Hockey hoping lightning will strike twice

Perhaps it was watching George W. Bush, DC '68, campaign toward victory that inspired the women's hockey team to overcome Princeton on Sat., Nov. 18—after all, the last time the Yale women won an Ivy League game was in 1988, when another George Bush, DC '48, was the alumnus successfully finagling his way into the White House. This victory was decisive, however, as Yale (1-7, 1-7 ECAC) scored early in the first period and never gave up its lead en route to securing the 3-1 win. Unfortunately, the subsequent "recount" couldn't provide the same verdict: the Tigers shut Yale out, 2-0, to tie the series at home the next day. "We were still so high [from the win] that we forgot that another team was waiting for us at Princeton," Coach John Marchetti explained. In the week following, the women dropped their games against Brown and Harvard by scores of 6-1 and 10-2 respectively. "We ran into two of the best teams in our league, and it just brought back a sense of reality," Marchetti conceded.

JULIA TIERNAN/YH By skating past Princeton 3-1 on Sat., Nov. 18, the women's hockey team notched its first Ivy victory in over a decade.

Yet even in defeat, this season's squad has proven itself to be one of the most competitive women's hockey teams to come out of New Haven in over a decade. After falling behind 10-1 in the first two periods against Harvard, the Bulldogs shut down the Cantabs in the third, outscoring them 1-0—no small feat against a team ranked fifth in the current USCHO Division I poll. "That felt like a win," goaltender Nicolette Franck, SM '04, said "It takes a lot for a team to get focused after losing [the first two periods] 10-1." Franck, who won Ivy League Rookie of the Week honors for her 39 saves in the victory against Princeton ("The whole team deserved to win an award for that win!"), described the mentality necessary for the team to succeed. "The teams we play—Harvard, Brown—are stronger teams, but a game can go either way," she explained. "We need to remember that, and go out there and work a lot harder as a unit."

Such confidence seems particularly important for a team clamped in the psychological vise of being the perpetual underdog. Deanna McDevitt, JE '03, who racked up three points in the Nov. 18 victory, confirmed that it was largely a change in attitude that resulted in a win for the Bulldogs. "Against Prin-ceton, we had confidence in each other's abilities and we stayed focused and disciplined," she said. "If we can find a way to communicate, work together, and play with confidence like we did [that game], we have a great opportunity to make this year a turning point for our program." Marchetti couched his goals for the team in more concrete terms: "One, we need to score more. Two, we need to play better in our defensive zone." He cited the team's exceptionally high level of motivation as evidence that the team has the potential to improve its record. "Every year, a team takes on a new character," he said. "The changes from last year's team have been healthy, positive ones."

W. Hockey

Record: 1-7, 1-7 ECAC Recent Results: Lost at Brown, 6-1; lost at Harvard, 10-2. Coming Up: fri., Dec. 1 and Sat., Dec. 2 vs. Mercyhurst

The upcoming series this weekend, with its back-to-back home games against Mercyhurst, will give the team another shot at a seemingly unprecedented multiple-win season. Though the games are non-league, winning is still crucial for morale at this point in the year. "We are coming off a rough weekend, but are looking ahead towards this weekend's games," Captain Lisa Meyers, SY '01, said. "We need to prove that [the Princeton] victory was more than a fluke, and that we can, indeed, compete in this league."

And since Mercyhurst is a relatively inexperienced team (the school's program is only two years old), the Bulldogs may have a legit shot at that coveted second win. But the visiting squad will not be taken for granted. "We work extremely hard all week to be ready for our opponents," Mercyhurst Coach Michael Sisti said. "We expect our opponents to play great. I feel that we will have to play our very best to challenge the Yale squad."

Whatever happens this weekend at Ingalls Rink—or, for that matter, in the loosely allegorical contest between those notorious Yale and Harvard graduates fighting in Florida—the Bulldogs promise to keep their eyes on the next Ivy League prize: Cornell, at home, on Sat., Jan. 13. Their focus will continue to be on establishing the appropriate levels of team confidence and unity. "The Princeton win was very emotional," Meyers acknowledged. "But, as Coach says, you can't get too high from the good things, or too low from the bad." Franck was a bit more blunt: "We know that we can compete. It's just a matter of doing it."

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