Wallace, PU enjoy big weekend

Tigers set up showdown for home ice tonight at Baker

By: Justin Feil
   Melanie Wallace has always fashioned herself to be a player who more likely creates goals than scores them.
   When she came to Princeton University, however, the Tiger women’ ice hockey team coach Jeff Kampersal had different plans for her.
   "I was actually told I’d be an impact player," said Wallace, who hails from London, Ontario. "I knew we had a lot of other talent. Talking to Jeff, he said my main job was to score. Normally I’ve been a playmaker so I was a little surprised to hear they wanted me to score. Any role they want you to play is fine. If he needs me to score goals, that’s what I’ll try to do."
   Wallace picked an opportune time to score two of the biggest goals of her freshman season. Wallace scored the game-winning goal, and added an assist on an insurance goal, in a 2-0 win at Clarkson on Saturday. Sunday at St. Lawrence, she assisted on the first goal of the game and scored the game-tying goal with 6:37 left in regulation as the Tigers earned a 3-3 tie. Kristen Young earned the shutout Saturday and stopped 24 shots Sunday. The weekend’s performance earned Wallace the Eastern College Athletic Conference Hockey League Rookie of the Week.
   "It was nice. I wasn’t expecting it," Wallace said. "We were happy to come away with three points. That was the bigger thing. I guess I can add it to my resume."
   Wallace wouldn’t mind adding to that resume this weekend as the three-point weekend keeps Princeton one point behind Colgate for the final home-ice spot in the ECAC playoffs. The Tigers host Colgate 7 p.m. tonight at Baker Rink and Cornell 4 p.m. Saturday.
   "We know the past weekend was big.," Wallace said. "After seeing Harvard lost to Colgate, next weekend became so much more important. We need home ice.
   "I think it’s an atmosphere that’s hard to match," she added. "With Jeff and the rest of the girls talking about it, we know we want it. We can beat whoever wherever, but there are lots of fans and it’s fun to play at home. Hearing ‘Eye of the Tiger’ when you step on the ice is great."
   It’s become one of her favorite songs, and the Tigers are hoping that this weekend’s New York visitors won’t be the last visitors to Baker Rink. Princeton will honor its seniors before Saturday’s game, but their focus remains on securing them a home ECAC series.
   "I think in general, we have good motivation," said Kampersal, whose team is 14-10-3 overall, 12-6-2 in the ECAC. "It’s the seniors’ last weekend. Hopefully they’ll be pumped up that way, and the others will be pumped up for them. Colgate is an awesome team. We played them four times last year. It looks like we’ll be playing them a lot again.
   "There’s incentive to win this game and play at home. We try not to place too much importance on one game. This last weekend was big too. Every game from here on is a big one."
   The Tigers have picked a perfect time to start to play the way they had hoped all season. All season, Princeton had been looking for a consistent effort from start to finish of a game.
   "I thought for the first time in a long time, we strung together 60 minutes each game," Kampersal said. "They played hard, they took control of the blue lines. They got it in when they had to. The got it out when they had to. Overall it was a solid effort by the kids.
   "I thought we played well against Brown. We looked tired against Yale. Yale played extremely well. They were all over us. Their pressure caused us to perform poorly. In the four games since exams, I guess this weekend I was happy they played hard for every single shift and they played smart."
   Wallace is part of a freshman class that is up to speed after going through almost an entire year of college hockey. Wallace leads all PU freshmen with 16 points overall, good for fourth on the team.
   "I think they get used to the way we play," Kampersal said of the freshmen. "There are little things like playing the game beforehand, opening up inside out, being tough on boards. Little things they might have got away with, we try to cement in them as habits. Melanie is someone who is really skilled who can make plays. With each and every one she makes, she develops more confidence."
   Added Wallace: "I think anybody will tell you there’s an adjustment period. I knew that coming in. I tried to be patient. I still get anxious to go on the ice, but the nerves are not as prevalent now."
   Wallace certainly is a player that Colgate will pay attention to tonight. Though it was early in her career when the teams last met in November, Wallace assisted on the go-ahead and game-winning goals in a 3-2 win.
   "I think it will be a real intense game," Wallace said. "I know they play tough. They’re a quick team. They can put shots on net. They play somewhat like us. They’re hard workers. I think we can match their speed. If we fire shots on their net, we should be all right."
   A four-point weekend is what Princeton is looking for to secure home ice for the playoffs. It would be a nice going away present for a senior class that reached the Frozen Four as juniors last year.
   "They’re an amazing group," Kampersal said. "Since they came in here, they’ve been real hockey heads. They’ve been passionate about the sport, and about doing well in school. They set a good example each and every day. It’s probably the most talented class we’ve had in a while. We’ll miss their talent and their character."
   Waiting in the wings are underclassmen like Wallace. They have followed the seniors’ example to mesh into strong contributors. Tonight, they look to make contributions to a home ice advantage.
   "We can play anywhere and we can be competitive with anybody," Wallace said. "It’s nice to be home for these last two. We can’t take it for granted. Hopefully we can win and can get home again for our seniors."
   For one more playing of "Eye of the Tiger."