Women's Ice Hockey: Bulldog squad looks to ice competition

JULIA TIERNAN/YH Injured defender Sue Barnes, DC '00, anchored the back line.

The match against Boston College on Sat., Jan. 30, was pivotal for the women's hockey team. Mired in a winless streak since late November, the women believed they could rebound with a victory against BC, whom they had tied earlier in the season. The Bulldogs forced the Eagles, who had been leading throughout the third period, into overtime with a tying goal with 1:01 left to play. Unfortunately, they were unable to find the net in OT and fell to Boston, 4-5.

This season has smacked of disappointment for the Bulldogs. With only nine games remaining, the women have compiled a 3-15-2 record, and they have been eliminated from the ECAC tournament.

A major cause of the team's lackluster record is inexperience. The squad features only one senior, and three out of five defenders are freshmen. These freshmen defenders are playing without the guidance of Sue Vanderhill, CC '01, who anchored the back line last year but is now out with an injury.

In the remaining five weeks of the season, the Bulldogs face tough matches against Providence, University of New Hampshire, St. Lawrence, and Colby. Yale's offense will be instrumental in notching victories over these teams. "We moved Jane Resor, SY '01, up to offense with Lisa Meyers, SY '01, and Carina Towse, SY '01," Andrea Freyer, DC '02, said. "The forwards are starting to move the puck, and we've been scoring more because the offense has been coming together."

Meyers and Resor lead the team in scoring with 25 and 15 points respectively, but Julianna Schantz-Dunn, CC '00, noted that many other players have been making contributions. "What makes our team strong is that we don't have many go-to players," she said. "A lot of players are beginning to show consistency."

The Bulldogs have made significant improvement since the beginning of the season, and despite their disappointing results so far, they plan to carry a positive attitude into their last few games. In the words of Schantz-Dunn, "We're a team that doesn't give up."

--Kate Moran

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