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TOP OF THEIR FIELD

By DVCHC Women's Hockey, 01/30/15, 10:00PM EST

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D2's Best Enjoy Record Season & Thrilling Race to Playoffs

 #1 SAINT JOSEPH'S vs #2 NJ PHOENIX had been back-and-forth through the 1st. Four goals (including a 'first ever' by Christine Paez) tied the teams at 2 before goaltending & defense forced two, 0-0 frames ...now overtime.

The crowd chanted, SJU went on the kill & Alexandra Tepper crashed the net.  With a flick of the wrist, she scored the 1st OT goal in Phoenix history, set her teammates into a joyous frenzy & traded one tie for another; both teams are now even at 14 points in the standings.

The next night, the Phoenix were challenged by #4 COLUMBIA U. With this game tied, 3-3 in the second, CU delivered on a flash of brilliance: 2 goals in 19 seconds to take the lead, 5-3.

A hotly contested 3rd wouldn't change the result.  Columbia would notch their 2nd win over North Jersey.  Their previous contest, a 6 goal comeback, had been decided in the final seconds of play.

If you're sensing a common theme here, you're right: D2's top teams are closer matched than ever before.

The renaissance has been led by a talented pool of players.  SJU's Anessa Quinn & Adrienne Phelps are +18 defensemen. Elizabeth Ditzel (ROW) has a .927 save % and Lauren Solski (NJP) has 9 wins, 6 of them shutouts.  Though D2 players are limited to 3 goals a game, Sydney Flemister (SJU) has a hat-trick in 5 of 8 contests, Lexie Brackenridge (COL) is averaging 2.86 points a game & Jessalynn Wright (ROW) has 20 points.  And they're not the only players having record seasons.


The NJ Phoenix celebrate an overtime win at SJU this past Saturday.


Team Columbia has poses after beating North Jersey for the 1st time in club history

Team Columbia poses after besting North Jersey for the 1st time in club history


Rowan's Tarynn Smith (left) scored her 1st college goal vs Liberty on Sunday



Jessica Pareja & Sydney Flemister crash the net Saturday & are stopped by Lauren Solski

The challenging field has driven D2's top four teams - SJU, Phoenix, Columbia and Rowan - to new heights.  Saint Joseph's was 2-16-1 over the past two seasons. Now they have yet to be defeated in regulation (6-0-0-2).  Columbia was 0-10 last year.  This season they're in the hunt for 7-3.

"On and off the ice, we have really come together as a team," says team president Therese Cox.  "We're having fun and pushing each other to be our best."

In addition to improving in the division, D2 squads are besting those struggling in D1.  This weekend Rowan hosted LIBERTY for 2 games and won both (3-1, 3-2).  Megan Shellman notched her first 2 points of the season & Alyssa Davis had 2 goals for Liberty but Rowan held strong behind solid goaltending (Elizabeth Dietzel was .938) and the offensive prowess of Erin Calderon (2G) & Jessalyn Wright (3PTS).

Now that the division's post-season field is official, five regular season games remain to sort out seeding.  Tomorrow Columbia travels to IUP for two of those games (IUP's goodbye to the season) and Saint Joseph's will rematch Rowan.  Their last meeting was an overtime decision.  Is anyone surprised?

Next weekend #4 Columbia battles #3 Rowan in a match that could determine 3rd.  Then, the final game of the season, Phoenix vs SJU.  This time it could be for 1st seed.

Not one of the 4 teams lining up for the excitement of the Frozen Fair has ever won a DVCHC Championship. On February 15th, one of them, any one of them, will do just that.  A storybook ending to a record season.

It's an exciting year to be D2...