No. 8/9 Princeton scored 25 seconds into overtime to edge the St. Lawrence women’s hockey team 4-3 on Saturday afternoon at Hobey Baker Rink in Princeton, N.J.
The Saints had the lead early and erased two separate one-goal deficits to tie it up and force overtime with the Tigers, but Princeton won the opening draw of the extra frame and Kelsey Koelzer bested first-year netminder Grace Harrison with a slapshot from inside the left point to give her team the victory.
“That was a fun game to be in: exciting, playoff-type atmosphere, great goaltending, the whole works,” Head Coach Chris Wells said. “I certainly liked the way we stayed in it and fought our way back.”
The Saints entered Saturday’s contest in sixth, needing three points to clinch a spot the ECAC Hockey playoffs. With the rest of the league games starting at 4 p.m., they’ll wait to see where they line up at the end of the night.
St. Lawrence finished with a 39-32 edge in shots and were all over Princeton in the first period, outshooting them 18-7 including nine shots on the power play and a man-advantage marker by junior Brooke Webster to put the Saints in front, 1-0, just under four minutes in.
After Hilary Lloyd was whistled for tripping at 2:36 the Saints won the ensuing draw and kept the Tigers pinned in their offensive zone, peppering goaltending Kimberly Newell with shots from every angle. Leading up to the eventual goal, Hannah Miller took a slapshot from the right point that was block in front and kicked all the way back out to Amanda Boulier on the left side of the blue line. The Watertown, Conn. native’s slapshot was wide right, but ricocheted off Webster on the far post and behind Newell for a 1-0 Saints lead.
But Princeton notched two goals in the first five minutes of the middle frame to take a 2-1 lead with Keiko DeClerck scoring at 1:35 and Molly Contini getting the go ahead on a rebound from just outside the crease as she fell to the ice at 4:42 for the Tigers.
At the 14:40 mark of the second, senior Jenna Marks tied the game at 2-2 with her sixth of the season. She moved into the zone on the three-on-two rush with Justine Reyes and Kailee Heidersbach. Reyes’ initial shot was blocked and Newell stopped Heidersbach’s attempt on the rebound, but the puck kicked to Marks far post and she was able to bury into an open net for the visitor’s second goal.
Princeton regained the lead on a goal by Molly Strabley at 4:01 of the third period, but the Saints were able to answer again just two and half minutes later.
Reyes notched the game-tying goal at 6:37 with a perfect toe drag in the right circle and a high finish on Newell that hit the goaltender’s shoulder and rolled off her into the net. Marks and first year Lydia Grauer assisted on the play.
The Saints had a crucial penalty kill in the final minutes of the third period and held the Tigers to just two shots with the man advantage after Miller, one of the Saints top penalty killers, was whistled for roughing at 14:08.
Just seconds after she exited the box, the North Vancouver, B.C. native was sprung on a breakaway into the Princeton zone, but her wrist shot sailed just wide of the cage leaving the score knotted at 3-3 and sending the game to overtime.
“We’ve got two regular season games left and will look to finish strong and clinch a playoff spot at home next weekend,” Wells added.
The Saints will play host to Yale on Friday, Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. and Brown on Saturday, Feb. 20 at 4 p.m. and also celebrate the senior class in a postgame ceremony following the game with the Bears on Saturday afternoon.
