DRAMA SERIES: Princeton University women’s hockey player Molly Contini controls the puck against the board in action last weekend as the Tigers battled St. Lawrence in a best-of-three ECAC Hockey quarterfinal series at Baker Rink. The series went to a decisive game 3 last Sunday and junior -Contini scored two goals, including one with 15 seconds left in regulation to knot the contest at 3-3, but it wasn’t enough as Princeton fell 4-3 in overtime. The loss moved the Tigers to 22-8-2 and left them harboring hopes of receiving an at-large bid to the upcoming NCAA tournament. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

At the beginning of the season, the players on the Princeton University women’s hockey team settled on “relentless” as their mantra for the winter.

Displaying that trait all year as it climbed into the top ten of the national rankings, Princeton placed third in the ECAC Hockey standings to earn home ice for a best-of three quarterfinal series against sixth-seeded St. Lawrence last weekend.

After getting edged 1-0 in the opening game of the series on Friday, the Tigers battled back from 2-0 and 3-2 deficits to pull out a 4-3 win in the second game a day later and force a decisive game three on Sunday.

In the finale, Princeton jumped out to a 1-0 lead midway through the first period but found itself trailing 3-2 early in the third period. Making a last ditch effort with a late power play and pulling goalie Kimberley Newell to add an extra attacker, the Tigers broke through as Molly Contini found the back of the net with 15 seconds left in regulation to force overtime and send Baker Rink into an uproar.

Princeton came out flying in the extra session, generating some good chances but St. Lawrence came through with the game-winner 5:37 in overtime to prevail 4-3 and win the series.

Afterward, a glum but proud Princeton head coach Jeff Kampersal tipped his hat to his players.

“It was an awesome series, our kids have a lot of heart and soul,” said Kampersal.

“I have been doing it for 20 years and this year has been the most fun. It has been the most trying year as well. There was a lot of things our kids have battled and worked through and they have been resilient all year. It is an awesome group.”

In the early stages Sunday, it looked like it was going to be a fun day for Princeton as it drew first blood with a goal by junior Cassidy Tucker 8:18 into the game.

“I thought we started the first 10 minutes strong, actually the first 12 minutes but the last eight got a little scrambly,” said Kampersal.

Princeton had to scramble when it lost junior star defenseman Kelsey Koelzer, the Ivy League Player of the Year, a top-10 finalist for the 2016 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, and a finalist for the ECACH Women’s Best Defenseman Award, to a shoulder injury late in the first period.

“To lose Kelsey with two minutes to go in the first rattled us a little bit but they still hung in there,” said Kampersal.

“She is one of the best players in the country, losing your Patty Kazmaier candidate is not great.”

St. Lawrence scored two straight goals in the second period but the Tigers answered back with a tally by Molly Contini with 4:24 left in the frame to make it 2-2 going into the final 20 minutes of regulation. The Saints took a 3-2 lead early in the third period. With 1:53 left in the regulation, Princeton went on a power play and pulled goalie Newell to give it a 6-on-4 and the game-tying goal by Contini followed with just 15 seconds left on the clock.

“We still battled to the very end to tie it up,” said Kampersal, reflecting on the final sequence of regulation.

“We were on it, we worked hard all day. I was just hoping that something good would happen for them because they deserved it and it did.”

Heading into the extra session, Kampersal was confident that more good things would happen for his squad but after some early flurries by the Tigers once the action resumed, the Saints found the back of the net to win the game and the series.

“It was the most positive I have ever been before an overtime,” recalled Kampersal. “I thought for sure that we would get it first. We outshot them and it happens.”

While the loss was crushing, with a record of 22-8-2 and being ranked in the top 10 most of the season, Kampersal is harboring hopes of receiving an at-large bid to the upcoming NCAA tournament.

“I am not even sure if we are all done,” said Kampersal. “We need all the favorites to win then who knows.”

No matter what happens, Kampersal knows he has a special senior group in goalie Newell, forwards Jaimie McDonell, Cristin Shanahan, Maddie Peake, and defenseman Karen MacDonald.

“Kimberley was stellar in net again, Jaime is a workhorse, and Shanny was great today,” said Kampersal.

“Karen and Maddie are just two inspirational leaders. They are classy kids, it is a really good group.”

That inspiration helped the program earn its first Ivy League title since 2006.

“It was a goal, considering last year we came close and didn’t get it,” said Kampersal, whose team went 8-2 in Ivy play, edging Cornell (7-2-1 Ivy) for the title. “This year I am glad that they did it for the seniors; they worked hard for it.”

In his post-game message to his players, Kampersal expressed his appreciation for getting the chance to work with them.

“It was just that I love and respect them, they just played so hard,” said Kampersal, recalling his remarks.

“They just play until they can’t play any more. In past years if we go down two, we might not battle back but this year we always did; we always battled back.”