Women’s Hockey Finishes Season With Tough Overtime Loss to RIT
Kristina M. Holton
MIT women’s ice hockey finished their most successful season yet with a bittersweet loss against Rochester Institute of Technology on Friday night, 3-2 in overtime.
In an intense game, the Engineers (5-14-0) matched the nation’s fifth-ranked RIT Tigers (20-2-1) goal for goal, forcing an overtime with the game tied 2-2. Unlike some teams who rest their top line against MIT, the Tigers used their best skaters throughout, making the near-tie an even more impressive feat.
RIT controlled play throughout the overtime despite having to kill an MIT power play during the opening minutes. With 18 seconds remaining in the Engineer power play, Amanda P. Hunter ’07 got called for checking.
The Tigers continued to attack during their power play, but MIT managed to kill it. With only 7 seconds to play both teams were back at full strength and it looked like the game would end in a tie. But as Hunter cycled back into the defense, the Tigers’ Isabelle Richard scored, ending the game 3-2.
RIT’s Sarah Wilson started the scoring with an unassisted goal in the first period. The next goal came with just under six minutes to play in the second period, when Stephanie V. Brenman ’09 took a shot from the point off a feed from Amanda P. Hunter ’07 and Mary P. Harding ’07. A scramble at the net ensued, and MIT edged the puck in for a power play goal.
The Tigers fired back with its own power play goal in the third period, with Jerica Young connecting on a pass from Shireen Irani and Stacey McConnell. MIT rallied once again with a power play at the end of the third, this time a five-hole shot (between the goalie’s legs) by Hunter, assisted by Brenman. That goal made the score 2-2.
In the five minute overtime period, the Tigers controlled the puck and outshot MIT 10-3. An assist from Courtenay Cooper gave Isabelle Richard the game-winning goal.
Goalie Julia N. Roberts ’10 stopped 43 shots on goal from one of the hardest-shooting teams in the ECAC, ending the season 2-3-0. Seniors Hunter, Harding, and Barbara L. Peng ’07 capped off their careers with 28, 21, and 4 goals in 56, 57 and 21 games respectively.
Harding commented on the game, saying, “I think surreal is the best word to describe it. This was, by far, the best game of hockey I have ever been a part of and an amazing way to end a career. Of course coming within two seconds of tying the 5th ranked team in the nation and seeing it slip away is heartbreaking, but I’ll take that any day over what could have been a 5 or 8 goal differential game.”
MIT’s near win against RIT has gained the young team national recognition from fellow players.
This was Coach Danielle Holtschlag’s second year as head coach and third at MIT.