With 14 games left on the season, the Union College women's ice hockey team will now focus on the ECAC Hockey opponents. The first opponent is No. 3 Clarkson on Friday followed by St. Lawrence on the next day. Faceoff is at 7 p.m. and 4 p.m., respectively. Union will also conclude a season-high six game homestand.
Fans who can't make it to Messa Rink can follow the game through live video on the internet and also through live stats.
Union has been making improvements on the ice, having won two of the last four games and improving to 4-6-1 at Messa Rink. In the span of those four games, seven Dutchwomen have scored seven goals, two of them were from sophomore forward Lauren Cromartie.
Freshman goaltender Alana Marcinko recorded her fourth 30-plus save last Friday against North Dakota as well as earning her second career win.
Freshman forward #Nicole Bartlett# joined the scoring category last Friday, having posted her first career assist. Along with junior forward Callee Heywood, the duo supported sophomore defenseman Chelsey Heinhuis' goal just outside the neutral zone, helping extend Union's lead by two.
It was also a busy and exciting weekend for sophomore forward Émilie Arseneault. Arseneault played three games in less than 72 hours. Immediately following the second game against North Dakota, Arseneault traveled to Hamden, Conn. to represent Union at the ECAC Hockey All-Star game against the United States Women's National Team.
Arseneault and the ECAC Hockey All-Stars were defeated 8-2 by the team that will play at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, B.C. in February.
Scouting Clarkson
Ranked third in the nation by USCHO and USA Today/USA Hockey, Clarkson currently sits in a tie for first in the ECAC Hockey standings with Cornell, both with 16 points. The Golden Knights will play their first game since Dec. 5, which was a 3-0 win over Princeton.
Clarkson has been known for its defense all season, allowing 1.32 goals per game, ranking fourth in all Division I hockey.
In front of the net for Clarkson all season has been junior Lauren Dahm. Dahm holds a .944 save percentage (fourth best in the nation) and a 1.26 GAA (fifth best in the nation).
Five players on the Golden Knights roster are in double digit figures in points. With St. Lawrence's Vanessa Emond, Dominique Thibault leads the team with 22 points, having scored a team-high 11 goals.
Britney Selina is second in the team in points, having scored six goals and posting 14 assists.
Scouting St. Lawrence
Like Clarkson, St. Lawrence is also returning to the ice for the first time in nearly a month. The last game for the Saints was on Dec. 12, a 2-6 loss to Mercyhurst at home.
St. Lawrence currently sits in a two-way tie with Rensselaer for sixth place in the ECAC Hockey standings. Both teams have 10 points each.
With Clarkson's Dominique Thibault, Vanessa Emond leads the league in points with 22. Emond has 11 goals and assists each.
Brittony Chartier has started 14 of the 15 games in front of the net for the Saints. She holds a .908 save percentage and a 2.40 goals against average.
Prior to facing the Dutchwomen on Saturday, St. Lawrence will visit Rensselaer on Friday night.
