DOMINANT DEFENDER: Princeton University women’s hockey defender Dominique Cormier handles the puck in game last winter. Senior defender Cormier should be a force on the blue line this winter for Princeton. The Tigers open their 2023-24 campaign by hosting Robert Morris for a two-game set on October 13 and 14. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Last winter, the Princeton University women’s hockey team saved its best for last, going 5-2 down the stretch of the regular season and then pushing No. 3 Colgate to a decisive third game before falling in the best-of-three ECAC Hockey quarterfinal series.

As Princeton starts its 2023-24 campaign by hosting Robert Morris for a two-game set on October 13 and 14, Tiger head coach Cara Morey is looking for her players to display that sense of urgency from the opening face-off.

“We saw what that team could do at playoffs last year when we played our game but we can’t wait until then,” said Morey, whose squad posted an overall record of 15-15-1. “Last season, I think we were just waiting, waiting, waiting and then we turned it on in playoffs. If we had done that earlier in the season, it would have been different story. We would have been in a different standing heading into playoffs. I think what we know this year is that we have got to take every game like it is a playoff game and have that mentality every single game of the season.”

Senior star forward Sarah Fillier (19 goals, 18 assists in 2022-23) brings a winning mentality to the ice for the Tigers. Fillier has established herself as an international star, having helped Canada to the gold medal at the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing and world championships in 2021 and 2022.

“I think that last year was hard for Sarah coming off of two years away at the Olympics and having expectations that weren’t met,” said Morey. “This year coming in, it looks like she is fresh with a totally different mindset.”

Another Sarah, sophomore Sarah Paul, is back after losing most of her freshman season to injury and being sidelined all of last year.

“She is such a threat offensively all the time,” said Morey. “When she has the puck on her stick, she has the chance of scoring every time.”

The Tigers boast a quartet of superb sophomores in Jane Kuehl (3 goals, 4 assists), Izzy Wunder (9 goals, 9 assists), Katherine Khramstov (7 goals, 9 assists), and Emerson O’Leary (4 goals, 11 assists).

“They look really good; Jane has been surprising me in the preseason, she is flying out there, she looks really good,” said Morey. “Izzy has been amazing. Katherine and Emmy play so well together. Those four are going to do really well for us this year.”

Senior Annie Kuehl (6 goals, 9 assists), junior Grace Kuipers, junior Mia Coene (2 goals, 4 assists), and senior Emma Kee (1 goal, 3 assists) give Princeton additional firepower and experience at forward.

“We have lots of depth up front, we have a bigger roster this year so practices have been really competitive,” said Morey. “The seniors know the game. They know what
we want to see out of
them. They are a lot more consistent. This is a good lineup.”

A trio of newcomers — freshman Wallis York, Calista Chong, Ani Kozak — should make an impact as the season unfolds.

“They are really transitioning to what the college game is going to be,” said Morey. “Wallis has been playing up with Emmy and Katherine, so we will see how she does there. Calista has a ton of skill, she needs to learn the game at pace. Ani is more defensive-minded, good at penalty killing. They all have a different skill set.”

The Tiger blue line features skill and depth in senior Kate Monihan (1 goal, 9 assists), senior Dominique Cormier (2 goals, 6 assists), senior Stef Wallace (1 goal, 8 assists), and junior Emma Dornseif along with freshmen Teja Gatfield, Gabby Kim, and Maggie Johnson.

“Kate and Dom have both been great, Stef and Emma are also back,” said Morey. “Then we have the first years, they have really surprised us. Teja has been a little banged up so we haven’t see her yet. Maggie and Gabby have been outstanding. Maggie had never played d before and she has been unreal. Our d-corps looks really strong this year, there are seven of them.”

At goalie are junior Jennifer Olnowich (2.55 goals against average and .884 save percentage in 2022-23), sophomore Taylor Hyland (2.58 goals against average and .909 save percentage), and freshman Uma Corniea.

“We used both Taylor and Jen throughout the preseason because Uma wasn’t able to play; they both did well and gave us a chance to win every time we played,” said Morey. “Uma is back now — we are excited to see what she can do. She has had great practices. I think someone will steal the net, we just have to give everyone a chance. Uma has size and athleticism; she is sound, she is a really good goalie. Taylor looks good, she is battling in the net. She is making second effort saves right now, she looks good too. They all look great.”

Looking ahead to the opening weekend matchup with Robert Morris, Morey is hoping for a great effort from the Tigers.

“They haven’t played in two seasons because of their program folding but they got some really good transfers and some players who hung around who are fifth year players,” said Morey. “So they are going to be a pretty good test to start off with.”

Based on the urgency she has been seeing from her players in the preseason, Morey is confident they will pass that test.

“The girls are in a really great space mentally, they are excited,” said Morey. “They are working hard, they are learning new stuff really quickly. The vibe just feels like there is a lot more excitement this year. They are competing every single day in practice, it is awesome.”