W. Icers Hold Senior Night

The women's hockey team will close out the regular season this weekend at home against No. 1 Harvard tonight at 7 p.m. and Brown tomorrow afternoon at 4 p.m. Tomorrow's contest marks the final home game of the six seniors, and they will be honored during the game. The Red (4-17-2, 2-10-2 ECAC) earned a point last weekend in its home-and-home series against travel partner Colgate, tying the Raiders at Lynah before losing in Hamilton. Harvard (24-1-1, 13-0-1) and Brown (10-12-4, 7-6-1 ECAC) faced off on Tuesday, and the Crimson came away with a 4-3 win to clinch the ECAC regular season and Ivy League titles.

"The game between Harvard and Brown [earlier this week] was very physical, so that could be a factor. They have some really good depth, both teams, so I'm not sure it will affect them as much as our team when we're still developing and gaining experience with players," commented head coach Melody Davidson.

Last Thursday at Lynah, the icers notched a goal in the closing seconds of the second period to go up 1-0, but Colgate buried a shot with eight minutes left in the third. The game went to overtime, but ended in a tie. Sophomore Jamie Ramenofsky scored her first collegiate goal in the effort.

On Saturday, the Raiders grabbed the lead late in the second, and held on until the closing minutes of the game, when senior Sanya Sandahl was pulled to bring out the extra attacker. Colgate responded with two empty net goals to seal the victory.

The Red currently holds the last playoff spot and is two points behind Yale, which plays Dartmouth and Vermont this weekend. The icers need at least three points to pass Yale, as the Bulldogs hold the tiebreaker over the Red. If Yale wins one game this weekend, then the Red will face Harvard in the first round of the ECAC playoffs next weekend.

The Crimson maintained its hold on the No. 1 ranking in the USCHO and AHW polls with a sweep last week of No. 9 Princeton and Yale. Senior Jennifer Botterill leads the country in points per game, goals, and assists. She recently broke the school's all-time scoring mark for both the men's and women's teams, and captured the all-time Division I scoring crown after Tuesday's game. Botterill is a finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award, given to the nation's most outstanding player in women's collegiate hockey, an award she won in 2001. She helped Canada capture the gold medal at the Salt Lake City Olympics for Canada, and was coached by Davidson, who was an assistant coach for Team Canada.

"Jennifer Botterill is an outstanding hockey player. Regardless if you're coaching or working with her, she's going to come with her A game every time," remarked Davidson. "Our goal will be to minimize those top players, and try to maximize our time against their other lines. I don't think [my knowledge of her playing ability] will be a big factor, other than it's going to be great to see her," she continued.

The Crimson boast two other Olympic medalists in freshman Julie Chu and junior Angela Ruggiero, who both won silver medals last year for Team USA. Chu was recently named ECAC Rookie of the Week, her fourth honor this season, and Ruggiero is the nation's top-scoring defenseman. In goal, junior Jessica Ruddock is first in the nation in GAA and winning percentage, and seventh in save percentage. Red freshman Andrea Skinner's twin sister Jennifer is a blueliner on the Crimson, and the two have both notched five points this season. When the two teams met earlier this season in Cambridge, the Crimson came out on top with an 8-0 win.

After reaching the finals of last year's Frozen Four, Brown has had somewhat of a lackluster season. The Bears are currently fifth in the ECAC and are fighting for a home playoff series. The team is coached by Margaret "Digit" Murphy '83, who was one of Cornell's most prolific scorers and helped the Red capture two Ivy titles.

Sophomore Jessica Link leads the team in scoring with a team-high 15 goals, while senior Kim Insalaco has notched 17 helpers to go along with five goals and was recently named to the 2003 USA National Team. Senior Pam Dreyer has a 2.48 GAA and a .905 save percentage, and was also named to the 2003 USA National Team. The Bears earned a 9-1 win over the Red in November in Providence.

"We're expecting Brown's speed and the torpedo system they play. We had a lot of factors last time, not getting to the rink on time, all those things, so we shouldn't have any problems here. We have to expect and know what's coming at us right away and be able to advance the puck quickly and take advantage of breakdowns that their system might show us," said Davidson.

This weekend's games will be a good test for the Red, as it will most likely have to face the Crimson again next weekend at Cambridge for the first round of the ECAC playoffs.

W. Hockey Battles Colgate to 1-1 Tie at Lynah

The women's hockey team played to a 1-1 tie against its travel partner Colgate in the first game of the home-and-home series last night at Lynah Rink. The Red (4-16-2, 2-9-2 ECAC) still remains in eighth place, one point behind the Raiders (11-17-1, 3-9-1 ECAC) in the ECAC standings. The result of tomorrow's game will most likely determine the Red's final playoff seeding.

Back in the lineup for the Red was freshman Caitlin Warren, who did not travel with the team last weekend due to a concussion she suffered two weeks ago against Yale.

The Raiders dominated the opening stanza, keeping the puck constantly in the Red's zone. The penalty-killing unit was tested early, as Colgate went on the power play at 1:23. Senior Sanya Sandahl looked sharp from the start, and made a great save on an early Colgate breakaway.

"I'm disappointed with [our performance] in the first period. I didn't think we showed up in the first period, and it could have really hurt us in the end," commented head coach Melody Davidson.

The Red's best scoring chances in the first came on its two power plays, but the icers were unable to solve the goaltender.

At the start of the second period, Cornell came out with a lot more intensity, and completely controlled the puck in Colgate's zone. Freshman Jen Munhofen nearly netted a goal on the power play midway through the period. Colgate's Rebecca Lahar gave up a rebound to her right, and the puck dribbled across the crease. Munhofen raced in to tap the puck in, but Lahar dove and got her glove on it.

The Raiders had a 5-on-3 power play with seven minutes remaining in the period, but were unable to capitalize, as the Red's penalty killers came up big to keep the game scoreless. Midway through the two-man advantage, Colgate's Avery McGlenn went down with a leg injury, and had to be helped off the ice. She did not return to the game.

With only seconds left in the second period, the Red held the puck in the Raider zone. Sophomore Jamie Ramenofsky received a pass from junior Briana Jentner, and took a hard shot from the high slot. The traffic in front of Lahar provided a good screen, and the Red got on the board with only 14.6 seconds left on the clock. The tally was Ramenofsky's first collegiate goal.

"It helps the confidence [of the team] to get a goal late in the period. You know you can put one past that goaltender, so it gives you that big moral boost. They worked so hard in the second period, and that goal was huge for us," said Davidson.

The Red continued its offensive push in the third period, but it was Colgate who came away with the goal. After Sandahl made a sprawling save, Kristy MacDonald knocked the puck home at 12:18 to tie the game at one.

The last five minutes of third were very intense, with both teams generating plays in the offensive zone. With Colgate going in on a breakaway, Ramenofsky came from behind and knocked the puck away to prevent a shot.

Cornell nearly lit the lamp as Lahar gave up a big rebound on freshman Emily Cabral's shot from the right point, and the Red collected the puck on the right side of the goal, but couldn't finish.

Neither team could score in the closing minutes of the third, and the game went to overtime. The Red controlled the extra frame, registering five shots while the Raiders had none.

"We pretty much controlled the overtime, and the last part of the third. We just couldn't find the back of the net, which has been sort of our Achilles' heel all year," remarked Davidson.

Sandahl finished the game with 29 saves, while Lahar stopped 35 for Colgate.

"[Sanya's] been playing really well. She's taking away the bottom half of the net, and making good decisions on her saves, not going down early, and outwaiting the shooter. I'm really happy with how she played," lauded Davidson.

The Red will travel to Hamilton on Saturday for a 4 PM showdown against the Raiders. The icers then wrap up the regular season next week at home against Harvard and Brown.

The women's hockey team played to a 1-1 tie against its travel partner Colgate in the first game of the home-and-home series last night at Lynah Rink. The Red (4-16-2, 2-9-2 ECAC) still remains in eighth place, one point behind the Raiders (11-17-1, 3-9-1 ECAC) in the ECAC standings. The result of tomorrow's game will most likely determine the Red's final playoff seeding.


Back in the lineup for the Red was freshman Caitlin Warren, who did not travel with the team last weekend due to a concussion she suffered two weeks ago against Yale.


The Raiders dominated the opening stanza, keeping the puck constantly in the Red's zone. The penalty-killing unit was tested early, as Colgate went on the power play at 1:23. Senior Sanya Sandahl looked sharp from the start, and made a great save on an early Colgate breakaway.


"I'm disappointed with [our performance] in the first period. I didn't think we showed up in the first period, and it could have really hurt us in the end," commented head coach Melody Davidson.


The Red's best scoring chances in the first came on its two power plays, but the icers were unable to solve the goaltender.


At the start of the second period, Cornell came out with a lot more intensity, and completely controlled the puck in Colgate's zone. Freshman Jen Munhofen nearly netted a goal on the power play midway through the period. Colgate's Rebecca Lahar gave up a rebound to her right, and the puck dribbled across the crease. Munhofen raced in to tap the puck in, but Lahar dove and got her glove on it.


The Raiders had a 5-on-3 power play with seven minutes remaining in the period, but were unable to capitalize, as the Red's penalty killers came up big to keep the game scoreless. Midway through the two-man advantage, Colgate's Avery McGlenn went down with a leg injury, and had to be helped off the ice. She did not return to the game.


With only seconds left in the second period, the Red held the puck in the Raider zone. Sophomore Jamie Ramenofsky received a pass from junior Briana Jentner, and took a hard shot from the high slot. The traffic in front of Lahar provided a good screen, and the Red got on the board with only 14.6 seconds left on the clock. The tally was Ramenofsky's first collegiate goal.


"It helps the confidence [of the team] to get a goal late in the period. You know you can put one past that goaltender, so it gives you that big moral boost. They worked so hard in the second period, and that goal was huge for us," said Davidson.


The Red continued its offensive push in the third period, but it was Colgate who came away with the goal. After Sandahl made a sprawling save, Kristy MacDonald knocked the puck home at 12:18 to tie the game at one.


The last five minutes of third were very intense, with both teams generating plays in the offensive zone. With Colgate going in on a breakaway, Ramenofsky came from behind and knocked the puck away to prevent a shot.


Cornell nearly lit the lamp as Lahar gave up a big rebound on freshman Emily Cabral's shot from the right point, and the Red collected the puck on the right side of the goal, but couldn't finish.


Neither team could score in the closing minutes of the third, and the game went to overtime. The Red controlled the extra frame, registering five shots while the Raiders had none.


"We pretty much controlled the overtime, and the last part of the third. We just couldn't find the back of the net, which has been sort of our Achilles' heel all year," remarked Davidson.


Sandahl finished the game with 29 saves, while Lahar stopped 35 for Colgate.


"[Sanya's] been playing really well. She's taking away the bottom half of the net, and making good decisions on her saves, not going down early, and outwaiting the shooter. I'm really happy with how she played," lauded Davidson.


The Red will travel to Hamilton on Saturday for a 4 PM showdown against the Raiders. The icers then wrap up the regular season next week at home against Harvard and Brown. - See more at: http://www.cornellsun.com/node/8046#sthash.qRjdQN85.dpuf

W. Hockey Team Hosts First Half of Home-and-Home Series Vs. 'Gate

The women's hockey team will be looking to move up in the ECAC standings this weekend, as it battles its travel partner Colgate in a home-and-home series tonight at 7 p.m. at Lynah Rink and Saturday afternoon at Colgate. The Red (4-16-1, 2-9-1 ECAC) earned its second league win last weekend against Vermont, and have a four-point lead over the Catamounts for the final ECAC playoff spot. The Raiders (11-17-0, 3-9-0 ECAC) also took two points from Vermont last weekend, and hold a one-point lead over the Red for the seventh playoff spot.

"[Colgate's] just like us. They're battling for a playoff spot too, and Yale beat Princeton over the weekend so that throws a bit of a wrench into the playoff picture," commented head coach Melody Davidson. "We need two wins in these next two games to pull us out of eighth into seventh, and then if Yale beats Vermont, we'll end up in seventh, and if not, we'd end up in sixth. There's a lot at stake still, nobody wants to face Harvard in the first round for sure," she continued.

Last weekend on the road, the icers came away with a split, losing to No. 4 Dartmouth on Saturday before rebounding to beat Vermont on Sunday. The Red scored the first goal against Dartmouth on Saturday, but the Green responded by scoring the next nine goals. Junior Sarah Carter notched her first collegiate goal for Cornell in the closing seconds of the game, as Dartmouth recorded a 9-2 victory.

On Sunday, Vermont got on the board first, but the Red responded right back, as junior Anita Khar tallied a power-player marker to make it 1-1 after the first period. The line of senior Lindsay Murao, and freshmen Jen Munhofen and Andrea Skinner scored had an explosive second period, scoring all three of the teams goals. Each player netted a goal and at least one assist in the period to give the Red a 4-1 lead. Vermont scored a power-play goal in the final period, but the Red held on for the win.

Munhofen had a very productive weekend, netting a goal and an assist in each game. She now leads the team in scoring with five goals and seven assists.

"Jen's got a good knack around the net. Her linemates have been right in there as well. I think they've had some good chemistry, Andrea Skinner, Lindsay Murao, and herself," said Davidson. "She plays with a lot of energy and a lot of passion, and I think she's going to be a solid player for the program for the next three years."

Last week the team learned that freshman Vicki Hodgkinson, who tore her ACL in October, will not return this season.

"It's incredibly disappointing for her I'm sure, but she's been an outstanding member of our team. She hasn't missed practices, she hasn't missed games, she's been rehabbing, she does special team videoing for us during games. [Vicki's] been invaluable and has handled the injury and her situation with incredible maturity," Davidson said.

Although Colgate has had more wins than the Red this season, a handful of them have come against Division III teams. The Raiders are a young team, with only two seniors on the squad. Sophomore Cheryl Setchell leads the team in scoring with 17 points, while freshman Allison Paiano has scored a team-high 10 goals. In goal, sophomore Rebecca Lahar has started all but three games this season and has posted three shutouts.

After playing most of its games on the road this season, the Red will be home for three of its final four games.

"It's going to be phenomenal to be home. We've been on the road a lot, and the girls have done an outstanding job of dealing with all the traveling and keeping their studies up. To be able to end the regular season with three of the last four games at home is a nice reward for the players and also for our fans," said Davidson.

Lady Icers Earn Win, Move Into Last Playoff Spot

After winning its first conference game last weekend against Yale, the women's hockey team tacked on another by defeating Vermont 4-2 on Sunday after losing 9-2 to No. 4 Dartmouth on Saturday. The Red (4-16-1, 2-9-1 ECAC) has won three of its last five games, and now has a four-point lead over the Catamounts (3-21-2, 0-11-1 ECAC) for the final spot in the ECAC playoffs. Dartmouth (11-3-0, 19-6-0 ECAC) earned a sweep on the weekend, and is in first place with 22 points, although No. 1 Harvard is behind by one point with three games in hand.

"I think we did alright [on the weekend]. I would liked to have had a stronger showing at Dartmouth, but they have an incredibly talented team; they're big and strong. We scored the first goal, which was great, but we couldn't hold on to that lead," commented head coach Melody Davidson.

Freshman Jen Munhofen gave the icers an early lead at 9:23 in the first off a feed from classmate Andrea Skinner. Dartmouth would answer back less than a minute later, as Carly Haggard put one by senior Liz Connelly for her 25th goal of the season. Cherie Piper added another tally for the Green during a four-on-four 90 seconds later to make it 2-1. Katherine Weatherston extended Dartmouth's lead to two going into the first intermission, lighting the lamp at 14:05.

Amy Ferguson, who started in net for Dartmouth, was replaced after the first period by Stephanie Cochran. The Green exploded for four goals in the second stanza. Haggard added her second tally of the game at 3:23, while Cheryl Muranko hit the back of the net at 5:44. Sarah Clark made it 6-1 Dartmouth at 7:37, at which point Connelly was pulled in favor of freshman Flora Vineberg. Connelly finished the game with 14 saves for the Red. Gillian Apps rounded out the scoring in the period a minute later, giving the Green a six-goal lead going into the third.

Katherine Lane replaced Cochran, who made four saves, for the Green in the third period. Piper and Apps each added another goal in the third to give Dartmouth a season-high nine goals. The Red played a solid final period, and added a goal with six seconds remaining in the game. Junior Sarah Carter scored her first collegiate goal, with assists from sophomore Maryann Nowak and Munhofen. Vineberg made 12 stops in relief for the Red, while Lane made 3 saves.

"We've improved a lot, and even though the score was a little bit different, we're definitely a better team than when we played them before Christmas. [Dartmouth's] a better team, and they should be, they're ranked fourth in the country, and vying for a Final Four spot. I just think we couldn't handle their size and their skill. We just couldn't handle it right now, but we will in the future," said Davidson.

On Sunday against Vermont, senior Sanya Sandahl got the start in goal for the Red. The Catamounts would get on the board early, as Rebecca Godsill found the back of the net 1:43 into the game for her first goal of the season. The Red would answer back on the power play, as junior Anita Khar connected on a feed from juniors Briana Jentner and Allison Simpson for her fourth goal of the season. The icers put up 25 shots in the first, 12 more than they had in the entire game against Dartmouth.

The Red's offense came to life in the middle stanza, as the line of Munhofen, Skinner, and senior Lindsay Murao accounted for all three of the team's goals in the period. Skinner added the first tally at 2:34 off a quick pass from Murao. Murao would then add a goal of her own less than a minute later with assists from Skinner and Munhofen. Munhofen capped the scoring at 11:30, with Murao picking up her second assist and third point of the game. The second period marked the highest scoring period this season for the Red.

Caitlin Barnes scored a power play goal for Vermont in the third, but the Catamounts were unable to get back into the game. Sandahl finished with 37 saves for the Red, earning her third win of the season, while Tiffany Hayes stopped 43 for Vermont.

"Four is our highest total goals scored in conference and non-conference games, and we came out flying and did a lot of good things. It was nice to see us get a convincing win, not a hold-on win," remarked Davidson.

Although she did not record any points this weekend, senior captain Brooke Bestwick made excellent contributions at both ends of the ice.

"Brooke was just solid all the way around. She's always there, and in previous games she's been on the scoring summaries and in this particular weekend she was the fourth person involved in the scoring plays. She's just solid back there, she gives you a good honest night's work every game," praised Davidson.

Freshman Caitlin Warren suffered a concussion against Yale last weekend, and did not make the trip with the team. She was evaluated on Monday and Davidson is optimistic for her return this weekend.

The Red will face off against its travel partner Colgate for a home-and-home this weekend, with a 7 p.m. contest on Thursday at Lynah Rink, and then a Saturday afternoon game in Hamilton.

Women's Hockey Returns Home

It's a busy hockey weekend on the East Hill as both the men's and women's teams will both be home for the first time this season. The women are coming off a weekend split at Maine last weekend, in which both contests went to overtime. The Red (2-14-1, 0-7-1 ECAC) will be looking for its first conference win of the season, as it faces No. 8 Princeton (12-6-2, 5-3-0 ECAC) tomorrow and Yale (6-13-2, 2-6-0 ECAC) on Sunday.

"We're excited to be back and playing ECAC games. It's a big weekend for us, we need to chalk up some points and look at the playoff picture. We played Princeton and Yale the very first games of the season, and all three teams have changed a bit," said head coach Melody Davidson. "We're excited to be home and having the [men's team] home at the same time. We haven't been able to watch them play this year, so we're excited on all fronts."

Last weekend's games against Maine went down to the wire, as both Cornell and Maine gave up the lead in the last seconds of regulation. The Black Bears managed the comeback on Friday, scoring with 14 seconds left in the third period, and pulling out the win in the extra stanza.

On Saturday it was the Red scoring the game-tying goal with 14 seconds left, and winning the game on freshman Jen Munhofen's breakaway goal.

Senior Sanya Sandahl started both games in net last weekend, making a combined 56 saves and earning her first win of the season. For her efforts, Sandahl was named ECAC Goaltender of the Week, the Red's first player this season to net an ECAC weekly award. Last weekend's win was also the first time that the icers scored three goals in one game, and the team will look to increase its offensive production this weekend.

"We've had tons of scoring chances, but we just haven't been able to finish. Being able to score consistently [against Maine] was a big step for us, and I think we'll be able to put that in to play every weekend as we go through the rest of the season," commented Davidson.

The Red faced Princeton in the second game of the season, and the Tigers came away with a 6-0 win. Angela Gooldy netted a hat trick, as the Red was outshot 40 to 18. Princeton has won four of its last six games, beating Vermont 4-0 last Friday before falling to No. 4 Dartmouth by the same score.

Princeton has eight players who have more than 10 points this season, with senior Andrea Kilbourne leading the team with 19 points, and senior Gretchen Anderson scoring a team-high 10 goals.

Junior Megan Van Beusekom has started the majority of the team's games in net, and boasts three shutouts and a save percentage of .921. Senior Sarah Ahlquist and freshman Roxanne Gaudiel have posted impressive stats in limited action this season.

In the first game of the season for the Red, Yale scored two goals in the third period to come away with the 3-1 win. Sophomore Maryann Nowak netted her first collegiate goal in the loss. The Bulldogs defeated the same teams last weekend as its travel partner, losing to Dartmouth 8-0 on Friday, and then blanking Vermont 3-0 the following night.

Three of Yale's top six scorers are freshmen, as freshman Natalie Babony leads the team with 23 points and a team-high 14 assists, and also leads the team in penalty minutes with 30. Classmate Sarah Love has spent the most time between the pipes this season, with a GAA of 3.03 and a save percentage of .912.

The Red's freshmen accounted for two of the team's four goals last weekend. Freshman Caitlin Warren netted the Red's only goal in Friday's contest and assisted on sophomore Pearle Nerenberg's game-tying goal in the waning seconds of the game on Saturday. Munhofen assisted on senior Lindsay Murao's power play goal in the first period of Saturday's contest, then put home the game winner in overtime on a breakaway. Munhofen now leads the Red in scoring with three goals and five assists.

"I think the freshmen class is really solid. They're good character kids and they have good skills from player one to player seven. We're happy with what they're contributing and they're getting a nice mix for us in the dressing room," said Davidson.

After this weekend, the icers play six straight ECAC games to wrap up the regular season. Currently, the Red is tied for 8th in the conference standings with Vermont, so the team needs a conference win to secure one of the eight ECAC playoff spots.

W. Icers Split Pair With Black Bears

The women's hockey team notched its second win of the season this weekend, as it split with Maine in Orono. The Red (2-14-1, 0-7-1 ECAC) dropped Friday's contest 2-1 in overtime, as Maine scored the game-tying goal with 14 seconds left. The Black Bears (7-11-4, 1-5-2 Hockey East) gave up the lead on Saturday, as the icers lit the lamp with 14 seconds left in the game, and came away with the 3-2 win in the extra frame.

"I thought we had a good growing weekend. The first game, we had a lot of chances to put them away, but we didn't early, and they came back and capitalized late in the game, and then took the game from us in overtime," commented head coach Melody Davidson.

Senior Sanya Sandahl started in goal for the Red, and held Maine scoreless until the last seconds of the game. Senior Lindsay Murao had a great scoring opportunity in the first on a 2-on-1, but hit the crossbar on an open shot.

Sandahl made a huge play on a breakaway to keep the game scoreless early in the second. With the Red making a line change, Meagan Aarts came in all alone, but Sandahl stoned her by making a pad save.

Midway through the second, senior Brooke Bestwick took a shot from the left point, which freshman Caitlin Warren deflected past Dawn Froats to put the Red up 1-0. Bestwick nearly added another tally for Cornell in the waning moments of the second stanza, but was denied by Froats.

The Black Bears took a penalty with 2:35 to go in the game, and pulled Froats immediately after the power play ended to bring out the extra attacker. Nicole Munro hit the back of the net after collecting a rebound to send the game to overtime.

Cindy Biron collected a Karen Droog rebound with almost a minute gone by in overtime, and put it past Sandahl to seal the win for Maine. Sandahl and Froats each finished with 26 saves.

On Saturday, Sandahl started again for the Red, while Lara Smart was in net for the Black Bears. Maine wasted no time getting on the board, as Jarin Sjogren collected a pass in front of the net and put it through Sandahl's five hole at 5:55 in the first.

"We were mentally and physically tired during the second game. Obviously when you lose a game like we lost, it's hard to refocus," remarked Davidson.

The Red would answer on the power play with five minutes left in the third, as Bestwick fed the puck to Murao at the side of the net, who one-timed it into the high left corner for her first goal of the season.

Maine dominated the second stanza, limiting the Red to four shots. Rebecca Culver beat Sandahl low on a wraparound shot at 15:30 to give the Black Bears the lead again.

The score would remain 2-1 until Sandahl was pulled with 30 seconds to go in the third, and sophomore Pearle Nerenberg was able to find the back of the net for her first goal of the season to send the game to overtime for a second straight night.

"We worked a lot on faceoffs over the year, and being able to execute one and feel success off of it was big. In the overtime, we kept going at them and looking for stretch passes," commented Davidson.

Bestwick threaded a great pass from her own blue line to freshman Jen Munhofen, who beat the Maine defenders and came in all alone on a breakaway. She beat Smart on the left side to give the Red the victory.

Sandahl notched her first win of the season with a 30-save effort, while Smart stopped 26 for Maine.

"Sanya really stepped it up this weekend. She played a solid game for us the first night, and earned the back-to-back starts. The decision wasn't made ahead of time, so she earned that extra start and stepped up again the second night," said Davidson.

Bestwick had a standout weekend, assisting on all three goals in Saturday's game, and adding another helper on Friday.

"Brooke's always there for us, solid all the time regardless of whether she's on the point sheet or not. I think she was connecting, making some smart decisions with the puck," said Davidson. "Friday night she iced the puck in a situation where she knew she shouldn't have iced it, but it was nice to see her step up the second game, and be able to contribute offensively like she was and turn things around for us."

The Red will return home this weekend for a two-game set against Ivy foes Princeton and Yale on Saturday and Sunday afternoon at Lynah Rink.