Newark, Del. — The University of Delaware (6-8-0) and United States Naval Academy (8-5-1) women’s hockey teams traded decisions in a home-and-home series this weekend, with the Blue Hens edging away from Navy, 5-1, on Friday night (Nov. 15) at Gold Arena, and the Midshipmen blanking Delaware, 4-0, at McMullen Ice Arena on Saturday afternoon (Nov. 16).
Friday, Nov. 15 — Delaware 5, Navy 1
After Delaware and Navy traded first-period tallies, the Hens completely dominated the final 22 minutes of Friday’s (Nov. 15) game at Gold Arena with four unanswered goals in that span to outpace the Mids.
Delaware winger Kendall Dubin and Navy blueliner Lauren Power exchanged goals in the late part of the first period before Dubin’s gave the Blue Hens a lead they would not relinquish with her second goal of the game — and 15th of the season — off assists from Courtney Marino and Priya Albert with 1:35 left in the second period.
Marino scored one of her own 11:54 into the third period, tracking down her own rebound before connecting bar-down on Navy netminder Shannon Hart. First-year Blue Hen Erika Siegel contributed Delaware’s two remaining goals: a net-front tap-in from a Shannon McDermott feed from the point at 13:21, and after negotiating three Navy defenders on the power play at 17:50.
Morgan Cullen stood tall against a barrage of Navy shots, stopping 37 of 38 in victory. Hart recorded 20 saves on 25 shots faced in defeat.
Saturday, Nov. 16 — Navy 4, Delaware 0
The home-and-home series shifted to the McMullen Ice Arena in Annapolis, Md., on Saturday midday (Nov. 16), and the momentum shifted in Navy’s favour as well. Once again, the Midshipmen outshot Delaware, 29-14, and they maintained control of the pace and puck in all three zones on a nearly constant basis.
Navy fired three rapid-fire goals past Cullen in the first period — Devin Marshall off a Maggie Madigan centring pass at 9:31, Celeste Fohey amid a net-front scrum at 11:27, and Joey Whalen 11 seconds later off the following face-off — and held the Blue Hens to just two shots in the same stretch of time. Madigan, Navy’s leading scorer with 17 goals, added one of her own 5:21 into the second period, splitting defenders at the Delaware blue line to generate a successful breakaway.
While the Blue Hens held Navy scoreless for the final 34:39 of the contest, they failed to generate any meaningful momentum, often resorting to dumping and chasing to gain the Navy zone, but also turning the puck over as a result. Delaware failed to convert on five power plays, including two in the third period, while Navy was unsuccessful in all four woman-advantage situations.
Julia Chenoweth earned a 14-save shutout for the Midshipmen, while Cullen stopped 25 shots in defeat.
