Alyea Strikes First but Dutchwomen Fall to Dartmouth

HANOVER, N.H. - Senior co-captain Jenna Cunningham (Medicine Hat, Alta.) netted a career-high four goals to lead the Dartmouth women's hockey team to an 8-1 win over Union, which snapped the Big Green's five-game losing streak.

Dartmouth (7-11-2, 5-9-1 ECAC) also got a goal and two assists from senior co-captain Sarah Parsons (Dover, Mass.), while junior Amanda Trunzo (Andover, Minn.) and freshman Sasha Nanji (Markham, Ont.) tallied a goal and an assist in the win. Freshman Sally Komarek (Minneapolis, Minn.) tied a career high with two assists and classmate Jessica Gagner (London, Ont.) put home her first collegiate goal. Freshman Whitney Woodcox (Oshawa, Ont.) pushed aside nine shots, earning her third win of the season.

Union (5-20-1, 1-12-1 ECAC) got its lone goal from sophomore forward Kelly Alyea in the first period with the assists going to sophomore forward Molly Kate Devin. Freshman goaltender Alana Marcinko did her part in net with 31 stops in the loss.

The Dutchwomen put a scare into the Big Green just 3:37 into the game on Union's first shot of the night. Alyea received a pass from Devin and strolled down the left side, firing a wrist shot that beat Woodcox in the upper right corner to give Union a 1-0 lead.

Dartmouth got its top scoring line going at the 12:27 mark with Cunningham's first of the afternoon with the assists going to Parsons and Trunzo. After Marcinko made a sprawling stop on Parsons, she couldn't control the rebound and Cunningham was there to knot the score at 1-1.

Cunningham struck again with 1:36 left in the period with her second of the night. This time it came eight seconds into Dartmouth's second power play chance. Freshman Camille Dumais (Beaconsfield, Que.) put a shot on net from the blueline, which was tipped over to Cunningham and she didn't miss. She gave the Big Green its first lead at 2-1.

Gagner netted her first collegiate goal with 27 seconds left in the first frame. Sophomore Erica Dobos (Bethel Park, Pa.) put the puck on net that Marcinko stopped, but didn't control the rebound and Gagner cleaned it up inside the left post.

The Big Green increased its lead to 4-1 with Cunningham earning her second hat trick of the season with the goal coming unassisted 2:43 into the second period. She skated through the slot, shooting the puck on net with Marcinko making the save. Cunningham collected her own rebound and gently slid the puck into the net.

Trunzo made it 5-1 with 5:51 remaining in the second frame with her 12th of the season. Once again, all Dartmouth had to do was skate into the slot. She became open and beat Marcinko top shelf.

In the third period, it was more Dartmouth offense. Parsons got things started with her 15th of the year with a nice move on a breakaway after she was spotted by Nanji breaking in from the neutral zone. With the score 6-1, Cunningham netted her fourth of the night to push the lead to 7-1 with the assist going to sophomore Moira Scanlon (Chicago, Ill.) for her first point of the season.

Nanji earned her spot in the goal scoring category with 1:01 remaining in the game for her third of the year. Sophomores Jenna Hobeika (Alpine, N.J.) and Geneva Kliman (Toronto, Ont.) assisted on the play to make it a final of 8-1.

It was the first time this season Dartmouth had a skater score four goals in a game and for Cunningham it is the second time this year with three or more goals in a game. Dartmouth snapped a five-game losing streak and a seven-game winless streak with the 8-1 victory.