Box Score

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (2/24/12) - Sophomore Denna Laing scored twice as the Princeton women's hockey team lost 5-3 to Harvard in game one of a three-game series at Bright Hockey Center during the ECAC Hockey Quarterfinals.

The Tigers came back from a two-goal deficit, scoring twice in the first six minutes of the third period to knot the game at 3-3. Harvard got the go-ahead goal with less than four minutes left and sealed the win with an empty-net after Princeton pulled netminder Rachel Weber in favor of the extra attacker.

Harvard took a 2-0 lead in the first period. Lyndsey Fry opened the scoring when she picked up a pass on the move from Jillian Dempsey and fired from close range. Josephone Pucci scored the second goal when she fired a shot from the blue line that snuck past a screened Rachel Weber in goal.

Laing cut the lead back to one at 8:14 of the second. Laing jarred the puck loose near the Harvard net and continued to bat away until getting the puck past Laura Bellamy. Seniors Charissa Stadnyk and Heather Landry earned the assists.

Fry notched her second of the night at 14:49 to give Harvard a 3-1 lead into the second intermission. Samantha Reber flipped the puck to Fry at the point and she rifled one in on the near post.

Just 1:46 into the third period, Laing scored her second of the night with help from freshman Brianna Mahoney and sophomore Sally Butler, to get the Tigers within one, 3-2. Less than four minutes later freshman Brianna Leahy would tie the game. Sophomores Gabie Figueroa and Rose Alleva would be credited with the assists on setting up the Leahy for the goal.

Fry would get the hat trick at 16:06 when she picked up a pass from Elizabeth Parker from behind the goal to regain the lead for Harvard. Gina McDonald sealed the win with an empty-net goal with 44 seconds remaining.

Princeton had a number of chances down the stretch but was kept at bay by the Harvard defense despite a 12-7 shot differential in the third period.

The Tigers outshot Harvard 31-20 in the game. Bellamy made 28 saves for Harvard, while Weber stopped 15 for the Tigers.

The teams will meet again tomorrow afternoon, in a do-or-die situation for the Tigers. Game time is 3 p.m., at Bright Hockey Center.