Weekly Release: Non-League Action Filled Schedule

ALBANY, N.Y. - As teams prepare for the bulk of ECAC Hockey play on the horizon the last groups of non-league play took center stage over the holiday week.  All 12 ECAC Hockey women’s teams were in action and involved in 15 games away from their home rinks last week.
    St. Lawrence played a mid-week contest traveling to Vermont last Tuesday in non-league action.  Saints’ graduate student Maxie Weisz turned in 11 saves in net, while first-year student Bailey Habscheid added a pair of assists in leading St. Lawrence to a 3-0 shutout of Vermont.  The victory moved St. Lawrence to 7-6-2 on the season.  Neither team was able to cash in on the power-play, with the two squads each finishing 0-for-3 with the extra skater.  
    Rensselaer earned three points in the overall standings by edging the Orange, 2-1 Friday and playing to a 1-1 overtime tie Saturday at Syracuse.  Powered by a pair of second period goals and a 29 save effort from Sonja van der Bliek, the Engineers came-from-behind and held on in the final stanza for the win Friday.  On Saturday afternoon sophomore netminder Shannon Ramelot stopped 25 shots to help the RPI to a 2-2 tie against the Orange.  The Engineers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the opening period as junior assistant captain Alisa Harrison tallied a goal at 14:27 mark and a follow-up goal by senior captain Kendra Dunlop who notched an unassisted goal at the 16:56 mark.
    Colgate was edged by this same Syracuse team, 4-3 Tuesday evening.  The Raiders were led by sophomore Brittany Phillips who had an impressive three-point performance with two goals and one assist, while junior Amanda Kirwan had one goal and one assist.  Kimberly Sass had 26 saves for the Raiders while Syracuse’s Jenesica Drinkwater had 27 at the other end of the ice.  In its final non-conference road matchup of the season Colgate suffered a 4-2 setback Saturday afternoon when it fell to No. 3 Mercyhurst on the road in Erie, PA.  Freshman Taylor Volpe and sophomore Amanda Kirwan scored a goal each for the Raiders.  
    Clarkson welcomed Vermont to Cheel Arena last weekend in a two-game non-conference set.  The Golden Knights and Catamounts played to a 1-1 overtime tie Saturday in Potsdam.  Erica Howe finished with 19 saves in 20 shots for Clarkson, while Roxanne Douville made 42 saves on 43 shots.  Clarkson was 0-for-3 on the power-play, while Vermont went scoreless in six extra-skater chances.  On Sunday afternoon senior goaltender Lauren Dahm made 25 saves for her first shutout of the season and the 20th of her career to lead Clarkson to a 4-0 blanking of Vermont.  Melissa Waldie (1g-1a), Jamie-Lee Rattray (2a), and Juana Baribeau (1g-1a) each registered multiple point efforts for the winners..
    Quinnipiac claimed its second-ever Nutmeg Classic tournament championship Saturday evening with a 2-1 win over rival Yale at the TD Bank Sports Center.  The Bobcats earned a spot in the championship game by posting a convincing 9-1 win over Sacred Heart Friday as freshman forward Kelly Babstock eclipsed the program single-season points (30) and assists (17) records, with a program single-game record six points on two goals and four assists.  Yale advanced to the championship game for the sixth time in the tournament’s seven year history scoring a 5-2 win over Connecticut Friday.  Senior forward Bray Ketchum had a pair of goals to pace the Yale offense.  In the championship game sophomore forward Brittany Lyons scored a second period goal to propel the Bobcats to the victory.  
    Princeton dropped a two-game set last weekend at No. 5 Boston University.  Julie Johnson gave Princeton a 1-0 lead and Heather Landry put the Tigers within a goal at 3-2 late in the first period but the Terriers added two goals in the second period and three in the third for the 8-2 win Friday.  On Saturday Rachel Weber made 29 saves and Olivia Mucha scored a second period goal but it wasn't enough as the Tigers fell by a count of 2-1 to the Terriers.  
    Cornell extended its win streak to a nation’s best six games as it scored identical 6-0 victories over Niagara Friday and Saturday evening at Lynah Rink.  Junior Chelsea Karpenko had a goal and three assists, leading five players with a multi-point game for the Big Red Friday.  In Saturday’s win Rebecca Johnston scored three goals and added a pair of assists to lead Cornell to its second straight 6-0 victory over Niagara.  Brianne Jenner chipped in a pair of goals and two assists in the win for the Big Red.
    Harvard travelled to the midwest to take in hockey power No. 7 Minnesota in a two-game series last weekend.  The  Golden Gophers managed a goal in each period of play as the Crimson dropped a 3-0 decision Friday night at Ridder Arena.  The two teams would tangle again Sunday afternoon with Minnesota doubling Harvard by a count of 4-2.  Senior tri-captain Kate Buesser netted the final two goals of the game but the Crimson rally fell short.  
    Brown dropped a pair of one goal contests last week, losing to Providence, 3-2 in the 16th annual Mayor’s Cup Friday and then coming up short, 2-1 at Northeastern Sunday.  The Bears surrendered a goal to junior Ashley Cottrell who scored with just 58.9 seconds remaining in regulation to give Providence the win.  Laurie Jolin netted the two Bears’ goal in the loss.  On Sunday rookie netminder Aubree Moore stopped 44 Huskies shots in the loss as the Bears’ late rally fell short.
    In its lone game of the week, Dartmouth fell to No. 6 Boston College by a count of 4-2 in a non-conference road test.  The loss drops the Big Green to 6-4-0 overall.  Boston College improves to 9-2-4 overall.  Dartmouth once again dominated the game in shots, 29-16, but couldn't come out on top on the scoreboard.  The Big Green were 1-for-8 on the power-play, while Boston College went 0-for-3.  Freshman Lindsay Holdcroft took the loss making 12 saves.
    Union dropped its fifth one-goal game of the season Sunday, falling at Providence, 2-1.  Emilie Arseneault scored a late third period goal but it was not enough for the Dutchwomen.  Union goaltender Kate Gallagher stopped 29 shots in goal.  Genevieve Lacasse made 17 saves to earn the victory for the Friars.  The Dutchwomen were outshot 31-18.

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