Box Score

HANOVER, N.H. - Sophomore Sarah Parsons (Dover, Mass.) netted the game-winner and her second of the night with 24 seconds remaining in the final period to push the tenth-ranked Dartmouth women's team past Colgate, 4-3, to give the Big Green the first game in the best-of-three round in the ECAC Hockey Tournament.

In addition to Parsons' two goals, freshman Amanda Trunzo contributed a goal and an assist in her first collegiate playoff game. Juniors Shannon Bowman (Leamington, Ont.) and Maggie Kennedy (West Hartford, Conn.) recorded two assists apiece, including hooking up on Parsons' game-winner.

Freshman Larissa Roche (Thorhild, Atla.) got here postseason career off to a great start with her third of the season, 5:32 into the opening period. Trunzo created a turnover in the Raiders zone and drove to the right of the net and found Roche in front and she slid it past Colgate netminder Lisa Plenderleith. It was the third time in the last five games that the freshmen pair have combined for a score.

Colgate (12-16-5, 9-10-4 ECAC Hockey) fired back as Marissa Dombovy tallied her first of two on the night midway through the period to knot the score at 1-1.

Dartmouth (17-7-6, 14-5-4 ECAC Hockey) regained the lead at 2-1 as Parsons netted her first of the night with six minutes left in the period. Bowman chipped the face-off over to Kennedy, who fought through a check and spotted an open Parsons in right circle and she powered it past Plenderleith for the lead.

The second period started off well for the Raiders as they once again evened the score at 2-2, just 1:05 into the stanza. Sam Hunt tallied her team-leading 19th of the season. An initial shot from Kara Leone was blocked in front and Hunt collected the puck and beat junior goaltender Carli Clemis (Taber, Alta.) for the score.

The Big Green took back the lead with seven minutes remaining in the second period on Trunzo's first collegiate playoff goal. Senior captain Nicole Ruta (Pickering, Ont.) skated the length of the ice and cut in on Plenderleith who made the save, but Trunzo was there to scoop up the rebound and put Dartmouth up 3-2.

In a physical third period, the Raiders evened the score for the third time in the game as Dombovy added her second of the night. Colgate took advantage of a 5-on-3 power play as Hunt's shot was stopped by Clemis, but Dombovy was waiting at the far post and scored on the open net.

As the teams looked to be getting tired, Dartmouth made critical mistakes during a five minute major power play, giving Colgate two shorthanded breakaways. Fortunately for the Big Green, Clemis was up for the task as she stoned Elin Brown and Dombovy on both chances.

With under a minute to play, Dartmouth skated up ice and Bowman found a streaking Kennedy, who actually fell down after overskating the puck, and from her knees found Parsons and she ripped a wrister from the right circle that caught the top right corner of the goal mouth for the 4-3 lead with 24 seconds remaining. For Parsons, it was her second two-goal game of the season and she extended her point streak to season-high nine games. With the assist, Kennedy posted her 10th multi-point game of the season and she stands at eight straight games with at least one point.

Clemis earned her fifth career postseason victory and 12th win this season, stopping 30 Colgate shots, including 11 in both the first and third periods. Plenderleith was just as impressive with 33 stops, including 14 in the third with multiple saves on Dartmouth second chances.

Both Colgate and Dartmouth were 1-5 on the man advantage, while the Big Green outshot the Raiders, 37-33.

These two teams will be battling again tomorrow, with Dartmouth holding 1-0 lead in the series, for game two of the three game series. The Big Green will look to move on to the ECAC Hockey semifinals with a start time of 4 p.m. at Thompson Arena.