I was boots on the ground at beautiful Thompson Arena in Hanover, NH this afternoon to take in the sights and sounds of the Dartmouth Women’s Hockey home opener. To kick off Homecoming Weekend; Big Green welcomed in Brown University for a late afternoon tilt between the 2 Ivy League programs.
It was a great game, hard fought and even throughout but at the end of 60 the Brown Bears kept their perfect season record intact while hanging a 2-1 loss on Dartmouth. This loss keeps Dartmouth out of the win column on the season, but Big Green has been in all of their games so far and a couple of bounces either way, today’s game could have gone in a different direction.
In net for Brown was sophomore Rory Edwards and facing off at the other end of the sheet was Dartmouth’s own netminder: first year Michaela Hesová. After the first 20, this was shaping up to be a goaltenders’ duel with both keepers locking down their respective nets. The best save of the opening frame (at least in my opinion) goes to Hesová who faced down a 2:1 bid. Dartmouth employed an aggressive forecheck for most of the game and Brown countered with a quick outlet and transition but Hesová denied the bid keeping this one at gooses headed to the first intermission.
Hesová was tested again early in the 2nd when Margot Norehad split 2 Dartmouth defenders and knifed into the slot. Hesová stayed patient on the puck and moved laterally with Norehad right to left and snuffed out the bid with a flash of the glove.
Dartmouth broke the ice first on the power play when sophomore Hamilton Doster cashed in on the power play. Big Green was working the puck around the horn on the power play and moved the puck up top to junior Meredith Jensen who put a wrister on net from the top of the umbrella. Edwards made the initial save but the rebound found Doster crashing the net and she tossed it over Edward’s outstretched right leg. 1-0 Big Green.
Less than 4mins later, Brown knotted the score with their own power play tally. Senior defenseman Cameron Sikich put a snap-drag on net and sophomore Ava DeCoste got a stick on the puck beating Hesová from in tight at the blue paint. Tie game.
After the goals were scored, the zone time and puck possession evened out as neither team had long setups in the other’s defensive zones. There were very few clean entries and when a team did get possession in the O-zone, it was one shot and back out the other way for both sides. The neutral zone looked like a crowded dance floor as both teams were clogging it fairly well.
Brown scored again on a late power play as freshman Ella Muralt put home the game-winner. A big scramble at the goal mouth led to the puck being kicked back out to Sikich in the high slot and she moved the puck over to Muralt at the RW circle. Muralt when far side over the glove, keep the change and that was all the Brown Bears needed.
Dartmouth put on a big push at the end, especially when they pulled Hesová, but it was to no avail. It was a great game and I thought for sure we were headed to overtime but the power play had other plans.
Brown heads out and down to Cambridge to take on Harvard tomorrow afternoon while Dartmouth welcomes in Yale for an early evening tilt at Thompson.
Some observations from around the rink:
- Great rink. I love the old school vibe and the green seats. Shout out to the staff at the arena who organized a kid’s costume parade in between periods. I was going to walk with them as a blogger/podcaster but too many kids were already wearing that costume.
- Both teams hunted the puck and I’d say that Dartmouth was significantly more aggressive in their puck pursuit and forecheck. Made for a very entertaining game.
- Norehad wasn’t just noticeable on offense, she was down on one knee multiple times tonight eating pucks on defense and was an absolute beast on the PK.
- Seniors Laura Fuoco and Lauren Messier stood out amongst the Dartmouth forwards as they worked the 2:1 game on the sidewall like the seasoned vets that they are. Fuoco had at least 4 primo scoring opportunities. I’m assuming when they start falling for her they will come in bunches.
- Sophomore Dayton O’Donoghue for Dartmouth had a huge block early in the 3rd with the score still tied. Down on both knees taking that puck to the body takes quite a bit of jam.
- Junior Jade Iginla was all that was advertised. Looked a lot like her dad with the wide base and super economic movements. Was in the mix all night and had a sweet shake-n-bake move on the RW late in the 2nd when she fed junior Inda McDadi cross-crease. The play didn’t account for much, but it was sure pretty.
- And lastly, for those that know me or have listened to the podcast (you can find the latest episode here), you’re probably wondering: What the hell is Brownie doing on an Ivy League campus? Well, I’ll have you know that my sister-in-law and father-in-law are both Dartmouth alums and we came up as a family for homecoming. So yeah, I’m wicked smart.
You can read more about Brownie down below or follow him on:
Twitter: @abrow28
IG/Threads: @a_brow28
The Morning Skate 