As the women’s hockey team gears up for two major conference tilts this weekend against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Union College, all eyes will be on forward Lindsey Allen ’16, who leads Dartmouth in scoring with 15 points and 10 goals.
Now a standout forward, Allen started her career in net. Allen switched from playing as a goalie to her current position in seventh grade.
Though she wouldn’t be opposed to playing goalie for a game, “the team probably wouldn’t want that to happen,” she said. Knowing Allen can play goalie in a pinch is a luxury, teammate Laura Stacey ’16 said.
Allen was a three-sport athlete at Leaside High School in Toronto, three-time captain in ice hockey, and she was named most valuable player as a senior.
In addition to her school experience, she played two years of junior hockey with the Toronto Junior Aeros, where Stacey, Ailish Forfar ’16 and Ali Winkel ’14 also played. Teammate Devon Moir ’17, who played with Allen in Toronto, called Allen a dynamic player.
“I’d describe her as a gritty player but with a goal-scoring touch, which is a good combo,” Moir said. “I think she’s really grown as a hockey player since she came to Dartmouth.”
According to associate head coach Holley Tyng, who has coached Allen for the past two years, the Canadian’s ability to anticipate plays helps her score.
“Her strengths, and she has many of them, include a natural mind for the game,” Tyng said. “She anticipates the game, and she’s really good at the net. She gets herself in the right position to cash in on some of the goals.”
Allen is constantly trying to improve on her few weaknesses, Tyng said.
“Sometimes she’s not the swiftest of skaters, but she’s constantly working on her agility and the mechanics of her stride,” she said, adding that Allen is easy for coaches to work with and implements feedback well.
Allen has already had her share of heroic moments for the Big Green. During last Saturday’s 4-2 win over Colgate, Allen scored the game-winner with less than a minute remaining in the second.
Allen also provided the game-winner during the first game against Colgate in November. Midway through the third, Allen skated in on a breakaway and slid a backhand past the Colgate goaltender.
“She has a competitive nature and makes everything do-or-die,” Moir said.
Earlier this month, she helped earn head coach Mark Hudak’s 200th career win as Dartmouth’s head coach by scoring two goals in an exciting 5-4 win over Yale.
Allen’s physical playing style also makes her the team leader in penalties, having been penalized 14 times for 28 minutes.
“She’s pretty aggressive on the ice,” Stacey said. “She’s gets chippy, and she’s really got a competitive edge that you wouldn’t see off the ice. She’s tried to work hard to settle down on the penalties but a hard-working girl is likely to draw some penalties.”
Allen’s 15 points this season already surpasses her total of 14 from her freshman campaign. In her first year with the Big Green, Allen played in all 31 games, scoring seven goals and seven assists.
“She scored key goals last year and has continued to do so this year,” Tyng said. “As she enters her junior year, I think she’ll start taking a larger leadership role aided by her work ethic and skill.”
For all the aggressive play seen on the ice, outside the arena Allen is known as reserved and kind.
“As a person, Lindsey is really caring and thoughtful,” Stacey said. “She can be quiet at times and kind of reserved but she really likes to have fun and when you do spend a lot of time with her, she usually breaks out of her shell. She’d do anything for any one of our teammates.”
Whenever Stacey needs help with her French, Allen is there for the assist, Stacey said.
Allen plans to major in geography and reports little difficulty balancing her academics with her athletics.
“I think hockey helps,” Allen said. “It makes me have to study in my free time. Last spring, I was like ‘I have so much free time, I can just push my homework off to tomorrow,’ but when you’re in season, you have to just get it done.”
