HANOVER, N.Y. (3/1/08) – The Colgate University women’s hockey season came to a conclusion with a 4-2 loss to Dartmouth College in game two of the ECAC Hockey Quarterfinal series on Saturday, March 1 at Thompson Arena. The Big Green scored two goals in each of the first and second periods. The Raiders tried to mount a comeback with two goals in the third period, but it wasn’t enough.

 

The Big Green took the lead at 2:53 when Sarah Parsons took the initial shot from the far side. Netminder Lisa Plenderleith (Ajax, Ont.) stopped the shot and went down to cover. Shannon Bowman poked the puck free and continued to bang at it until she squeezed it through Plenderleith and the right post.

 

Dartmouth took a 2-0 lead with a power-play goal by Parsons. Julia Bronson picked up a clear behind the Dartmouth net and chipped it ahead to Newman. Newnam fed Parsons on the far side, who then skated into the circle and fired a shot that went top shelf at 12:33.

 

Dartmouth expanded its lead to 4-0 with two more tallies in the second session.

 

Nicole Ruta found Amanda Trunzo who rifled a shot from the point that went high over the shoulder of Plenderleith at 5:16.

 

Sophomore defender Ali Edell (Mountain Lakes, N.J.) had Colgate’s best scoring opportunity of the period, with six minutes to go in the second, when a puck popped free from Clemis and was open on the paint. Edell turned to bat it in but Clemis realized her error and was there to sweep it away. 

 

Seconds later Dartmouth padded its lead with a give-and-go goal between Carrie Thompson and Ruta. Thompson came down the center and handled a pass from Ruta from the far side. She fired the puck towards the net and it grazed Plenderleith’s open glove and went into the back of the net at 14:06.

 

Colgate started to sense the urgency and began to pepper the net with shots, finishing the period with a 14-13 shot advantage. Junior Sam Hunt (Calgary, Alta.) had a terrific chance to break onto the score sheet, when she came out from the corner with the puck and tried to use her stick to wrap it around to the left side but the puck skirted just wide of the post.

 

In the third period, the Raiders started to slowly chip away at the score, with two goals by Hunt. Sophomore Jill Cater-Cyker (Ithaca, N.Y.) ripped a shot that went wide and into the far corner. Hunt walked out with the puck and wrapped it around Clemis for the score at 1:33.

 

Hunt and senior Kara Leene (Waterbury, Vt.) had multiple chances at the net midway through the period. Hunt let a shot fly just wide of the net and followed up with her own rebound. Leene found the deflection on the left side and tried her hand at the net. With the puck still free she tried to bat it past Clemis who was hugging the far post and held on until the official’s whistle.

 

Hunt collected her second goal when she knocked in a Cater-Cyker rebound just outside the crease. Senior Mallory Johnston (Chatham, Ont.) fed Cater-Cyker the puck at the point and Cater-Cyker fired a shot through traffic and went off of Clemis’ pads and out to Hunt at 16:53.

 

With coincidental penalties called with just over two minutes remaining Colgate called a time out. After the Raiders won the face off, Plenderleith was pulled at 2:17 but Colgate couldn’t put the puck on net. Plenderleith was put back into the game after a face-off was placed down in the Raider zone, but skated back to the bench for the final minute. Colgate nearly put the puck away with 17.3 seconds remaining after a scramble out in front. Dartmouth had two chances go wide of the open net as the time wound down.

 

The Raiders outshot the Big Green, 36-30 on the contest. Plenderleith stopped 26 shots, while Clemis made 34 saves.

 

Colgate concludes its season with a 12-17-5 record.