2004 Patty Kazmaier winner Angela Ruggiero (Harvard ’04) scored goals 83 seconds apart in the third period to break a 2-2 tie and lift the U.S. Women’s National Team to Sunday afternoon’s 5-2 victory against the Hockey East All-Star Team in an exhibition women’s ice hockey game at the Whittemore Center Sunday. Hockey East represented itself well with a 2-0 lead after one period.
Ruggiero, who was named the Player of the Game for Team USA, gave the U.S. team its first lead of the game, 3-2, with a power-play goal at 10:33 on a screened shot from the high slot. \
Ruggiero struck again at 11:56 to increase the lead to 4-2. The initial shot by former Harvard teammate Jamie Hagerman ’03 from the high slot sailed wide right of the goal, but the rebound caromed off the dashers back to the right post, where Ruggiero lifted the puck into the near corner.
Hagerman converted a centering pass from Krissy Wendell (Minnesota ’05) into a goal and a 5-2 advantage at 16:10. Minnesota senior Natalie Darwitz was also credited with an assist.
Hockey East All-Star goaltender Kaitlyn Shain, a UConn senior, finished with 41 saves to earn Player of the Game honors for her team. She stopped 11 shots in the first period and recorded 15 saves in both the second and third stanzas.
Team USA goalie Chanda Gunn (Northeastern ’05), a former Hockey East standout at Northeastern University, was credited with 10 saves.
Hockey East took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission on goals by Maine’s Kelly Law and BU’s Cara Hendry, at 11:51 and 16:54, respectively.
On the first power-play opportunity of the game, BC sophomore Deb Spillane threw a pass back to the point from the left circle. Law collected the puck and fired a slap shot through a screen into the goal. BC teammate Becky Zavisza was also credited with an assist by helping Hockey East win possession of the puck in the left corner.
Jaclyn Hawkins, the 2005 Hockey East Rookie of the Year out of UConn, set up the team’s second tally with a pass from behind the net to Hendry in the low slot.
Team USA stormed out of the locker room to quickly tie the score in the second period. Standing at the left doorstep, Darwitz swept a pass across the top of the crease from Jenny Potter into the net just 38 seconds into the stanza. Kathleen Kauth (Brown ’01) tied the game, 2-2, at 2:07 when she scored off a rebound in front of the net. Shain made the initial stop on a wraparound attempt by Kim Insalaco (Brown ’03), who swept behind the net to the left post.
The game remained tied for more than 27 minutes until Ruggiero’s quick strikes.
The Hockey East All-Star Team was selected by the eight league head coaches and all eight teams had at least one representative on the team.
