Ladiges Makes 16 Saves in Relief

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - A rough five-minute stretch at the start of the game, in which Yale allowed three Harvard goals, proved too much for the Bulldogs to overcome Friday night at Ingalls Rink. The Bulldogs actually outshot the Crimson 21-18 the rest of the way, but Christina Kessler stopped every Yale shot and finished with a 5-0 shutout.

The Crimson scoring spree started with Jillian Dempsey taking a feed from behind the net and stuffing it past Yale junior goaltender Jackee Snikeris' extended right leg after just 25 seconds into the game. Two minutes later, with Snikeris having gone down to the ice to try to make a save, Ashley Wheeler knocked one past her to make it 2-0. At the 4:48 mark, a turnover in the Yale zone gave Dempsey the chance to skate into the slot and use a Yale defender as a screen for a wrister that made it 3-0.

That prompted a Yale timeout, and sophomore Genny Ladiges came on in relief of Snikeris (four saves). The Bulldogs had two power plays later in the period to try to get back in the game, but could not score on either. Kessler denied a shot from senior defenseman Alyssa Clarke midway through the first Yale power play, then deflected away a hard wrist shot from sophomore forward Aleca Hughes as the Crimson penalty expired.

Ladiges made one of her best saves of the night right before the second Yale power play, stopping Dempsey's attempt from right in front with another Harvard skater right at the doorstep looking for a rebound.

The Bulldogs outshot the Crimson 11-5 in the second but could not get one past Kessler. She stopped a Clarke shot from in front of the net 30 seconds in. A minute later she turned aside a slap shot from junior defenseman Samantha MacLean, along with senior forward Berit Johnson's rebound attempt. Kessler also turned aside a shot from sophomore forward Becky Mantell with the teams skating four-on-four midway through the period, and a Harvard defender tied up Johnson to prevent her from getting the rebound.

Ladiges was tested in the final minutes of the second when the Crimson had a two-on-one with freshman defenseman Jamie Gray the lone Bulldog back. Gray forced Dempsey to pass to an open Deborah Conway, but Ladiges gloved her shot from the left circle to keep Yale within striking distance.

Harvard (4-3-1, 4-3-0 ECAC Hockey) finally scored on Ladiges when a shot by Kate Buesser hit off Ladiges' left shoulder and went in at 3:20 of the third. The Crimson added a goal by Margaret Chute in the final two minutes to make it 5-0.

Yale (1-6-1, 1-6-0 ECAC Hockey) hosts Dartmouth Saturday at 6 p.m.

Report by Sam Rubin '95 (sam.rubin@yale.edu), Yale Sports Publicity