women's hockey

Jan. 9: Senior captain Marianna Locke scored a pair of power play goals including the game-winner on Friday night as the No. 5 St. Lawrence University women's hockey team won their opening game of 2009 in style behind a 4-2 victory against nationally-ranked Boston College at Appleton Arena.

The Saints (12-4-3, 6-1-1) snapped a two-game skid dating back to mid-December and remained unbeaten on their home ice (8-0-1) while the Eagles dropped to 12-5-3 (7-3-1) on the year.

"Though we got off to a quick start, I felt we really got better as the game went on," said St. Lawrence head coach Chris Wells. "I thought we were fortunate to only be down one goal halfway through the game. Their speed and transition game really kept us on our heels."

The home team didn't take long to score their first goal of the new calendar year, as sophomore Karell Emard stole the puck from a Boston College defender in the slot and fired a wrist shot past goaltender Molly Schaus only nine seconds into the game. The goal was Emard's sixth of the season and was unassisted.

The goal, which seemed to stun Boston College, only seemed to serve as a motivating factor for the visitors in the first period. After allowing the goal, they out-played St. Lawrence and finished with a 10-8 advantage in shots on goal through 20 minutes. The Eagles would even the scoring at 1-1 with a power play goal at 14:07 when Meghan Fardelmann one-timed her own rebound past Saints' goalie Brittony Chartier.

Dec. 13: The St. Lawrence University women's hockey team withstood another barrage of shots from No. 8 Mercyhurst on Saturday, as the Lakers finished with a 43-11 advantage in shots on goal. However, it was a pair of power play goals including a 5-on-3 tally that would lead Mercyhurst to the weekend sweep with a 2-1 victory against the Saints in Erie, PA.

Mercyhurst picked up their ninth consecutive win, improving to 12-4-0 on the year while St. Lawrence was swept by the Lakers for the first time in University history, falling to 11-4-3 on the season.

The Lakers built a solid 16-2 advantage in shots on goal in the opening period, as they consistently peppered St. Lawrence junior goalie Brittony Chartier throughout the frame. Mercyhurst junior Meghan Agosta, who picked up two goals and an assist in Friday night's 5-2 victory, scored the lone goal of the period on the power play at 12:56, with an assist going to Ashley Cockell.

The Saints, who had hoped to build on a solid third period in Friday night's game, faced a critical 5-on-3 penalty kill in the second period when junior Courtney Sawchuk was called for hooking at the same time that the visitors were whistled for too many players on the ice. Though the Lakers had a full two-minute 5-on-3 try, it took only 16 seconds to take a 2-0 lead when Agosta picked up her second of the game at 12th of the season at 7:30 of the second period. Hayley McMeekin and Valerie Chouinard were credited with helpers on the goal.

Dec. 12: In a highly anticipated battle between two nationally-ranked foes, the hosting Lakers of No. 8 Mercyhurst College used a 46-24 advantage in shots on goal to knock off No. 4 St. Lawrence University on Friday night in Erie, PA. Junior goaltender Brittony Chartier made a season-high 41 saves including 17 in the second period, but Mercyhurst's Meghan Agosta led the home team to their eighth straight victory.

St. Lawrence drops to 11-3-3 (6-1-1) on the season, while Mercyhurst improves to 11-4-0 (4-0-0).

"I thought Mercyhurst was able to keep us on our heels throughout the majority of the game with their speed," said St. Lawrence head coach Chris Wells. "Brittony (Chartier) turned in a great performance and we obviously had our chances on the power play, but in the end, they took it to us."

The Lakers took a 1-0 lead only 3:27 into the game when Kelley Steadman beat Chartier, with assists going to Vicki Bendus and Bailey Bram. Despite outshooting the Saints by a wide 15-6 margin after 20 minutes, though, that would be the only score in the period for the home team.

Dec. 6: First-year student Alley Bero scored her seventh goal of the season with only 2:24 to play in regulation to tie the score at 4-4 against Cornell University on Saturday afternoon at Appleton Arena. The goal would cap the scoring, and help the No. 3 women's hockey team dodge an upset bid by the Big Red, who were led by sophomore Rebecca Johnston's hat trick.

The tie snapped St. Lawrence's 19-game winning streak against Cornell, though the visitors were unable to capitalize on a 38-31 advantage on shots on goal and beat the Saints for the first time since 2000. The tie moves the Scarlet and Brown to 11-2-3 (6-1-1), while Cornell goes to 6-5-2 (3-3-2) after a three-point weekend.

"I thought that was a classic conference battle tonight, with a few lead changes, some great goals and crucial goaltending," said St. Lawrence head coach Chris Wells, whose team remained unbeaten on home ice. "Obviously our power play came through big time with three goals to help us earn a tie against one of the best up-and-coming programs in all of college hockey."

Dec. 5: The No. 3 St. Lawrence University women's hockey team kept their perfect record at Appleton Arena in tact on Friday night with a hard-fought 3-1 victory over ECAC Hockey foe Colgate. Junior goaltender Brittony Chartier made 27 saves including 11 in the third period, while senior Carson Duggan's 13th goal of the season proved to be the game-winner.

The Saints (11-2-2, 6-1-0) and Raiders (8-8-1, 2-4-1) played a fast-paced, high-energy game that saw both goaltenders, Chartier and Colgate's Kimberly Sass, make fantastic saves. Colgate, who has beaten the Scarlet and Brown at least once in four of the last five seasons, managed to outshoot St. Lawrence 28-25 but was unable to come up with a crucial goal late in the contest.

The visitors jumped out to a lead midway through the first period, as Colgate's second-ranked power play gave them a 1-0 advantage at 12:12. After Marissa Dombovy's shot bounced off of Chartier's pads, Clancy Todd was just inside the right circle to snap a one-timer past the goaltender for her second goal of 2008-09.

Dec. 1: Fresh off of a weekend sweep of WCHA foe Ohio State, the St. Lawrence University women's hockey team climbed to No. 3 in this week's USCHO.com poll, which is the team's highest spot in the national polls this season. Meanwhile, ECAC Hockey named senior Carson Duggan their Player of the Week for her performances against the Buckeyes.

Duggan, who set the University's career goals record earlier this season, set another goal-scoring record this weekend, as she surpassed the previous career power play goal mark of 25 with two extra-attacker goals on Saturday. The Ma-Me-O Beach, Alberta native torched the Buckeyes this weekend, finishing the two-game set with four goals and two assists (six points) while serving as one of the team's primary penalty killers.

"Carson (Duggan) has been playing great hockey her whole career at St. Lawrence, but she is really in a zone right now," said St. Lawrence head coach Chris Wells. "She has been so productive alongside Tara Akstull and Alley Bero, and to score four goals against a gritty Ohio State team was impressive."

St. Lawrence, who had reached the No. 4 spot in the polls after defeating nationally-ranked Harvard and Dartmouth, took a step back with a loss to Princeton and found itself back at No. 5 last weekend. However, with New Hampshire and Dartmouth both suffering losses this weekend, the Saints jumped all the up to No. 3.

Nov. 29: St. Lawrence University senior assistant captains Alison Domenico, Carson Duggan and Lisa Batchelor led the No. 5 Saints to a tough 5-4 victory over Ohio State University on Saturday afternoon, leading the Scarlet and Brown to a weekend sweep of the Buckeyes. Domenico had a goal and two assists, Duggan added two goals and a helper while Batchelor tallied the game-winning goal.

Duggan, who is the University's all-time leading goal scorer, continued her record-breaking career as she set a new power play goals record on Saturday. The Ma-Me-O Beach, AB native scored two goals with a player advantage to bring her career tally to 26, one better than Chelsea Grills '08.

The two teams exchanged goals in the latter stages of the first period, as Domenico gave her team a 1-0 lead by chipping in a rebound off a shot by Batchelor past Ohio State goalie Liana Bonanno at 12:44. The Buckeyes' Natalie Spooner answered only 30 seconds later by hammering a one-timer past Saints' goaltender Brittony Chartier off a centering pass from behind the net.

The scoring would continue only 2:14 later when Duggan netted her first power play goal of the game to tie Grills' record and give St. Lawrence a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes of action. She was able to come away from a scrum at the top of Bonanno's crease with the puck and slip it across the goal line for her 11th tally of the season at 15:28.

Nov. 28: St. Lawrence University senior captain Marianna Locke picked up her 100th career point on Friday afternoon, scoring the game-winning goal against The Ohio State University at Appleton Arena. The No. 5/6 Saints (9-2-2, 5-1-0) knocked off the Buckeyes 5-1 thanks largely in part to a 39-20 advantage in shots on goal and two late power play goals.

The Scarlet and Brown wasted little time in earning a 1-0 lead, as senior assistant captain Carson Duggan picked up her ninth goal of the season only 3:20 into regulation. Junior Brittaney Maschmeyer's long shot from the blue line was blocked high into the air by an Ohio State defenseman, and when the puck landed just outside of the goal mouth, Duggan was there to pounce on it and score.

Despite being outshot 10-6 in the period, the Buckeyes had several great chances to beat St. Lawrence netminder Brittony Chartier. Hayley Klassen and Natalie Spooner both earned breakaway chances but missed the net, and another shot by the visitors hit off the right post and sailed wide.

"We were fortunate to come out of the first period with a slim lead, as we dodged a few bullets," said St. Lawrence head coach Chris Wells. "They had the two breakaway chances that barely missed and another shot hit a pipe. Those chances sent a quick signal to us that they were ready to play."

Nov. 22: The No. 4 St. Lawrence University women's hockey team and junior goaltender Brittony Chartier earned a bit of redemption on Saturday, as the Saints shutout ECAC Hockey foe Quinnipiac at the TD Banknorth Center, 2-0, to earn a weekend split. Chartier made 20 saves and earned her third shutout of the season.

The Scarlet and Brown (8-2-2, 5-1-0) remained perfect in the all-time series against the Bobcats, improving to 7-0-0. The game was also the first meeting between newly appointed head coaches Chris Wells of St. Lawrence and Rick Seeley, who took the head job at Quinnipiac after serving as the head coach at Clarkson.

The Saints used a solid 10-4 advantage in shots on goal in the first period to give Chartier a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes of hockey. Sophomore Karell Emard picked up her fourth goal of 2008-09 at 14:20 of the opening frame, as the Richelieu, Quebec native fired a shot past Quinnipiac goalie Nanna Holm-Glaas while the visitors skated with an extra attacker. Juniors Tara Akstull and Britni Smith picked up assists on the goal.

Holm-Glaas kept the Bobcats within striking distance throughout the second period, as she kept the Saints lead at only 1-0. With consistent pressure put on by the St. Lawrence forwards, the Saints were finally able to capitalize at 18:43 of the second period when Tara Akstull beat the Quinnipiac netminder for her sixth goal of the season. Senior assistant captain Carson Duggan had the assist on the insurance goal.

Nov. 21: The St. Lawrence University women's hockey team, which jumped to No. 4 in the national polls after last weekend's sweep of Dartmouth and Harvard, suffered their first set back in ECAC Hockey play this season as they fell to Princeton University by the score of 4-2 at Hobey Baker Rink on Friday night.

The Saints (7-2-2, 4-1-0) outshot the Tigers (4-5-0, 2-3-0) by a 30-18 margin, allowing the home team only six shots on goal in the final 40 minutes of hockey. However, Princeton would use three goals in the second period, including two power play tallies, to pick up the upset.

"I thought we skated hard all night and had a bunch of chances that we just didn't take advantage of," said Saints' head coach Chris Wells. "(Kristen) Young was solid in net for them and they've got a tough team that can skate with anyone in the country."

Sasha Sherry would give Princeton a 1-0 lead at 8:58 of the first period while skating on a power play chance. Sherry's bid got past St. Lawrence junior goalie Brittony Chartier, with assists going to Katherine Dineen and Paula Romanchuk.

The Saints would answer to tie the score at 1-1 to close first period, as first-year student Vanessa Emond picked up her second collegiate goal at 16:05, with assists going to junior defenseman Brittaney Maschmeyer and senior forward Alison Domenico.