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With a return to the North Country the Clarkson University Women’s Hockey team will look to get back on the winning track after concluding a very difficult six-game road trip. Back in Potsdam for the first time since October 31, the Golden Knights resume ECAC Hockey play with their final games of 2009 by hosting Quinnipiac on Friday at 3:30 p.m. and Princeton on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. Guided by second-year co-head coaches Shannon and Matt Desrosiers, the Green and Gold are undefeated at home this season with an 8-0-1 mark on the Cheel Arena ice.
Playing arguably the toughest schedule in college hockey, the Golden Knights, led by senior captain Britney Selina (Thornhill, ONT) and senior assistant captain Carlee Eusepi (Oakville, ONT), own a 12-4-1 overall record and post the best winning percentage in ECAC Hockey at .857 with a 6-1 league mark. Ranked fourth/fifth in the latest USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine national polls, Clarkson has played 10 games against nationally-ranked teams this season going 6-3-1.
The Knights faced their stiffest test yet this season last weekend out west. Clarkson played a two-game series against national powerhouse Minnesota and suffered back-to-back shutouts to the number-two ranked Gophers, falling 4-0 and 2-0 in Minneapolis.
Despite the losses, Clarkson still ranks among the best defensive and offensive teams in Division I. The Knights are second in the country in defense, allowing only 1.41 goals per game. Clarkson is averaging 2.76 goals per game, which is 13th in the nation.
Junior Lauren Dahm (Baldwinsville, NY) backbones the Green and Gold’s stingy defensive effort. A three-time selection as ECAC Hockey Goaltender of the Week, Dahm has played every minute this season in the Clarkson crease. She boasts the third-best save percentage in the nation (.941), fourth-best goals against average (1.35) and is tied for the national lead in shutouts (4).
Baldwinsville native Lauren Dahm has Clarkson moving up the charts
Dominique Thibault (L’Original, ONT), a senior transfer from UConn, leads the way offensively with 19 points, including a team-high 10 goals. The Knights’ all-time leading scorer, Selina has tallied 17 points, including a team-high 11 assists. Selina has amassed 129 career points on 46 goals and 83 assists through 125 games. Sophomore standout Juana Baribeau (Amos, QUE) chips in 16 points (9-7). Junior Melissa Waldie (Newmarket, ONT) rounds out Clarkson’s double figure scorers with 15 points (8-7) and leads the team in power-play markers with five. Eusepi powers the offense from the blueline with eight points (3-5).
After this weekend’s games, the Knights are off for over a month until they begin another six-game road trip, starting with a contest at Union on January 8. Clarkson’s next home game is a January 29 encounter with Colgate at Cheel.
Guided by former Clarkson head coach Rick Seeley, Quinnipiac is one of the most improved teams in the country. The Bobcats own a 7-5-4 overall record and are challenging for one of the top spots in the ECACH with a 4-1-3 league slate. Quinnipiac put an end to a four-game winless stretch in impressive fashion last Saturday with an 11-1 rout of Sacred Heart in the consolation game of the Nutmeg Classic at Yale. Clarkson leads Quinnipiac in their series 9-2-1.
Receiving votes in the latest polls, Princeton owns a 7-4-1 overall record and is tied with Quinnipiac for fourth place in the league standings, owning a 5-2-1 ECACH mark. The Tigers split a weekend series in New Jersey against Boston University, winning 3-1 last Friday before falling 3-2 on Saturday. Princeton holds a 9-3-1 lead in their rivalry with the Knights.
