While the competition may not be the toughest it will encounter, don't think for a second that this weekend will not be one of the biggest of the season for the women's ice hockey team.
The opponents -- Princeton and Yale. Not only fellow Ivy Leaguers, but also ECAC foes.
"This weekend is very important," Dartmouth Head Coach George Crowe said. "I don't think you can look by anybody."
In fact, Yale, which has been considered a fairly weak team in the past, defeated perennial ECAC powerhouse Providence College 5-3 on December 6. Just last weekend, Princeton took two tight wins (2-1, 1-0) over Yale.
And with the Ivy title riding on every loss, Crowe emphasizes that Dartmouth must pull off two wins to remain in contention for that distinction, the team's number one goal for the season.
Dartmouth (2-0 Ivy League, 6-2 ECAC) is packed with a potent offense and a strong defense that should, however, give it the opportunity to get one step closer to its goal.
At the top of the Big Green stats sheet is senior Captain Sarah Hood. Named to the Ivy League honor roll this past week, Hood has already racked up 11 goals and 10 assists for a total of 21 points this season and sits at fifth place in the ECAC for total points scored.
Forwards Kathleen O'Keefe '99 and Jen Wiehn '01 have also proven to be menaces in front of the opponent's goal, tied at ninth in scoring in the ECAC. Each has tallied 15 points this season.
Add seniors Michelyne Pinard '98 and Jessica Clark '98 and freshman Lauren Trottier '01 as well as several others and Dartmouth has created a formidable front line.
Crowe recently switched to a new three-line offense from the four lines it was playing up until last weekend.
"Anytime a team gets in a rut it's good to change things," Clark said. "Now we all are fighting for our positions and ice time rather than feeling things are set. It's motivated everyone to play as hard as they can."
The depth of the offense is mirrored in the defense as well, led by Captain Jen Lane '98. She is aided by veterans Wendy Soutsos '99 and Jaime Arndt '00 as well as newcomers Liz Macri '01, Carrie Sekela '01 and Kristin Romberg '01.
Between the posts, rookie Meaghan Cahill '01 has proven to be a huge asset to the team. In the 11 games played so far, Cahill has achieved a .904 save percentage, good enough to give her this week's Ivy League Rookie of the Week and sixth place in the ECAC for goals against average.
As for the opposition, Princeton (3-2 Ivy League) currently sits tied with Brown (3-2) for second place in the Ivies, just ahead of Dartmouth only because they have played fewer games. Yale remains at the bottom, having lost all five Ivy games it has played.
Princeton finds strength in Tigers' sharpshooter Ali Couglin who is currently tied at fifth place in ECAC scoring with Hood. Freshman Laura Hays follows Couglin with 13th place in the ECAC.
While Yale boasts no ECAC high scorers, the team does have Laurie Belliveau who has more than proved her worth in net over the years. She has held her team in many games with her consistent goal-tending and is currently at number seven in goals against average in the ECAC.
"Right now we see Cornell as the main opposition for the Ivy title," O'Keefe said. "But we need each game to win the title."
Dartmouth follows this weekend's competition with a bigger one against Cornell, currently first in the Ivy League at 3-0, next weekend.
"Next week will be huge at Cornell," Crowe said. "We hope to be in a position to control our own destiny."
But first the Big Green must take on Princeton and Yale. The puck drops this Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m. in Thompson Arena.
