MAC ATTACK: Princeton University women’s hockey player Mackenzie Alexander looks to unload the puck in recent action. Last Friday, sophomore star forward Alexander tallied three goals and one assist to help Princeton defeat Colgate 6-1, achieving her first career hat trick. On Saturday, Alexander picked up an assist as Princeton edged Cornell 3-2 to post its seventh straight win. Alexander was later named the ECAC Hockey Forward of the Week. The No. 8 Tigers, now 11-4 overall and 8-2 ECACH, are currently on break. Princeton, who has moved into first place in the league standings, returns to action when it hosts Stonehill for a two-game set from January 2-3. (Photo by Frank Jacobs III)
By Bill Alden
Although her Princeton University women’s hockey team brought a five-game winning streak into its games last weekend at Colgate and Cornell, Courtney Kessel knew that didn’t guarantee anything.
“I think every weekend we have just taken it one weekend at a time, that has been our mentality,” said Princeton head coach Kessel. “I think the biggest thing is believing that they can win. Nothing is going to be easy, every game in the ECAC is tight but you have to have the mentality that you think you can win every game because you can. That has been the mindset for us.”
Displaying that winning mentality, Princeton jumped out to a 2-0 first period lead over Colgate, sparked by sophomore star Mackenzie Alexander, who tallied one goal and one assist. With Princeton clinging to a 3-1 lead heading into the third, the Tigers outscored the Raiders 3-0 on goals by Jane Kuehl, Sawyer Fleming, and Alexander to cruise to a
6-1 triumph.
“We got a power play really early on and Jane puts the puck in and then Sawyer follows it up,” said Kessel. “It is nice when you put one in right away. We were already ahead but it is nice to get a goal right away into the third period.”
Alexander ended up having a very nice game, totaling three goals and an assist against the Raiders as she achieved her first career hat trick.
“Mackenzie is an elite player, I hope to see her in the Olympics one day,” said Kessel of Alexander who now has a team-high 21 points on 12 goals and nine assists and was later named the ECAC Hockey Forward of the Week. “I think that is the trajectory she is on if she continues to put the work in and do the small things. She is elite, with her skating, her stick handling, and her shot. Being able to play alongside Emmy [O’Leary] and Issy [Wunder] is special for her. I think with her it is just playing with confidence and believing she can do it at all levels, not just this level but at the next level.”
Princeton is also getting high level play from junior goalie Uma Corniea, who had 35 saves against Colgate and has posted a 1.92 goals against average and a .936 save percentage so far this season. Corniea was later named the ECACH Goalie of the Week and was the ECACH Goalie of the Month for November.
“Uma has been our backbone for sure,” said Kessel. “It is nice to see her playing confident and just seeing her play with a smile. It is her safe space where she gets to enjoy being around people that she loves. She is doing amazing. It definitely helps us on our side to have a goalie that can keep us in games every single night.”
A day later at Cornell, Corniea held the fort early on as the Big Red outshot the Tigers 9-5 in the first period.
“We knew Cornell had a few losses heading into playing us; when you are the team that has had those losses, you are going to come out with some fire,” said Kessel. “We knew we were going to have to weather the storm for at least the first 10 minutes of that game. You get scored on and it is what you do after that and how you bounce back.”
Senior star and captain Wunder helped Princeton bounce back as she took matters into her hands, tallying two straight goals in the second period.
“That is what your big players do, right,” said Kessel. “They are going to go through stretches where they can’t find the back of the net but her mentality has been awesome. She is an amazing leader for us, even just for me. Right from the summer on, she has been such a great resource and great to have in the room. We are really going to miss her next year for sure.”
The Tigers got a third goal from Riley Sorokan and held on for a 3-2 win as they improved to 11-4 overall and 8-2 ECACH.
“Having a two-goal lead is the hardest thing to do,” said Kessel. “They get one goal and they have momentum and the energy. You are at Cornell, the band is great, they had a great fan base so it was loud in there. A win is a win and we will take it and thanks to Uma for keeping us in it.”
In reflecting on her team’s seven-game winning streak, Kessel attributed the surge to a consistent approach and attention to detail.
“I think just our habits,” said Kessel. “We have been talking about them since day one, whether it is having smart back checks, being detailed off face-offs and just continuing to stick to that. It just continuing to give these ladies confidence and play for each other and show up for each other all of the time.”
In Kessel’s view, senior forward and assistant captain Jane Kuehl epitomizes that approach.
“I think Jane Kuehl is someone we should be talking about with her speed and her tenacity,” said Kessel. “She is not a big kid but she is fierce and she has put a few pucks in the back of the net for us. We lean on her when it comes to minutes and killing penalties. She has done a tremendous job.”
The Tiger defensive unit, which features junior Maggie Johnson, junior Gabby Kim, freshman Megan Healy, sophomore Rosie Klein, junior Teja Gatfield, and freshman Catie Collins, has played a key role in in the squad’s sizzling start which has seen it rise to the top of the ECACH standings and No. 8 in the USCHO.com national poll.
“Our defense have been instrumental in our success, just breaking pucks out and working on getting pucks to the net,” said Kessel. “Their ability to break out pucks has been awesome to watch and watch their development from September. Hats off to them for that.”
While Kessel is pleased with her team’s development on the ices, she is more impressed by the group’s special camaraderie.
“It has nothing to do with hockey, it is just how much these players love each other,” asserted Kessel, whose team is currently on break and returns to action when it hosts Stonehill for a two-game set from January 2-3. “They show up for each other every day with a smile. Sometimes we are practicing at 7 a.m. and it is hard here at Princeton with the academics. They show up and they work hard for each other. I think that is because of our leadership; they have been amazing at getting this group to rally around each other and believing in each other.”