Team Notes: Princeton Visits New England to Open Season
PRINCETON - The Princeton women's hockey team officially opens up the 2010-11 season this weekend with a regular-season road trip to New England to play Hockey East foes Northeastern and Providence. It marks the seventh-straight year that Princeton will open against a Hockey East opponent.
The Tigers got their first taste of competitive action this season with an exhibition game and scrimmage last weekend. On Friday night Princeton hosted McGill in an exhibition contest and dropped a close 4-3 decision to the Martlets after falling behind two goals in the first three minutes of the game. Princeton outplayed McGill for much of the remainder of the game but couldn't ever draw even. Paula Romanchuk, Julie Johnson and Laura Martindale provided the Princeton goals in the game.
On Saturday, Princeton hosted a round-robin day of scrimmages; facing Ivy rivals Yale and Brown in two-period mini games. Princeton took the opening game from Yale 4-2 and in the second scrimmage, the Tigers were blanked by Brown 3-0.
The Tigers open up on the road for the second consecutive season after starting last season with a two-game set at Vermont. Princeton has dropped its last two season openers and had tied the four prior to that. Princeton's last season-opening win came over Connecticut in the 2003-04 season.
Princeton opens the season on Friday afternoon at Northeastern. The Huskies are currently 3-1-1 on the season and took two games at Robert Morris last weekend. Northeastern also has a win at Syracuse on its resume as well as a tie at Syracuse. Northeastern lost at Quinnipiac. The Huskies also have faced McGill in an exhibition game, topping the Martlets 3-2 in overtime in late September.
Princeton trails the all-time series with Northeastern 25-11-2 overall and 13-5-1 in Boston. The teams last played a season ago with the Huskies taking a 4-0 win at Baker Rink. The last game between the teams prior to that was in 2004.
The Tigers' opening weekend will conclude on Saturday afternoon at Providence. The Friars are 5-1 this season and have won five straight after falling at Robert Morris in their opener. That includes wins over St. Lawrence, Clarkson, Syracuse and Colgate. Providence has also played McGill and topped the Martlets 3-1 and 6-4 on successive nights.
Providence leads the all-time series with Princeton 43-8-4 overall and 20-3-3 at home, but the series has been closer over the last few years with Princeton holding a 4-1-4 record in the last nine meetings. The last meeting between the teams came in 2006, a 2-1 Friar win in Princeton.
Looking ahead, Princeton opens its league slate next weekend when it hosts Colgate and ECAC preseason favorite and 2010 NCAA runner-up Cornell on Oct. 29 and 30.
