Dartmouth Turns Back Icewomen, 3-2; Overtime Shootout Decides Ivy Contest

It wasn't the scenario the women's hockey team had planned.

Powered by a Gia DeAngelis penalty shot goal after a scoreless ten minute overtime period. Dartmouth defeated the Crimson, 3-2, on the second penalty shot attempt in the opening round of the sixth annual Ivy League Women's Ice Hockey Championships last night.

With the Bright Center scoreboard reading 2-2 and no time left, four skaters remained on the ice: two at center ice, two goalies in the nets, and two pucks at the blue lines, ready for the simultaneous showdowns that would decide the contest. After the first round ended with both goalies prevailing, the crowd once again roared with excitement at the approaching denouement.

At one end, two All-Ivy co-captain faced each other, Harvard's Lauren Norton versus Dartmouth's Janics Ellis, while in the other zone, yardling net-minder Cheryl Tate looked out of her mask at Big Green winger DeAngelis at the red line.

Norton reached her puck first, broke in on net, deked left, but couldn't beat a sprawling Ellis on the stick side. Meanwhile DeAngelis, who replaced the first Dartmouth shooter Paula Joyce, made a right-left-right face, and managed to flip the puck by the left of the prone Tate.

With 7:18 left in the middle frame, and Harvard trailing 2-1, the green line came through once again as Vicki Palmer netted the equalizer from Firkins Reed and Julie Start, and it was anyone's hockey game. But the Crimson, who outskated the Big Green for most of the emotional and physical contest, failed to capitalize when it counted late in the third period, despite outshooting the visitors, 7-1, in the final stanza.

Credit Ellis and the Kamikaze shot-blocking Dartmouth defense for denying all that a tired Harvard offered for the last 37 minutes of the contest, much of which was played in the Big Green zone. With five minutes remaining, Ellis poked aside a Sue Yunick centering pass with Palmes waiting unopposed in front.

Moments later, the All-Ivy goalie snuffed a Norton stuff attempt and gloved a Diane Hurley bullet destined for the upper left hand corner.

The icewomen came skating confidently and wasted no time showing they meant business. Just a minute after the opening faceoff, Sara Fischer flipped a rebound past Ellis to give the Crimson an early lead. But despite strong, aggressive hockey, Harvard failed to maintain its usual scoring pressure until the final Palmer goal ignited the squad.

NOTEBOOK: When the DeAngelis drive rippied the twines, the icewomen's season ended for all intents and purposes. For the record, the Crimson faceoff against Yale, whom the squad defeated earlier in the season, this afternoon