Potsdam, NY – Sophomore Lauren Dahm (Baldwinsville, NY) made 35 saves, including 16 in the third period, to help the Clarkson University Women’s Hockey team hold off fourth-ranked Harvard University 2-0 Friday night in front of 377 fans at Cheel Arena.
The Golden Knights, who improved to 4-5-2 overall and 2-1-0 in ECAC Hockey, posted their second shutout in three games. The Crimson, who were shut out for the first time since being eliminated in the NCAA playoffs in 2007 by eventual national champion Wisconsin, a stretch of 39 games, fell to 3-1-1 overall and 3-1-1 in the ECAC.
Though the first period saw a total of 14 shots, with the Knights owning an 8-6 edge, neither team really put together a solid scoring chance. It wasn’t until the second frame that opportunities came about. Early on in the period, a slow shot from the slot trickled through the defense, but glanced harmlessly off the post to end the threat. However, a Harvard penalty five minutes into the frame would set up the opening score. While on the power play, junior Genevieve Lavoie (Delson, QUE) corralled the puck behind the net and sent a quick pass to sophomore Melissa Waldie (Newmarket, ONT), who was sitting right on the doorstep just outside the crease and tapped the puck off the pads of Crimson goalkeeper Christina Kessler, rattling the puck over the end line for a 1-0 Clarkson lead. Senior Marie-Jo Gaudet (Sherbrooke, QUE) earned an assist along with Lavoie on Waldie’s fifth goal of the season.
Starting with a man-up opportunity late in the second period, Harvard began to assert itself offensively and regained the lead in shots. Lauren Dahm stood tall in net and made numerous strong saves, none more impressive than a short-handed two-on-one that turned into a breakaway by Kate Buesser, which Dahm denied with a glove-side leg pad. Harvard spent the last 10 minutes peppering Dahm and the Clarkson defense, with the Crimson taking 13 consecutive shots on the Clarkson cage, not including several that went wide of the net. However, with an empty net and Harvard adding an extra attacker, Clarkson broke the streak with a goal from Marie-Jo Gaudet, who took a shot form the other side of the blue line for her eighth goal of the season and a 2-0 Clarkson advantage. Freshman Gabrielle Kosziwka (Limehouse, ONT) recorded her first career point with the assist, sending a quick pass to Gaudet after gathering up the puck on a busted clear.
Clarkson finished the game trailing 35-20 in shots, including a 16-3 deficit in the final frame. Harvard went scoreless in three power-play chances while Clarkson was 1-for-4. Dahm finished with 35 saves and Kessler had 18 for the Crimson.
