Three League Games in the Books
ECACHL All-Stars Take on Team USA Tonight
ALBANY, N.Y.- This past weekend saw the 2005-06 ECAC Hockey League season open up for the conference women with three games being contested. Clarkson emerged on top, with two victories to start the year, while Yale and league newcomer Quinnipiac skated to a tie. Eight more league games will take place this weekend, as the quest to the 2006 championship is underway.
Before the league games this weekend, an important game takes place tonight (Nov. 1) at Yale's Ingalls Rink, as the U.S. National Team takes on the ECACHL All-Stars. The all-stars features a roster of 21 players from nearly every team in the league and are coached by Harvard mentor Katey Stone and her Crimson staff. It's a homecoming of sorts for a number of other players from the league who are currently skating for Team USA. Current student-athletes on the U.S. squad include Harvard forward Julie Chu '06 and defenseman Caitlin Cahow '07, Yale blue liner Helen Resor '08 and Princeton forward Liz Keady '07. Dartmouth is also represented by incoming freshman forward Sarah Parsons. All four players have taken leaves from their studies and college teams to play for the U.S. Overall, Harvard and Brown are each represented by four athletes. The Crimson contingent features Chu, Cahow and defensemen Angela Ruggiero '04 and Jamie Hagerman '03. The Bears are represented by goalie Pam Dreyer '03 and forwards Kathleen Kauth '01, Katie King '97 and Kim Insalaco '03. Joining Parsons from the Big Green is forward Kristin King '02, while Princeton is represented by goalie Megan Van Beusekom '04.
In looking at last week's results, Clarkson scored 16 goals and held Union scoreless to earn two league victories. Ashley Shaidle and Micheleen Divine had five points each in the wins, with two goals and three assists apiece. The Quinnipiac-Yale game was the Bobcats first-ever ECAC Hockey League game, which was also played as part of the Nutmeg Classic. Yale was ahead 2-0 before Quinnipiac got on the board and then tied it up on a short-handed goal by rookie Hayley McMeekin. The game goes into the books as a tie, but for standings purposes for the Nutmeg Classic, a shootout took place with McMeekin netting the winner for Quinnipiac. The Bobcats went on to down Connecticut to take the Classic crown, while Yale fell to the Huskies. For the weekend, McMeekin had three points and was named the league's Rookie of the Week.
Princeton also competed in a tournament and earned three points with a tie vs. Boston College and a win over Vermont.
In a matchup between nationally-ranked teams, No. 1 St. Lawrence took two games from No. 8 Mercyhurst over the weekend. Sabrina Harbec earned Player of the Week honors after leading the Saints with three goals and one assist in the victories.
Brown also picked up a win vs. a top team, splitting its weekend with No. 5 New Hampshire. The Bears dropped the first game, which was also their first game of the year, and then came back to earn a win on Sunday. O'Hara Shipe, who was named Goaltender of the Week, was solid in goal and earned the 3-2 win after stopping 21 shots in the game, including a rapid-round of 13 in the first period alone.
Colgate also took on a non-league opponent in two games, splitting with Wayne State. The Raiders took the first game 3-2 before falling 4-0 in game two. Harvard and Dartmouth each faced single opponents, with the Crimson earning a win over Robert Morris and the Big Green beating Boston University.
In exhibition action, Cornell finished tuning up for the year with wins over York and Toronto.
This coming weekend has Quinnipiac and Princeton at Harvard and Dartmouth, while Yale and Brown travel to Cornell and Colgate. In non-league play, Union faces Sacred Heart in two games, while Clarkson and St. Lawrence will take on Providence and Northeastern.
