Wednesday night at Matthews Arena the Big Green of Dartmouth came
from 3 goals down to beat Northeastern in overtime.  The Huskie habit
of sitting on the lead finally did them in.  It was NU's first loss
of the season, but the game does not count in the ECAC league stand-
ings.
 
From the opening face-off Dartmouth took the play to the Huskies.
After a number of good scoring chances, Gretchen Ulion (Malaika
Little, Kim Reid) finished off her oh-la-la solo burst with a shot
from the slot.  Then, as usual, the fates stepped in.  With NU at 6's
and 7's, Kim Haman (Shelley Looney) thundered home a slap shot from
the left slot.  It was a nothing play, but again the Huskies got back
in the game.  Kelly Tapani (Jeanine Sobek, Haman) took the lead for
NU when against the run of play, and during a line change for the
Huskies, her high wrist shot went in.
 
In the second period, Sobek's individual effort put Northeastern up
3-1.  Her skating and stick handling let her weave her way in on goal
and tuck the puck in the net.  Sobek (Rayanne Conway, Marion Corcoran)
finished off a series of nice dekes and passes by Conway to give NU
command of the game.  Or so it would seem.  In the third period the
Big Green made it 4-2 when Reid's (Ulion) long low shot went in after
tons of pressure.  Until this point the third had been very slow as
NU was sitting on its lead, and Dartmouth looked a beaten side.
Ulion (Michelle Erickson) made the game close when her solo effort,
off an interception of an NU break out pass, went in at the far post.
Big Green tied the match with 4 minutes left on a power play goal.
Ulion (Reid) made a terrific, long break in play from the left boards
and then deked her way by the goalie before backhanding in.  Lovely
goal!  Dartmouth almost scored at the buzzer.
 
In overtime, the hockey was much more up and down the ice.  Looney
went close for NU when she burst in on Dartmouth's Sarah Lenczner,
but the goalie made the big save.  Julie Otto, playing for the in-
jured? Katherine Wyman in OT, came up with several important defensive
break ups for the Huskies.  Dartmouth won the match on a power play
goal when Reid's (Ulion, Sarad Howald) nice shot finished off a good
1-2 break in.
 
In some ways it was an odd game.  Several players from each team had
just gotten back from a week long training camp with the USA National
Team in Lake Placid.  Word has it that they were on the ice 6 hours a
day.  Can you say skate, skate, skate?! / (merci-AH).  I felt you
could tell those players by their sharpened skills, and their tired
appearance on the ice.  Still, it must be odd to be playing against
people who were teammates a few days earlier.
 
Dartmouth played a strong game and deserved their victory.  They are
the master's of the 1-2 play.  Ulion, Reid, Howald and Little all are
strong forwards.  Ulion is a wonderful center to watch.  Her play-
making and finishing skills are just lovely.  The Big Green has a
small squad of players.  Last night they started with 1 goalie and 11
skaters, and after an injury to Little in the third had just enough
players.  Sarah Devens must have been injured? as she was standing
behind the bench all night.  They are not a fast side, but when they
start throwing the puck around they can take charge of a game.  On
defense I liked Sarah Vogler and Kim Cohen.  Both are big strong
defenders who clear their zone well.  Early on goalie Lenczner
looked in trouble.  But late in the third and in OT she was real
good.
 
Northeastern had a poor game.  Goalie Kim Flatt kept them in it early
in the game, as Dartmouth had many scoring chances.  She always got
something in the way of the puck.  At the end of the game, she was
flopping too much, and Big Green was scoring high.  Drews had a great
skating game.  The defender was all over the ice.  She was NU's best
player last night.  Fellow defender Bree Cheatham had her usual
strong game making several telling passes.  Missi Werner also pursued
the puck well last night.  Her skating was real strong.  Sobek and
Conway both showed some good moves.  Overall the offense was not
together.  There were individual efforts, but little teamwork.
Angela Scerra was probably the fastest player on the ice last night.
If the first year wing could add some confidence and just go with
the puck, she could be a fantastic player.  The biggest let down for
me was the way NU sleepwalked through too much of the game.  Only
after Dartmouth tied the match did they show signs of trying to turn
it on.  Obviously the holiday break and national training camp has
set the Huskies back some for now.
 
Actually, the real problem for NU last night was the fact that they
change the Huskie mix warm-up music.  The new tape I would not accuse
of generating good skating rhythms.  The odd Northeastern movement
last night could be put down to the new mix.
 
This weekend Northeastern and Harvard host Cornell and RIT.  For
those of you who want to see women hockey players up close: "Skate
with the Huskies!"  That's right, on Saturday, from 12-1 pm, just
before the Cornell game you can skate with NU.  Bring the camera,
wake the kids, call the Quadlings ...
 
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 good shooting
 rhun
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