Queen of the Shutouts

It's time for an update on the Princeton Women's Ice Hockey team, and it's been a weird season. The team started out horribly, and after a loss to Yale in early December, in which they out shot the Bulldogs by a three-to-one margin but somehow still managed to lose, the Tigers were 3-10-1, the worst record they've had in the decade-plus that I've been watching them.

But they haven't lost since, and after tonight's victory over St. Lawrence, have won eight in a row. There are a number of factors that have contributed to the turnaround, but the most important can be found between the pipes. Junior goaltender Rachel Weber has six shutouts over the eight games, and has only allowed three goals over that span. With 248 straight minutes without allowing a goal, she smashed the team record and the conference record as well. Her scoreless string is the fourth best of all time.

This is a remarkable series of events, because it seemed that Weber was relegated to benchwarmer. During an exhibition game against McGill University in October, Weber couldn't seem to stop anything, allowing four goals in about ten minutes. She was pulled from the game, and sophomore Cassie Seguin was the starter. But when Seguin sustained an injury, Weber took over. She wasn't great--she has six losses on the year--but after that Yale game she turned it on, and has been immaculate in goal.

Tonight she made the most amazing save I've ever seen at Baker Rink. It was midway through the second period of a scoreless tie. The St. Lawrence player had a rebound on her stick, in the crease, with nothing but net in front of her. Weber was out of position. It would have been a simple task for the Saint player to knock the puck in for a goal, but Weber fell to her side, extending her full five-foot-nine frame. She managed to get a glove on the puck, knocking it away. The Saints seemed stunned, and moments later the Tigers scored, a two-goal swing that basically cinched the game.

Weber has not been alone in her heroics. During the early losses, they couldn't score to save their lives, but have been much sharper of late in putting the puck in the net. They've been led by two freshmen, Olivia Much and Sally Butler, and anchored by senior defender Sasha Sherry, a six-footer who is an intimidating presence on the blueline, and has one of the hardest shots in all of women's hockey.

The Tigers have seven more regular season games, and it's not pie in the sky to think they could run the table. If Weber continues her amazing play, they only need to score one goal to win.