The women’s ice hockey team completed its regular season with an undefeated NESCAC record. In fact, the reigning NESCAC Champions have not lost to a conference opponent since Dec. 2, 2007. Though Amherst’s NESCAC unbeaten streak is the longest current streak by far, the Jeffs are still the second seed in the conference tournament that kicks off on Saturday.
During the regular season, Middlebury College and Amherst tied each other twice and Trinity College once as each team preserved its undefeated NESCAC record. However, an Amherst tie with Hamilton College gave Middlebury a mere one-point lead in the conference standings. As each team had two conference games remaining, the standings were not set in stone heading into the last weekend of the regular season.
The Jeffs did all they could to claim the top spot, winning both games of a home-and-home series with Connecticut College. Middlebury also did its part, however, and posted convincing wins over Hamilton and Wesleyan University. As the first seed, Middlebury has a bye in the NESCAC Quarterfinals. Amherst will host seventh-seeded Bowdoin College on Saturday.
The Jeffs’ weekend began with Senior Day against Conn. on Friday. Prior to the game co-captain Megan Quinn ’08, Katharine Kelly ’08, Natanya Khazzam ’08 and Elizabeth Ditmore ’08 were recognized for four seasons as members of the women’s ice hockey program. The quartet then symbolically started the game, along with defenseman Kirsten Dier ’10 and goalie Krystyn Elek ’10.
The first period was relatively quiet, with no penalties or goals by either side until junior forward Anna MacLean put Amherst up 1-0 with less than three minutes remaining in the period. Forwards Courtney Hanlon ’11 and Lindsey Harrington ’09 drew assists on the goal.
Amherst doubled its lead early in the second frame with a first-year line. Forwards Braidie Campbell and Megan Curry assisted on Brittney Evans’s goal. The Jeffs scored less then four minutes into the third period and again with less than four minutes left in the third period for a final score of 4-0. Dier and first-year defenseman Julia Koch each picked up her second goal of the season as defenseman Randi Zukas, Ditmore, Curry and Quinn each provided assists.
The last step on the road to an undefeated NESCAC regular season was New London, Conn. The Camels were looking for revenge from the night before, but the Jeffs were up to the task. “Playing back-to-back games is always interesting because the losing team on day one always comes back ready to play,” said Elek. “I think Connecticut College had this attitude on Saturday, and I was incredibly proud of the resolve our team showed.”
Out to make a statement, Amherst scored early in the game with Quinn putting the Jeffs on top in the first period. But the officials also called off two Amherst goals in that period and a slew of penalties on Amherst starting halfway through the first frame broke the momentum. The Camels were awarded a 5-on-3 advantage in the middle of the second period when the Jeffs committed their sixth and seventh transgressions. Conn. finally capitalized on the two-man advantage—bringing the score to 1-1—and Amherst picked up its eighth penalty on the play. “We played almost the whole second period short-handed, but we weren’t going to let them creep back into the game and ruin our weekend,” said Elek.
After killing its ninth penalty of the game at the beginning of the third period, Amherst went up for good with a goal by Dier. Sophomore forward Michelle McGann and Hanlon assisted on the play. With less than two minutes remaining, Harrington iced the game with helpers from McGann and sophomore forward Kate Dennett.
Elek allowed just one goal—on a two-man advantage—over the weekend, and her shutout on Friday was her sixth of the season.
The Jeffs have quickly shifted their focus to the postseason. “The new focus in the past week of practice has been the playoffs,” said Quinn. “Every team has a clean slate, so it doesn’t matter that we went unbeaten during the regular season. We really have to focus on playing 60 minutes of fast-paced, intense hockey for the upcoming games.”
“The team is ready for Bowdoin,” Elek added. “[Bowdoin is] playing a different system than they normally do, but it is something we are familiar with, so we should be able to adjust. However, we can’t take them lightly; they are a very proud team, and they aren’t going down without a fight.”
If any team knows how to fight in the playoffs, it is Amherst. Last year the Jeffs clawed to the top of the conference, winning each NESCAC Tournament game in overtime. They have approached this season with the same do-what-it-takes attitude and are prepared to make another long run this postseason.