By David F.P.
January 1, 2010 [Modest Image Gallery]

NEW HAVEN, CT- The nationally ranked Northeastern Huskies came down to Ingalls Rink to take on the Yale Bulldogs on a quiet new year’s day in New Haven. Despite the holiday there was a larger crowd present than at the Nutmeg Classic weeks before. In goal for the visiting Huskies was Leah Sulyma and in goal for Yale was Jackee Snikeris. Each would pick up a wide variety of saves throughout the night. The end result would be a 3 to 0 score, with NU shutting out the Bulldogs, however Snikeris held the Huskies to just 1 goal until the waning moments of the game, and the third score came as an empty netter.

Period 1 began with Northeastern on the attack putting a lot of pressure in the Yale zone. In the opening first five minutes Yale did manage to get 3 shots on net to Northeastern’s 1, but NU had clearly spent most of that time with the pressure. As play continued NU’s Katy Applin let a shot fly, and Brittany Esposito picked up the rebound, but neither went in, soon after Esposito sent another shot in but it clanked off the goal bar. Yale’s Bray Ketchum went on a breakaway on the goalie but the shot ended up wide of the net.

The first penalty of the game went on Northeastern’s Kasey Cedorchuk for high sticking at 7:05. Yale came up with a few shots, but none got past Sulyma and the penalty was killed. Lindsay Berman of the Huskies had a shot in return as did Kristi Kehoe but both were saved. At the halfway mark in the period Yale had 5 shots to Northeastern’s 3. A Ginny Berg shot went wide for the Huskies as well soon afterward. The visitors kept up the attack with multiple more chances including a pass from Kehoe to Kelly Wallace which the d broke up. Cedorchuk also had a shot wide of the net.

Yale for their part tried to get things going with a pass from Caroline Murphy to Becky Mantell but that was broken up as well. Northeastern returned fire as Alyssa Wohlfeiler and Casey Pickett found themselves in a 2 on 1, but the Bulldog defender and Snikeris broke it up.

Yale’s Ketchum, Heather Grant, and Alyssa Zupon all gave it a go with efforts on net, but they were unsuccessful. Northeastern responded with numerous close calls on net of their own and put more pressure in the NU zone again.

The scoring drought was broken at 16:56 when Kehoe broke in on net tripped or dived over Snikeris and as she fell backhanded the puck behind Snikeris into the open net. She was assisted by Berman on the goal. Other NU shots followed, though with 2 minutes left in the period Yale had 6 to NU’s 7. Wohlfeiler stick handled in against seemingly half the Yale team but it did not lead to points and the period soon closed with NU leading 1 to 0, and having an 8 to 6 shot advantage.

Period 2 opened with Yale adding some chances, as did Northeastern, and 4 minutes in NE had 10 shots to Yale’s 7. The Bulldogs added even more attempts, but could not get it into the net itself. Northeastern responded including Kehoe on a breakaway alone against Snikeris, but the Yale goalie made the save. Murphy went on the attack for Yale, but fell, apparently at the hands of an NU penalty and still tried to poke the shot in. Berg went in the box at 7:41 for hooking giving Yale another power play. The Bulldogs just didn’t get many shots out of it and the penalty was soon killed. At the half way mark in the period each team had 13 shots. At 10:22, a cross checking penalty on Kehoe put Yale on the power play again. Aleca Hughes had a wrist shot that was saved, Ketchum added a shot as well. However the result was the same, no points and the penalty was killed despite Yale now having 18 shots to the visitors’ 13.

Yale’s Grant went in the box at 12:45 for body checking giving Northeastern a chance with a person up, but they produced no goals either. Late in the period Tara Tomimoto had a shot but no dice as well. At 4:03 Yale had 18 shots to Northeastern’s 14 as the offensive opportunities had been few and far between in the 20 minute frame. Another Yale shot flew upwards and the goalie deflected it well out of the way. Casie Fields had an attempt for the Huskies but it also lead to a save. Berman’s breakaway attempt late in the period was also disrupted, but Northeastern kept things up and by the end of the period they had notched 18 shots to Yale’s 21, with no change in score.

Period 3 also opened with Yale on the attack including a shot saved, but Zupon also got a rebound but it was saved as well. NU’s Stephanie Gavronsky went into the box for body checking at 2:35 giving Yale another opportunity, but the result was the same as all the other power plays. On a later attack the puck flew up forcing Sulyma to catch it like a right fielder, though the puck still bounced out and behind the net. The Huskies put on some pressure in search of some insurance goals, but Yale still prevented any goals.

The period largely became a back and forth which each side getting their chances but no goals following and the shots mark had reached 26 to 22 in favor of Yale even though the score was not. With less than 5 minutes to play Yale tried again with a breakaway but no success followed. Jamie Gray and Murphy added more attempts, but Sulyma did not allow it.

Esposito found herself on a breakaway with 2 minutes to play and was alone against Snikeris, she stick handled around the net-minder and put it into the net at 18:17 assisted by Rachel Llanes. Now down by 2, Yale pulled the goalie, but Northeastern broke in just as Snikeris reached the bench and Pickett found the net assisted by Wohfeiler at 18:34. That was the dagger as they say, and Northeastern would go on to hold the shutout. Final shots total was 32 for Yale, and 25 for Northeastern.