looney had a good skating game, but looked tired from the semifinal match. Kim Haman played super. Her hustle and gunning almost lifted the Huskies back into the match. I also thought Danyel Howard and Rayanne Conway played some smart hockey making good passes. Overall it was a sad way to end a magnificent season for Northeastern. Of the teams I have seen this year, they have displayed the most teamwork and exciting play. Merci beaucoup!
Providence College played the right style of game. They came out big with their swarm attack and kept the pressure on. While I loved the play of the 2nd line and admired the 1st line, it was the relentless skating of the 3rd line that gave them the match. Normally NU wins many games because they have 3 strong lines. In the final, PC's third line gave the Huskies all they could handle. It just made NU too tired when they had to deal with the first two lines. The other key to the Frair win was using their skating to flood the center of their own zone when Northeastern had the puck and they couldn't get it back. The outstanding player for Providence was Alison Wheeler. Her heads-up play, fast skating and excellent playmaking was marvelous. Wheeler and the first line were on form and nice to watch. Fellow first liner Lynn Manning had a real good skating game and anticipated the play so well. Blahoski, Cofran and Brophy played great. That second line can fly. Their speed was wonderful to watch. Amy Carlson played an inspired match on the third line. Her movement I felt lifted the rest of the team. On defense, Chris Bailey and Kim Dowd were a treat. The confidence they play with is something else. Overall, Providence played an excellent match. They deserved the championship. Well done!
***
Date: Mon, 7 Mar 1994 15:17:34 EST
Subject: ECAC Women's Semifinals: NU 4 - Brown 2
Game two on Saturday afternoon in Providence found the Huskies able to beat both the talented Brown Bears and the ECAC refs. Brown showed some wonderful individual efforts, but their lack of a team attacking style hurt their chances. Northeastern was able to "let it rip" as their fast skating and passing game was online.
There was no scoring in a slow first period. Both teams seemed very tense. In the second period, NU scored first on a shorthanded goal when Rayanne Conway blocked a shot and went end to end. The Bear's goalie caught her hard shot, but the momentum of the play carried her back into the net, puck and all. Brown tied the game with a power play goal when Joy Woog (Katie King) put in the second rebound from right in front. The Huskies regained the lead when Michelle Werner (Jeanine Sobek) finished off a ton of power play pressure with a hard shot through traffic from the left point. NU made it 3-1 when Shelley Looney (Angela Scerra) made a nice whirl and fire move after another spell of pressure on the Brown net. In the third period with only 21 seconds left, Scerra (Looney, Katherine Wyman) put in a nice backhander getting a lovely cross-ice feed. With 14 seconds left, Brown finished the scoring when Andrea Boudreau (Chie Chie Sakuma, Cassie Whittet) was able to hit back on a quick break in play.
The shame of the ECAC was the blatant homer calls by the referees for Brown. What was even more stupid about it was that it hurt the Bears. They were playing real well 5 on 5, but seemed embarrassed by all the power play calls. Brown has some excellent talent. The individual efforts are there. What is lacking is some attacking schemes. I feel they could challenge Providence for the League next season if they develop their offense. I thought goalie Kate Presbrey had a strong match. The Huskies were attacking at many angles and she hung tough. Shannon Bryant had her usual excellent game on defense. She is such a powerful force on the ice. Joy Woog had a tremendous match. Her efforts were almost enough to give Brown the edge they needed. Becky Kellar was skating well. I was highly impressed with the smart play of Danielle Solari. She is a strong striker and knows how to work a defense. Overall the Bears had a great season. Winning the Ivy League and making it to the final four was wonderful. I expect even better things next year.
Northeastern had its game on song. Their swooping defense and skate and pass attack let them pull off many intelligent plays. Shelley Looney was on her game. The skating, passing and stickhandling of Looney was a treat! Jeanine Sobek really got moving. Some of the plays she made on the penalty kill were extraordinary. When she is on, the Huskies have a higher level of skills to draw on. Michelle DiStefano had an excellent match in goal. Early on, when the team was flat, she kept them in the game with solid saves and no rebounds. The third line of Danyel Howard, Kelly Tapani and Dori Hoagland played big. Their skating is what I believe eventually got to the Bears. I would also credit the second line of Sobek, Conway and Courtney King with a high level of energy. On defense I was particularly impressed with Katherine Wyman and Bree Cheatham. There skating and reactions were always right on the money. It was a great win for NU and a real gift for those of us who like fast skating hockey.
***
Date: Thu, 24 Feb 1994 09:09:38 EST
Subject: Harvard Women 1 - Dartmouth 3
Wednesday night at Bright found the Big Green using their superior passing and skating skills to beat the Crimson. In the final Ivy League game of the season, both teams used their third lines more than usual. Both of those lines played very well, as the teams get ready for this weekend's ECAC playoffs.
There was no scoring in the first period. Dartmouth likes to use a relaxed 1-2 attack which gives them a certain fluid motion and the proper amount of energy for attack time. In the second period, Big Green scored first when Sarah Howald (Kim Cohen, Kim Reid) tipped down and in a slap shot from the point. Gretchen Ulion (Reid, Cohen) made it 0-2 when she finished off a lovely pass from Reid. The play was made by the quick break in of Ulion, the digging and setup pass of Reid, and the twist and turn skating of Ulion to get open again. In the third period Dartmouth finished its scoring when Ulion (Reid, Cohen) scored a power play goal. A shot had been tipped high in the air, the Harvard D had tried to clear it, but Ulion struck home the rebound. Harvard scored its lone goal when Stacy Kellogg was able to redirect a shot from the point, partially block by traffic in front of the net.
Dartmouth has a skillful squad. Their use of 1-2's allows them to attack from any point on the ice. The biggest weakness for Big Green is the small number of players on the team. For example they only played 3 defenders last night. That has got to be killer against the faster sides. Women's hockey has developed into a quicker skate and pass game. You really have to have a third line out there regularly if you are going to keep up. The outstanding player on the ice was Gretchen Ulion. She combines powerful, elusive skating with precision passing and dynamic shooting to be a great player to watch. When she is on the ice, striking is at its highest level. Kim Reid is another Big Green player with a lot of skill. I saw her pull a couple of passes out of the air with her wonderful touch. The Ulion-Reid connection is deadly. I also liked the smart play of second line center Sarah Devens. She made a number of excellent team plays. On defense, Sarah Vogler and Kim Cohen were right on their game. Whether it was stepping up to break up a play, or providing support for an attack, they were always around. I hope Big Green can play strong when they face PC on Sunday in the quarterfinals.
Harvard was doing too much stopping and reaching last night to give Dartmouth much of a game. It was good to see the third line get more ice time. Jennifer Duval led the line with some good hustle and drive towards net. Kate Schutt worked some good 1-2's with Duval and got off a couple of accurate shots. Ellen Frump seemed to assume the back-checker role for the line as she was good at providing the extra coverage. All in all a good showing. The outstanding player for the Crimson was Holly Leitzes. Her strong fluid skating, good passing and tough D kept Harvard in the game. Colleen Malek played good heads-up hockey. The first line, led by the skating of Joey Alissi, had a pretty good night. At times their passing and team play was almost clicking. This coming Sunday at Northeastern they will need to be on form if Harvard hopes to advance in the playoffs.
I found myself dreaming during the intermissions last night of a Team USA Women's line of Issel (Princeton), King (Brown) and Ulion (Dartmouth). It might not work, but if it came together I was thinking about the speed, the cuts, the dishes and all the incredible offensive sets you could use with these three smart and deadly players.
***
Date: Thu, 6 Jan 1994 09:11:22 EST
Subject: Northeastern Women 4 - Dartmouth 5 OT
Wednesday night at Matthews Arena the Big Green of Dartmouth came from 3 goals down to beat Northeastern in overtime. The Husky habit of sitting on the lead finally did them in. It was NU's first loss of the season, but the game does not count in the ECAC league standings.
From the opening face-off Dartmouth took the play to the Huskies. After a number of good scoring chances, Gretchen Ulion (Malaika Little, Kim Reid) finished off her ooo-la-la solo burst with a shot from the slot. Then, as usual, the fates stepped in. With NU at 6's and 7's, Kim Haman (Shelley Looney) thundered home a slap shot from the left slot. It was a nothing play, but again the Huskies got back in the game. Kelly Tapani (Jeanine Sobek, Haman) took the lead for NU when against the run of play, and during a line change for the Huskies, her high wrist shot went in.
In the second period, Sobek's individual effort put Northeastern up 3-1. Her skating and stick handling let her weave her way in on goal and tuck the puck in the net. Sobek (Rayanne Conway, Marion Corcoran) finished off a series of nice dekes and passes by Conway to give NU command of the game. Or so it would seem. In the third period the Big Green made it 4-2 when Reid's (Ulion) long low shot went in after tons of pressure. Until this point the third had been very slow as NU was sitting on its lead, and Dartmouth looked a beaten side. Ulion (Michelle Erickson) made the game close when her solo effort, off an interception of an NU break out pass, went in at the far post. Big Green tied the match with 4 minutes left on a power play goal. Ulion (Reid) made a terrific, long break in play from the left boards and then deked her way by the goalie before backhanding in. Lovely goal! Dartmouth almost scored at the buzzer.
In overtime, the hockey was much more up and down the ice. Looney went close for NU when she burst in on Dartmouth's Sarah Lenczner, but the goalie made the big save. Julie Otto, playing for the injured? Katherine Wyman in OT, came up with several important defensive break ups for the Huskies. Dartmouth won the match on a power play goal when Reid's (Ulion, Sarah Howald) nice shot finished off a good 1-2 break in.
In some ways it was an odd game. Several players from each team had just gotten back from a week long training camp with the USA National Team in Lake Placid. Word has it that they were on the ice 6 hours a day. Can you say skate, skate, skate?! / (merci-AH). I felt you could tell those players by their sharpened skills, and their tired appearance on the ice. Still, it must be odd to be playing against people who were teammates a few days earlier.
Dartmouth played a strong game and deserved their victory. They are the master's of the 1-2 play. Ulion, Reid, Howald and Little all are strong forwards. Ulion is a wonderful center to watch. Her playmaking and finishing skills are just lovely. The Big Green has a small squad of players. Last night they started with 1 goalie and 11 skaters, and after an injury to Little in the third had just enough players. Sarah Devens must have been injured? as she was standing behind the bench all night. They are not a fast side, but when they start throwing the puck around they can take charge of a game. On defense I liked Sarah Vogler and Kim Cohen. Both are big strong defenders who clear their zone well. Early on goalie Lenczner looked in trouble. But late in the third and in OT she was real good.
Northeastern had a poor game. Goalie Kim Flatt kept them in it early in the game, as Dartmouth had many scoring chances. She always got something in the way of the puck. At the end of the game, she was flopping too much, and Big Green was scoring high. Drews had a great skating game. The defender was all over the ice. She was NU's best player last night. Fellow defender Bree Cheatham had her usual strong game making several telling passes. Missi Werner also pursued the puck well last night. Her skating was real strong. Sobek and Conway both showed some good moves. Overall the offense was not together. There were individual efforts, but little teamwork. Angela Scerra was probably the fastest player on the ice last night. If the first year wing could add some confidence and just go with the puck, she could be a fantastic player. The biggest let down for me was the way NU sleepwalked through too much of the game. Only after Dartmouth tied the match did they show signs of trying to turn it on. Obviously the holiday break and national training camp has set the Huskies back some for now.
***
Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1993 10:14:47 EST
Subject: Northeastern Women 4 - Providence 3
Thursday evening at Matthews found Northeastern extending its winning ways to 9-0, as they hung on to edge Providence College. The Friars could have easily won that match 3-4, but the Huskies had just enough creative offense to win.
PC came out in the first period with a stylish offense of skate and pass hockey. They were totally dominating play, until Shelley Looney (Kim Haman) finished off her solo rush with a nice touch shot to the lower corner of the net. At that point, the game turned around and the Huskies started to take the play to PC. Haman (Looney, Jeanine Sobek) made it 2-0 when she was allowed to loop around the Friar zone during a 4 on 4 situation. Haman's excellent shot found the high corner of the goal.
Off the opening face-off for the second period, Providence struck back as first-year sensation Alison Wheeler (Lynn Manning, Stephanie O'Sullivan) skated the puck into the Huskie zone, circled the net and put in her own rebound. Great play! At that point, we again had PC taking control of the game. However, Looney's (Haman, Kim Drews) second goal knocked the stuffing out of the Friars again. Looney and Haman executed a perfect 2 on 1 break to set up the goal.
In the third period, Sobek (Julie Otto) looked like she had broken PC for good, when she put in a rebound, off a series of shots. The Friars got a power play goal from captain Chris Bailey (O'Sullivan, Manning) when she drilled a rebound into the roof of the net. In the dying seconds of the match Providence made it 4-3 when O'Sullivan (Bailey) put in another rebound.
Providence is a marvelous team to watch. They have a wonderful mix of long-ball and swarm attack. As a team, they skate and move the puck expertly. Last night, the goals didn't go in for them. Clearly they have all the skills to win any game. The first line of O'Sullivan, Wheeler and Manning is elegant. They can do it all at both ends of the ice. I was impressed with Alison Wheeler who can move, and is a tremendous playmaker. The second line of Melissa Mills, Alana Blahoski and Wendy Cofran is very good. They skate like the wind. I like Blahoski. It is amazing how quick she is. If she could add some kill-instinct to her play around the net, she would be in a class by herself. The outstanding player of the match was PC's senior defender Chris Bailey. Her power rushes and command of her defensive zone was very impressive. Kim Dowd also had a fairly good match on defense. She has real good puck control, but can over do it when trying to stick handle around players. Add to that a nice singing of the National Anthem by third line wing Kathleen Brophy and you have a total team package. I thought the only thing working against Providence was that for all of their control, they wasted tons of chances. Finishing is something many of their players needed last night.
Northeastern started out the match just reacting to the Friars. After they got the opening goal, they picked up their skating and started pushing the play. It appears right now, that the Huskies are destine to score and win games. They play with fire. Their players of the match were the four defenders. They bent and took tons of pressure from Providence, but they did not break. Missi Werner, Kim Drews, Katherine Wyman and Bree Cheatham played splendidly. On the attack, Shelley Looney was, as usual, the speedy, power center, who leads her team to victory. Her goals keyed the win for NU. The first line of Kelly Tapani, Looney and Haman again had an excellent match. Haman has a deadly shot. I have also been impressed with the continued improved play of 2nd line winger Danyel Howard. The sophomore is skating very well, and is becoming a force on the team. I was highly disappointed that Northeastern used dirty play in the third period to hold onto their lead. Reverting to goon tactics is not worthy of these players and coaches. Shame on them.
Having seen PC, UNH and NU, I would have to say that I do not see a clear favorite for the league title and playoff championship. On any given night, these teams could blow each other off the ice. From what I have heard, Brown, Princeton and Dartmouth are not far behind. That is great, as the competitive level in the ECAC Women's League is very high.
***
Date: Fri, 3 Dec 1993 10:41:33 EST
Subject: Northeastern Women 5 - UNH 2
Thursday night at Matthews, Northeastern outskated UNH to take their record to 6-0. The Huskies superior team work and creative attacks left the Wildcats standing still.
Shelley Looney (Kim Drews, Missi Werner) opened the scoring with a power play goal, when she knocked in a rebound off a shot from the point. Northeastern had come out fast and forced the situation. NU continued its attack when Looney (Kim Haman, Drews) put on a burst of speed and blew by the New Hampshire defense before drilling in a nice shot. UNH got back in the game with a tremendous individual effort by Amy McPhee. The senior sensation started at her own blue line and deked her way past three NU players and the goalie to score. The Huskies then made it 3-1 when Haman (Looney, Kelly Tapani) backhanded in the third rebound. The score was set up by the speed the line had as they broke in on UNH.
In the second period both teams took their games up a notch. The Wildcats tried to generate some offense, while Northeastern seemed to be happy to sit on their lead. Midway through the third period the match changed as UNH made it 3-2 when Sue Merz (Kelley Roberts, Heather Reinke) shot home a big rebound. After that goal the UNH supporters and I thought New Hampshire would ignite and tie up the game. Instead, Northeastern came alive when Jeanine Sobek (Danyel Howard) finished off a scramble from a face-off with a backhander. That was followed by Looney getting her third goal on a goalie error, as the NU player's center from behind the net went in.
UNH did not have a good game. Many times during the match I felt like they were just running drills. They also seemed very slow, which is odd considering their excellent skating skills. The final period was their best, mainly because of individual players doing their own thing. They did not attack well as a team, and several times their team defense fell apart. The outstanding player last night for UNH was Amy McPhee. The senior defender was all over the ice. In fact she was their best attacker. I thought Sherri Covell played a strong match with her edgy skating. Liz Neiley had some good rushes. The line of Merz, Annie Camins and Stephanie Knox showed the most promise. I have to believe this was an off night for UNH.
Northeastern continued its brilliant team play. The triangulation offense gives them an edge to break open other team's defenses. It also gives the individuals on the lines chances to be creative. I am not sure why they decided to sit back on their lead for the second period and the start of third, but when they needed to, they did turn it on. Shelley Looney was the outstanding player of the match. Her speed and attacking skills are great. It is a real treat to watch her play. Her line: Tapani, Looney and Haman are playing extremely well. They use each other expertly. Haman in particular is showing good speed. The line of Howard, Rayanne Conway and Sobek are also playing well. On defense, I thought Missi Werner had a strong game. Her defense is always strong, and last night she carried the puck and helped the attack too. Bree Cheatham continues her stellar defensive play. I will have to say neither goalie played very well, giving up big rebounds and in general not playing the angles well. Ah, hope for the rest of the ECAC?! Overall, it was a brilliant match to watch.
***
Date: Sun, 28 Feb 1993 18:22:26 EST
Subject: UNH Women 6 - NU 5 OT : ECAC Women's semifinal
The ECAC Women's semifinals, held at Matthews Arena, were two tense matches. In the first game, Providence 3 - Dartmouth 2, neither team played that well. The second contest, between UNH and Northeastern was a classic. First one team would dominate, then the other. I would rank it as one of the top three ice hockey matches I have seen.
Northeastern scored first, when Kim Haman (Shelley Looney, Maureen Robinson) poked home a rebound off a nice break-in play. UNH tied the game when Wendy Tatarouns poked in a near identical play at the other end. The Huskies regained the lead, when Looney (Kim Drews, Haman) scored a power play goal, off a terrific pass, by Drews, from the right point, to the weak side. The Wildcats tied it at two when Liz Neiley (Tatarouns, Sherri Covell) knocked in off a scramble.
In the second period, New Hampshire got its first lead when Tricia Dunn (Suzanne Merz, Doris Catlin) connected on a slot shot. Northeastern tied the game again, when Jeanine Sobek (Robinson, Looney) finished off an end to end rush, with a tap in. The Huskies took the lead when Looney (Haman, Laura Bennion) scored on a nice three-way passing play, after a ton of pressure. Score at the end of two: 3-4 Northeastern.
The third period started with a power play goal by UNH's Annie Camins (Karyn Bye). Camins took a centering pass and shot high. The Wildcats got the lead yet again, when Dunn (Dawn Thibodeau, Catlin) roofed a shot, off a nice feed. With less then two minutes to go, Northeastern tied it up when Looney (Haman, Robinson) got her hat trick, after another spell of pressure. The Huskies almost won the game in the closing seconds, but New Hampshire's goalie Erin Whitten made a brilliant save. In overtime, Bye (Tatarouns, Stephanie Knox) won the game for UNH when she tucked in a shot from the slot.
This game had everything. Northeastern's coach, Heather Linstad deserves high marks, for getting her team to play so well and positive, in this her first year. The line of Rayanne Conway, Sobek and Kelly Tapani play great. So did the line of Robinson, Haman and Looney. I was particularly impressed with Jeanine Sobek. She was up and down the ice, making plays all afternoon. Shelley Looney was fantastic. She took her three goals with style! For UNH, I thought Colleen Coyne, on defense, played a strong game. Karyn Bye was their power forward who certainly led the team to victory. As I said above, it was a great game. Full credit to both teams.
***
Date: Wed, 24 Feb 1993 12:00:58 EST
Subject: Harvard Women 1 - Dartmouth 6
In the final regular season game, at Bright last night, Dartmouth blitzed the Crimson. Big Green played a great match. They totally dominated the contest, scoring two goals in each period.
Kim Reid (Margot Whinery, Sarah Howald) opened the scoring for Dartmouth, when she drilled home a centering pass from the slot. Gretchen Ulion (Rachel Rochat, Sarah Devens) scored on a slow break, resulting from a defensive error. The line of Rochat, Ulion and Devens was tremendous.
In the second period, Reid (Whinery, Rochat) made a great shot, high glove side, after a nice 3 on 2 break-in. Michelle Erickson (Pheobe Manchester, Ulion) got it to 0-4, when she drove a low shot across the crease, after a three-way passing play. Reid, Whinery and Howald, of the second line, had also been playing marvelous, putting on tons of pressure. Harvard got its only goal, on a twirl and fire shot, from the blue line, by Francie Walton (Holly Leitzes, Jo-anne Alissi). The shot found the goal through a screen of players.
In the final period, Whinery (Volger, Reid) swept the puck in, off a quick center from behind the net. Ulion (Kim Cohen) got her second goal of the night, to close the scoring, on an ooo-la-la breakaway. She finished off the play with a deke out. I can not say enough positive things about Ulion. She has speed, power and a certain grace of movement on the ice. She killed a couple of penalties by just ragging the puck. Combine that with goal scoring touch (43 goals in 25 games) and extremely good use of her teammates, and you have one of the best players I have seen this year.
Dartmouth played a very intelligent style. Instead of putting on tons of pressure, all the time in the Harvard zone, and allowing Harvard to build a defensive wall, Big Green was able to suck Harvard out of the middle ice areas. They did that by using only one fore-checker. The rest of the players just hung close, waiting for Harvard to react. When the Crimson moved for the puck, Dartmouth quickly sent the puck to the open players. In fact, Dartmouth never really cared if Harvard broke out of its zone. They would just wait their chance, and then make the much easier break-in play. The result was an easy win for Big Green. Other powerhouses have used heavy pressure, and not gotten as good results. Dartmouth's only poor showing was the lack of players used. Like Harvard, the coach used only three defenders. Maybe he was preparing for the playoffs. Nevertheless ... The ECAC quarterfinal match they have with Brown should be super.
Harvard's bright spot was the play of goalie Erin Villiotte. She made many dazzling saves. With the way Dartmouth passed and moved, they was no way she was going to be able to stop all the shots. But her efforts were superb. The Crimson next plays at Providence in the quarterfinals of the ECAC playoffs. Bonne chance!
***
Date: Sun, 21 Feb 1993 15:26:23 EST
Subject: Harvard Women 2 - St. Lawrence 3
Saturday's afternoon match at Bright Hockey Center was an entertaining affair. A couple of years ago the Saints were a struggling club side. They have developed into a wonderful hockey program. I would class them as a good Ivy League team. They aren't ready to challenge the Big Five, but they are playing real good hockey.
The first period was scoreless. Harvard managed to keep it an up and down close game in the first. Megan Hall, of the second line, has become a catalyst for her linemates. Several times early in the game she created scoring plays for herself and her teammates. The second period saw St. Lawrence gradually put the pressure on the Crimson. Wendy Hall (Julie Barnett, Emily Woods) opened the scoring for the Saints on a sweeping play that finished off right in front of the net off a break-in.
In the third period Michele Amidon (Michele Selzer) roofed a shot after a nice setup. The Saints finished their scoring when Jen Boteler (Woods, Selzer) scored from the right point, after a ton of pressure. Harvard made the score look close by adding two late goals. Jo-anni Alissi (Holly Leitzes) scored a power play goal on a low shot from the right point. Alissi (Stacy Kellogg, Megan Hall) scored a second goal when the Crimson had pulled their goalie for an extra attacker in the dying second of the game. The goal came off a goal mouth scramble.
I was much impressed with the Saints. Michele Amidon is a wonderful player to watch. She is big, strong, can skate and has a great shot. I may have seen her on an off day, but to me, she could be a dominate player, if she kept her feet moving. Linemate Michele Selzer was also a joy to watch. The way she held onto the puck and moved into the Harvard zone, and then made the killer pass, was marvelous. I liked the play of Emily Woods on defense, as she was able to not only counter Crimson attacks, but make good offensive passes. Overall I was happy to see a team improve as much as that team has. Nice going St. Lawrence.
The scoreline somewhat flatters Harvard. The two late goals made the game sound better for them than it was. The poor play from the Yale game sort of haunted them. Joey Alissi, besides getting the two goals played a strong two-way game. Megan Hall looked good on the second line.
***
Date: Thu, 4 Feb 1993 11:11:58 EST
Subject: Women: Harvard 1 - Brown 2
Wednesday night at Bright Hockey Center turned out to be a tripleheader. The match was not just an Ivy League/ECAC game, but also the first round of the 15th annual Women's Beanpot. The Brown Bears proved to be a strong skating club, and according to one of the Brown fans they have beaten all of the Big Three (Providence, UNH, Northeastern) this season. Harvard put up a tough defensive shell, but in the end Brown's talent came through.
There was no scoring in the first two periods. Brown had periods of extended pressure. The line of Molly Driscoll, Kathy Hopkins, and Katie Donovan created many scoring chances. For Harvard, while the defenders hung tough, Sara Simmons, Diana Clark, and Jo-anne Alissi managed to mount break-out attacks on the Brown net. In the last half of the third period Shannon Bryant (Andrea Boudreau, Chie Chie Sakuma) opened the scoring for Brown. The goal was a nice backhander off a rebound in front of the net. Two minutes later, Harvard's Alissi intercepted a sloppy pass right in front of the Brown goal and drilled it home. 13 seconds later, Brown won the match when Byrant (Boudreau, Stacey Nokonechny) banged home the puck after a brisk Bear barrage on Harvard's goalie Erin Villiotte.
Brown is a very good team, but last night they didn't have the passing ability, and overall dynamic game of Providence. They seemed tired. Still, they have a large group of skillful players. Driscoll played a strong game, and I though she was going to score or set up someone else at many points. Joy Woog skated well and almost roofed a great chance she created for herself in the third period. Nokonechny is a first-year forward who is leading the team in scoring. She can really let the puck fly. She most impressed me by her extremely quick skating which she used to break up a couple of Harvard chances with her good back-checking. Bryant, besides scoring the goals, played a good solid game at defense. She was always looking to go forward. Boudreau was also very impressive with her strong offensive thrusts.
Harvard played up to their opponent. Co-Captain Joey Alissi played another stellar game. She has been playing it very smart. In her defensive zone she helps break up plays, and has the ability to take the puck and break it out. Her rushes are helping her teammates try to formulate an offense. Her goal was very smart, as she anticipated the play well to intercept the pass. Holly Leitzes is becoming a real good player. One of the things I like about watching college hockey, is seeing a kid finding her edges in the league. Leitzes is doing that and is on the fringe of becoming something special for Harvard. Last night she played a good defensive game, reading the plays and countering well. She also continue her breakout rushes, which are getting close to what one loves to see. Sara Simmons is starting to use her speed. A couple of times in the Brown game she swooped around and took the puck out of her own end and into the Bear zone on a rush. We aren't getting goals yet, but we are getting close. On the down side, the coach again did not play all of his defenders. The result was third tired kids, which were less effective than they could have been. On the whole, the Harvard team played well.
***
Date: Wed, 13 Jan 1993 11:21:15 EST
Subject: Women: Harvard 1 - Providence 2
I am happy to say that last night at Bright Hockey Center I saw the best game of the season. The Providence Lady Friars were wonderful. They played a fast skating, quick playmaking, and drill your shots kind of game. Harvard played very well defensively to stay in the game. In fact the game was one long power play for Providence, even when Harvard had a player advantage.
Scoring: Despite all kinds of Lady Friar pressure, Harvard got on the board first. In a rare breakout, Megan Hall collected and held a long clearing pass. She knocked a pass off to linemate Sara Simmons. Simmons return pass found Hall breaking up the middle on the Friar goalie Gina Martinello. Her shot was turned away, but Diana Clark followed up and dumped the rebound into the net. The rest of the first and all of the second period was scoreless even though Providence continue to bombard Harvard's goalie Erin Villiotte. During the second period Lady Friars' Wendy Cofran and Melissa Mills executed several "ooo-la-la" 1-2's that were delightful to watch. Only a stellar performance by Villiotte and a determined defense was keeping Providence off the scoreboard. In the third period, with the Friars on a real power-play, Cammi Granato (Stephanie O'Sullivan, Lynn Manning) poke home a bouncing rebound. A short time later O'Sullivan gunned a shot in from the left slot after getting a nice step up pass from the left corner by Manning.
Providence positives: All three lines skate and pass and shoot beautifully, and together. That team has a great offensive plan and executes it. I thought Granato and O'Sullivan on the first line were going to score multiple times. They were really strong players. Defenders Michelle Johansson and Chris Bailey set up some good chances with long breakout/in passes. On the downside: In a way, one could say the Lady Friars played it stupid. They are a great skate and shoot team. But staying in the Harvard zone for the whole game, they stopped themselves by letting Harvard set up a wall. The best chances came when Providence was coming in over the blue line. A power play offense can be good, if you keep it moving. Perhaps quicker passing, and pulling Harvard defenders out of position would have worked better.
Harvard positives: Erin Villiotte played a wonderful game in goal. In the third period Granato broke in and let fly with a low bullet from the right circle. It was drilled for the just inside the far post, but Villiotte managed to kick it out. Wow! Megan Hall and the second line (Hall, Clark, Simmons) were most of Harvard's offense. They are starting to make good plays. Hall in particular is showing good puck instinct.