Dartmouth at Holy Cross

Tonight at the Hart Center, the Holy Cross Crusaders welcomed in the Dartmouth Big Green for a weekend series in Woo-Town. Tonight was the kickoff for Dartmouth’s season while Holy Cross was putting their perfect home record (3-0) on the line.

In net for Dartmouth was Michaela Hesová who was (obviously) making her first start of the season, and at the other end of the sheet was Brooke Loranger in the pipes for the Crusaders. Loranger was making her 3rd start of the season and looking to get back to her winning ways after beating RPI before falling to Delaware.

The game opened up fairly even in terms of zone time, but HC carried the play and it was reflected by the disparity in SOG with the Crusaders outshooting Dartmouth 14-4 in the first. With less than 6mins to play, HC got on the board when Charlotte Sonntag broke the ice. Great work by the Crusaders to keep the puck in the Dartmouth zone and with absolute chaos in front of Hesová’s net, Sonntag cleaned up the loose change.

That score held into the 2nd period before Naemi Herzig doubled it up for Holy Cross. Herzig broke down the RW with the puck to the outside keeping the Dartmouth defender literally at arm’s length before driving the net and tucking it home. Pretty sweet play for your first NCAA goal? Yeah I’d say so.

Roughly 4 minutes later Big Green got on the board courtesy of Kenzington Lehman‘s first NCAA goal (in her first game, not a big deal). Sophia Chard poked the puck ahead to Lehman at the top of the offensive zone where Lehman carried the puck to the high slot. With a quick wind up, Lehman snapped the puck over Loranger’s shoulder glove-side. Looks like Snipe City might have a new mayor.

Another view of the laser from Lehman.

That score held until about 3 minutes left to play in the middle frame before Holy Cross opened back up a 2-goal lead. Reghan Chadwick carried the puck to the top of the circle before sliding it over to Violet Carroll coming across the dot. Carroll pulled the puck off her backhand and put a shot on net, where Hesová made the initial save but the puck tumbled off her body to her right. What’s that saying? Good things happen when you go to the net? Yup. And that’s what Alexia Moreau was doing as she was able to bat the puck into the open cage. Good habits equal good results.

The score remained static through ALMOST all of the 3rd period as both teams had chances, but neither could put one home. Dartmouth pulled their goalie and were looking to climb back into this one, but The Hockey Gods weren’t giving them any bounces.

Late during 6 on 5 play, Dartmouth kept the puck in the Holy Cross zone and finally got another one past Loranger but it proved too late. Miami Jones put the puck on net from the point and Cally Dixon got her blade on the shot. With a Holy Cross defender on her back, Dixon tipped the puck down past Loranger from the high slot to cut the lead to 1 goal.

Dartmouth can take solace that they never quit on this one and Holy Cross has to be happy to keep the home win streak going. We’ll see what happens when these 2 face off again tomorrow night. Puck drop @ 7pm.

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