Wins Caps Four-Point Weekend

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - The Yale women's ice hockey team continued its winning ways -- and its high-scoring ways -- Saturday afternoon at Ingalls Rink vs. Union. With a 4-2 win vs. the Dutchwomen, the Bulldogs completed a four-point weekend in which they outscored their two opponents 9-2. With the win -- the team's third in a row and fifth in the last seven games -- Yale stayed tied with Dartmouth for seventh place in the ECAC Hockey standings with two regular season games remaining.

Yale (13-13-1, 10-10-0 ECAC Hockey) began the game in dominant fashion, putting 11 shots on goal before Union got its first -- a breakaway for forward Jessica Kaminsky 10 minutes in that Yale senior goaltender Jaimie Leonoff gloved. But despite the lopsided shot total Yale's lead was just 1-0, with the goal coming 72 seconds into the game from sophomore forward Krista Yip-Chuck (assisted by junior defenseman Kate Martini).

Union (4-21-7, 1-15-4 ECAC Hockey) tied the game less than two minutes into the second. After forward Erica Kelly was dragged down from behind on a breakaway, the officials awarded the Dutchwomen a penalty shot. Kelly used a deke to get Leonoff headed left, and Kelly then deposited the puck high on Leonoff's stick side to make the score 1-1.

After nearly going back ahead on a power play 5:30 into the second -- a slap shot by defenseman Taylor Marchin hit the post and ricocheted out -- the Bulldogs reclaimed the lead a minute later. Senior defenseman Aurora Kennedy, Yale's captain, tried a shot from high in the slot but did not get all of the puck. Fortunately for the Bulldogs Martini was perfectly positioned to retrieve the puck in the right circle, and she slid it across the goal line just inside the far post to make the score 2-1 Yale. Senior forward Stephanie Mock also assisted on the play.

Shortly after another Yale shot -- this one by Martini -- hit the post five minutes into the third, the Bulldogs resumed their offensive onslaught with a goal from freshman forward Courtney Pensavalle at 6:04. She one-timed in the rebound of a shot by Marchin. Mock assisted on the play as well.

The Bulldogs then got a goal from junior forward Hanna Åström seven minutes later to make it 4-1. Sophomore forward Phoebe Staenz and Yip-Chuck assisted on the play.

That Yale goal came shortly after two of Leonoff's best saves of the day. After denying a redirect attempt from point-blank range by forward Jamie Smith, she also got over to stuff Kelly's attempt to jam in the rebound.

A late goal by Smith that made the score 4-2 was the only other blemish on Leonoff's mark. She finished with 15 saves. Union's Shenae Lundberg made 34 before being pulled for an extra attacker in the final moments; a block by junior forward Jamie Haddad snuffed out the Dutchwomen's final threat.

Yale hosts No. 5 Quinnipiac next Friday.

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