Saints start fresh versus Wildcats

CANTON — The St. Lawrence University women's hockey team began last year's journey to the NCAA Frozen Four in Durham, N.H.

The Saints disposed of the University of New Hampshire, 6-2, in the quarterfinals and advanced to the national semifinals for a fourth straight season. When the pairings were released for this year's tournament field on Sunday, SLU could've pulled out last year's itinerary.

St. Lawrence is back in Durham to face the Wildcats in the NCAA tournament quarterfinals for a second consecutive year. The sixth-ranked Saints can reserve a spot in their fifth straight Frozen Four with a win today against No. 3 New Hampshire. The opening face-off is scheduled for 1 p.m.

The two teams have played three times in the past year, but the games seem like a distant memory to Saints head coach Paul Flanagan. After topping New Hampshire in the tournament quarterfinals, St. Lawrence opened this season by splitting a weekend series with the Wildcats in Canton.

Flanagan said knocking off an imposing Wildcats squad on the road won't be an easy task since they play on what he calls, "a cavernous ice sheet." New Hampshire's Whittemore Center Arena is approximately 15 feet wider and has deeper corners than normal college rinks.

"We feel confident enough that we can make adjustments on their ice," Flanagan said. "But some of the things that might've worked at Appleton may not work there."

While the expansive ice has allowed the Wildcats to showcase their offensive strength against hapless Hockey East foes, it may also benefit the Saints. Flanagan said speedy skaters such as senior forwards Sabrina Harbec and Chelsea Grills will have the opportunity to spread out the defense to generate more scoring chances.

But the bigger ice sheet also changes the approach for SLU senior goaltender Meaghan Guckian. She can step out on opposing forwards, forcing them to take problematic shots, but must remain cautious as skaters fly in from different angles.

Whatever strategy Guckian employed against the Wildcats worked earlier this year. She made 21 saves in St. Lawrence's 3-0 win on Oct. 6. It was the first time New Hampshire had been shut out in three seasons.

"I had no idea about that," said Guckian, who set a school record this season for career shutouts with 17. "I just want to be where I was last postseason. It's about having fun in these games."

Keeping the Saints composed has come easy for Guckian and her fellow classmates this season. It's one of the hidden traits responsible for the team's successive trips to the Frozen Four.

"We just followed the lead of those before us," Guckian said. "We try to lead by example on the ice and the younger players pick up the subtleties."

Flanagan mentioned other small facets that the Saints should concentrate on: staying in position, having productive special teams, being smart on the forecheck and managing the ice. But Guckian and the rest of the squad knows what to expect since they've been here before — and that includes Durham, too.

"We need to just keep doing the things that have gotten us this far," Flanagan said.