Over the weekend, Women's Club Hockey endured match-ups with their toughest rivals, the Penn State Lady Icers, at the Amherst Pepsi Center. UB's goaltending was outstanding in each game, and they finished both games very strongly, but the Freeze's inability to create anything offensively in the middle of each game proved to be their undoing, as they dropped Saturday's game 5-2 and Sunday's game 3-1.
In Saturday's contest UB (6-8) was knocked around and out-skated by a Penn State team that was playing more physically and skating harder. Penn State opened the scoring with a goal by Stephanie Feyock in the first period.
UB came back shortly after when forward Christine Dimpfl took a pass from Rebecca Brown and scored with 3:41 remaining in the period. However, that was the end of UB's offense for nearly two periods. Penn State got goals from Katie King, Faryn Shapiro and Lauren Shaw to push the score to 4-1 early in the third period.
Penn State was able to keep the puck in the UB zone for most of the game with a strong fore check and physical play. The Freeze seemed reluctant to get into a physical battle with PSU. This allowed the Lady Icers to control the corners and the front of the crease. Their physical play also enabled them to keep the puck in UB's zone most of the time while UB had trouble to dig it out of their side. Additionally, it seemed that anytime the Freeze got the puck into the Penn State zone, PSU was able to intercept the puck and create a rush up the ice, giving them excellent scoring opportunities.
"We have to skate back", said UB head coach Chuck Schroeder. "The odd man rushes were a problem. We have to tie the girls up; we're letting them skate by us in the zone. We're giving them two to three zones where they're just free-wheeling."
Other than a brief flurry on a two-man advantage late in the second, and a handful of short rushes, the UB offense didn't get anything going until almost two periods after their first goal. With four minutes to go in the third period, the Freeze finally got back on the scoreboard when Erika LaBarge scored off a pass from Debby Sellan.
The next 3:30 minutes of the game was controlled by UB as they did something they did not do all game: get the puck deep and keep it in the PSU zone. They got their best chances of the game, but just couldn't capitalize. Though the Freeze looked like a much better team in the last few minutes of the game, it was too little too late, as Penn State's King scored an empty net goal to seal the game for the Lady Icers.
On Sunday, the Freeze were able to change much of what had plagued them on Saturday. They came out playing more physically, not backing down to Penn State at all. They were able to control the odd man breaks and give their goaltender, Nicole Hutton, better support.
The only recurring problem was keeping the puck in the Penn State zone.
The Freeze had a problem getting shots on goal. They didn't have one until there was 0:30 left in the second period. Much of that was due to the fact that they rarely had anyone in front of the net. Whenever the puck went in front after being dug out by a UB player, it was gobbled up by a PSU player and taken the other way.
"I think what Penn State did, that we didn't do, was read where the puck was going," said Buffalo forward Suzanne Balsan. "They knew where we were going and they knew what we wanted to do. That's why they were able to get it from us and take it back in the zone so much."
Despite their inability to do anything on offense, UB was able to keep Penn State from pulling away early with good defense and great goaltending. State got goals from King, Feyock and Alexandra McVicker to make it 3-0 in the third.
Finally, with 4:47 to go in the game UB got their only goal of the game. Michelle Decker scored a power play goal that was assisted by Sellan and LaBarge. The Freeze were able to take the momentum from that goal and get some offensive chances. But, once again, the outcome was the same.
In both games, the Freeze couldn't keep any sustained pressure in the Penn State zone, and as a result ended up playing the majority of the games in their own end. That put the strain on goalie Nicole Hutton, who was bombarded with shots. She made 22 saves in the game Saturday and 24 on Sunday. Many of her saves were from point blank range or odd man rushes. Despite the pressure she had to face, Hutton kept the team in the game, as she has all season.
"As long as we can keep her settled down she's very solid in the net, she's even won games for us," said Schroeder.
The Freeze travel to University Park, Pa. this weekend to take on Penn State again. Although they had little success this past weekend, the team believes that they can get their revenge on the Lady Icers.
"I think all we need to do is keep going towards that puck full blown, the whole game, and not let up at all," said defenseman Eileen Neubecker. "I think Penn State did a really good job of that but, I think we can give it to them next weekend."
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
