Carly Bullock scoring her first goal of the day.

by David F. Pendrys

PRINCETON, NJ – The Princeton Tigers Women’s Hockey team picked up their first win over the Quinnipiac Bobcats since January 3^rd, 2011 in dramatic fashion on New Year’s Day.

The first goal came on the QU power play. Some Quinnipiac shots drew PU goalie Steph Neatby to her left, but the puck ended up on Kate MacKenzie’s stick and she sent it into the open side of the net. Assists went to Alicia Barry and Kenzie Prater.

Princeton would strike back after QU earned two quick penalties putting them down 5 to 3. Kelsey Koelzer had the puck in the corner and sent it well to the center where Carly Bullock awaited it. She knocked it over the keeper off the cross bar and in to tie the game.

In the second period on the power play it was again Koelzer setting up Bullock, but this time from the point. She sent it in front and Bullock collected it and maneuvered for a shot past QU’s Sydney Rossman. Claire Thompson also had an assist. Later in the period Molly Strabley put up a shot from deep in the zone and it deflected off of Bullock and in for the hat trick. Karlie Lund had an assist as well.

With less than 2 minutes left in regulation in the third and down 3-1, Rossman was called to the bench. During the 6 on 5 attack, Emma Woods found the back of the net with about 50 seconds left in the game assisted by Melissa Samoskevich and Kate MacKenzie.

The center faceoff that followed required Rossman to return to the net and Princeton pinned QU in their zone for awhile before the goalie could get back to the bench. The Bobcats tried to score in the seconds they had but Princeton held on for the win.

Quinnipiac drops to 14-5-3 (7-3-1 in the ECAC) with the loss and Princeton rises to 10-6-2 (6-4-1 in the ECAC). Neatby made 29 saves on QU’s 31 shots and Rossman made 25 saves on 28 shots.

The Bobcats had seemed to have the advantage early on with several attempts including MacKenzie’s goal. As the period progressed though Princeton started evening things up and the back and forth was pronounced. Both goaltenders made critical saves. Neatby often had to face down QU’s most dangerous players in T.T. Cianfarano, Melissa Samoskevich, and others. Rossman at several instances had to deal with surprise bounces and some sequences where Princeton got off a few shots in succession in a crowd.

QU did not lack opportunities. Between the power plays garnered, and generated chances within the Princeton zone, but nothing could find the net at even strength. If the Bobcats are able to finish more consistently it will likely make them far more lethal with the firepower they have on hand.

Kelsey Koelzer had 6 blocks for Princeton. Molly Strabley had 3, plus Karlie Lund, and Stephanie Sucharda had 2. Claire Thompson, Julia Edgar, and Carly Bullock had 1 each.

Taryn Baumgardt had 5 blocks for QU, Kenzie Lancaster had 3, while Raquel Pennoyer and Emma Greco had 2. Kate Mackenzie, Alicia Barry, Danielle Marmer, Emma Woods, and Shannon Cherpak all had 1 each.

Bullock took 6 shots, and 3 naturally were successful. Molly Contini and Kelsey Koelzer took 4 shots. Karlie Lund and Cassidy Tucker had 3. Melissa Samoskevich took 8 shots for QU, Emma Woods had 6, plus Danielle Marmer and Kenzie Lancaster had 3.

Next weekend QU and Princeton each host Harvard and Dartmouth in ECAC play. Post game pressers:

Noticed plays. (Plays that might not make the score sheet but which were noticed. Not an exhaustive list by any means.)

Quinnipiac

• Taryn Baumgardt disrupted a Princeton zone entry and during a penalty kill she cleared it from the neutral zone.
• Emma Woods stole it in the Tigers zone. She later received a well placed pass and broke in on net. At another point she knocked it away from the goal mouth.
• Melissa Samoskevich maneuvered in on net with great skill and got it to Kenzie Prater for a shot. She also stole the puck in the offensive zone. Much later she skated it out the Quinnipiac end stopping a Princeton drive. Beyond that, she broke in on net but her shot was saved.
• Danielle Marmer stole the biscuit in the offensive zone and shot it point blank.
• Shannon Cherpak intercepted the puck in her zone.
• T.T. Cianfarano cleared it on the penalty kill. She broke in on net later for a shot. Minutes after, she got the puck off a faceoff in the Princeton end before skating over rapidly on net. Much later she got the disc in the Princeton end and skated in on net. She cleared it on a penalty kill too.
• Randi Marcon stole the puck in the neutral zone during a penalty kill and cleared it down the ice. Later on she stole it in the neutral zone. In another situation, she kept it with the Princeton blue line on the attack. She also disrupted the Tigers on the penalty kill.
• Alicia Barry cleared it on several penalty kills. Later in the game she stole it in the offensive zone.
• Kate MacKenzie snatched the puck in the Bobcats zone to stop a long Princeton attack. She also blocked a pass on a penalty kill.
• Emma Greco kept the puck in the Princeton zone prolonging the offensive try. She cleared it on a penalty kill and much later she disrupted Princeton’s setup.
• Kenzie Prater got it out of the QU end. She acquired the puck in the Tigers zone for a shot as well. Much later she stole it again in the Tigers end.
• Raquel Pennoyer disrupted a zone entry. She also stole it in the defensive zone an brought it out.
• Kenzie Lancaster Cleared it on a PK. She would make it all the way down the ice for a shot at another point.

Princeton

• Stephanie Sucharda and Carly Bullock disrupted a QU pass.
• Kimiko Marinacci stole the puck in the Princeton zone and eventually it ended up with Cassidy Tucker who broke in for a shot.
• Carly Bullock knocked the puck out of the goal area.
• Kiersten Falck intercepted a centering pass. Also, she cleared it on a penalty kill. Later she stole it in the neutral zone blunting a QU setup.
• Kelsey Koelzer moved it out of the PU zone at one point.
• Cassidy Tucker broke in on net.
• Keiko DeClerck stole it in the defensive zone and brought it up ice.
• Morgan Sly stick handled into the QU zone for a chance.
• MacKenzie Ebel stole in the opponent’s zone.
• Koelzer and Falck wasted time in the QU zone during a Quinnipiac power play. Later Audrey Potts would do the same. DeClerck did similar on another penalty kill.
• Julia Edgar disrupted the Bobcats during the PK as well.  
• Molly Contini cleared the puck from her zone when QU was swarming.

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