Women's Hockey Knocks Off Quinnipiac, 3-2

Saturday, November 25

Hamden, Conn.

4:00 PM

Dartmouth College

Quinnipiac

11/25/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Ice Hockey

By: Dartmouth

Boxscore

NORTHFORD, CONN. – Assistant captain Nicole Ruta (Pickering, Ont.) scored her first goal of the season in the final two minutes of the third period to lift the Big Green women's hockey team past ECAC opponent Quinnipiac, 3-2, in Northford, Conn.

Dartmouth opened the scoring at 7:59 of the first period when senior Cherie Piper (Scarborough, Ont.) scored her seventh goal of the season with assists from Gillian Apps (Unionville, Ont.) and Meredith Batcheller (Cleveland Heights, Ohio.).

Just one minute later the Bobcats clawed their way back as Elyse Cole beat Big Green net minder Sarah Kennedy (Jasper, Alta.). The game was Kennedy's second time seeing live collegiate action. Cole's goal was the first one scored upon Kennedy in 69:00 minutes of play.

Quinnipiac, still thriving on the game-tying mark, took the lead in the latter part of the first period as Antoinette Maldonado lit the lamp to give the Bobcats a 2-1 lead going into the first intermission. Dartmouth out shot Quinnipiac 16-9 in the first period.

Freshman Jenna Cunningham (Medicine Hat, Alta.) picked up where she left off last night when she netted her fourth goal of the weekend just 44 seconds into the period to tie the game at two apiece. Assists on Cunningham's mark were credited to Piper and Julia Bronson.

The remainder of the second stanza was plagued by penalties. 13 penalties were issued to the two teams', including a game misconduct to Dartmouth's Carrie Thompson (Shorewood, Minn.) who received the infraction for hitting from behind.

The third period cleaned up a little bit, not having nearly as many penalties and much more scoring chances. The Big Green tested Quinnipiac goalie Laura Brennan 15 more times in the final period before finally breaking the tie. Ruta snapped a 14-game scoreless skid with the game-winner against the Bobcats.

Dartmouth ended the night out shooting the Bobcats 50-19. Kennedy earned her second win of the season making 17 stops, while Brennan denied 47 chances in the loss.

With the loss, the Bobcats fall to 4-11-0 overall and 3-8-0 in the league, while the Big Green improve to 9-1-0 in ECAC play.

Dartmouth will have some time off before its next game on December 8, when they will host Providence College at Thompson Arena. Puck drops at 7:00 p.m.