GETTING HER FILL: Princeton University women’s hockey player Sarah Fillier, right, goes after the puck in a game earlier this season. Last weekend, junior star Fillier totaled two goals and two assists as seventh-seeded Princeton lost a best-of-three ECAC Hockey quarterfinal series to second-seeded Colgate. The Tigers topped the Raiders 3-2 on Friday in the opener but then lost 4-3 on Saturday and fell 2-1 to Colgate in a decisive game three on Sunday. The defeat left the Tigers with a 15-15-1 overall record. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

It may have been blackboard material for the opponents of the Princeton University women’s hockey team, but Cara Morey was on to something.

On the last regular season home weekend of the season when Princeton clinched a spot in the ECAC Hockey quarterfinals, Tiger head coach Morey exuded confidence as she looked ahead to postseason action.

“Our hope is that we are really hot as we head into playoffs,” said Morey. “I think that people are generally scared of the Tigers in the playoffs and I think this year is going to be like the rest. Whoever we play and it is looking like it could be Quinnipiac or Colgate, I am sure they are wondering, shoot, I just don’t want to face the Tigers.”

Sure enough, Princeton ended up playing at Colgate last weekend in the ECACH quarters and the seventh-seeded Tigers put quite a scare into the second-seeded Raiders, who were ranked third nationally. 

Last Friday, Princeton junior star Sarah Fillier, who helped the Canadian women’s hockey team win the gold medal at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, assisted on a tying goal and then scored the game-winner as the Tigers rallied to a 3-2 win in the opener.

A day later, freshman standout Issy Wunder scored two goals as Princeton built a 3-2 third period lead in game two only to fall 4-3 as the Raiders scored two unanswered goals in the last six minutes of the contest.

In the decisive game three on Sunday, Fillier struck again, scoring a first period goal as the Tigers jumped out to a 1-0 lead. The Raiders answered back with a goal minutes later to knot the game at 1-1. The foes remained locked at 1-1 until Colgate scored early in the third period to edge ahead. Princeton was unable to find the back of the net again despite putting on the pressure with seven shots in the last 2:09 of the game. Freshman goalie Tyler Hyland made a career-high 43 saves in a losing cause as the Tigers finished the winter with a 15-15-1 overall record.