Boxscore
HANOVER, N.H. – Katie Weatherston's (Thunder Bay, Ont.) four-point day in the ECACHL Championship game against St. Lawrence, gave the Big Green women's hockey team the title of league champions for the 2006-2007 season.
Along with that crown, Dartmouth also gathered the Ivy League title and the ECACHL regular season championship for the first time since 2001.
Weatherston, who was named the tournaments Most Outstanding Player, opened the days scoring at 11:34 of the first period. While on the power play, the senior picked up a rebounded shot and jammed it past St. Lawrence goalie Meaghan Guckian, to take the first lead.
The special teams of the Big Green shined again just two minutes later, when Caroline Ethier (Matagami, Que.) took a pass from Meredith Batcheller (Cleveland Heights, Ohio) on the blue line. Ethier wound up a powerful slap shot that laced into the top left corner of the net increasing Dartmouth's lead to 2-0.
After the Saints pressured the backline of Dartmouth, Batcheller threw a lead pass out of her zone to a streaking Weatherston. The senior broke free from the St. Lawrence defense and capped of her breakaway with a backhanded shot, lighting the lamp for the second time in period.
Dartmouth held a, 3-0, lead going into their lockerroom, but also had the momentum of a dominating offensive game. The Big Green out shot the Saints, 17-5, in the first 20 minutes of play.
The Green didn't wait long in the second period to add on to their lead, as Cherie Piper (Scarborough, Ont.) put her stick on a loose puck and slid that past Guckian. The goal marked Piper's ninth of the season and 59th of her career.
The team didn't sit on their, 4-0, lead as Weatherston recorded the hat trick at 17:19. She drove into the zone from the left side and barreled toward the net. Guckian made an initial save, but the rebound popped right out in front of the net, just where Weatherston was headed. Being dragged down by a defender didn't faze her as she buried the puck into the back of the net making it a, 5-0, game.
St. Lawrence got on the board in the final seconds of the period, as they took advantage of their second power play chance of the day. Crystal Connors was credited with the goal, while Kerri Wallace recorded an assist.
Heading into the final frame, Dartmouth was out shooting the Saints, 32-12, and had a, 5-1, lead.
Captain Gillian Apps (Unionville, Ont.) put her name on the score sheet at 5:49, when she blasted a one-timed shot off a pass from Piper to record her team-high 30th goal of the season.
Freshman Sarah Parsons (Dover, Mass.) gave Dartmouth's special teams another tally, as the converted on a pass from Piper, adding to the Big Greens lead, making it, 7-1.
The Saints netted two more goals late in the third period, but couldn't overcome Dartmouth's commanding lead.
With their, 7-3, win, Dartmouth receives an automatic bye into the NCAA tournament.
At the end of the game, the ECACHL announced its All-Tournament team, and four Big Green skaters made the cut. Weatherston, Shannon Bowman (Leamington, Ont.), Sarah Newnam (Lexington, Ky.) and netminder Carli Clemis (Taber, Alta.) all received accolades on the weekend.
The Big Green will host Boston College next weekend in the first round of the NCAA's. The winner of that game will advance to Lake Placid, N.Y., for the Frozen Four.
