PRINCETON, N.J. – The Penn State women's hockey team scored two goals late but couldn't overcome an early deficit in a 4-2 nonconference road loss to fourth-ranked Princeton Tuesday evening at Hobey Baker Arena.
The Nittany Lions fell to 10-11-5 overall while the Tigers extended their unbeaten streak to 19 games with an overall record of 14-2-5.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Period
- Princeton jumped on the chance to take an early lead on its first power play of the game at 2:03. Sarah Verbeek scored on the advantage with assists from Mariah Keopple and Annie MacDonald.
- The Tigers soon drew another power play and capitalized again less than four minutes later. Maggie Connors scored her team-leading 15th of the season. Sarah Fillier and Claire Thompson had assists.
- The Nittany Lions swayed the action back in the favor with several good offensive shifts that included some quality scoring chances. Kesley Crow had a shot redirected into the crossbar, and Penn State appeared to have scored on its first power play, but the play had been stopped just prior.
- Score after first period: Princeton 2, Penn State 0
- Shots on goal in the period: Princeton 9, Penn State 6
Second Period
- Princeton kept its scoring trend going with its third goal of the night at 1:57 in the second. Fillier scored from the right wing with helpers from Kimiko Maranacci and Chloe Harvey.
- The Tigers added its fourth score at 7:30. Carly Bullock scored Princeton's third power-play goal of the evening while Fillier and Connors got on the stat sheet again with assists.
- Christi Vetter was ruled to have scored a goal late in the period on the power play for the Nittany Lions, but the referees reviewed the play and overturned the goal call.
- Score after second period: Princeton 4, Penn State 0
- Shots on goal in the period: Penn State 7, Princeton 7
Third Period
- Through the first 10 minutes of the third period, the Nittany Lions held a 13-3 shots on goal advantage.
- After killing a Princeton power play, Penn State got itself on the board courtesy of Meike Meilluer at 16:26. She chipped home a rebound from the slot for her fourth goal of the season. Rene Gangarosa and Abby Welch picked up assists.
- In the final minute at 19:39, Sophie Slattery scored Penn State's second goal of the game on a redirect of Gangaroasa's shot. Meilleur also picked up her second point of the night with a secondary assist.
- Final Score: Princeton 4, Penn State 2
- Shots on goal in the period: Penn State 18, Princeton 9
GAME NOTES
- Meilleur's two-point effort was the sixth multi-point game of her career, moving her into a tie for tenth place all time in Nittany Lion history with teammate Katie Rankin.
- Gangarosa's two-point game was the first multi-point game of her career.
- Slattery's four shots on goal were her highest total in a game since she had six shots on target Nov. 17, 2018 at RPI. She also scored in that game.
- The Nittany Lions edged the Tigers 31-25 in shots on goal.
- Princeton was 3-for-5 on the power play while the Nittany Lions went 0-for-3.
- Rankin went 15-8 in the faceoff circle and Welch went 8-5, helping Penn State to a 30-23 advantage at the dot.
NEXT UP
- Penn State begins its final four-game homestand of the season, beginning with a two-game set Feb. 8-9 against Robert Morris at Pegula Ice Arena.