Both teams recorded double digit shots on net and tallied a goal in the first period, but it was the Catamounts that came out on top, defeating Dartmouth, 2-1. With the loss, Dartmouth falls to 4-12-2 overall and wraps its nonconference play.
The Big Green and Catamounts both pressured offensively early, as Dartmouth put 14 shots on net and Vermont put 17 on Michaela Hesová. It wasn’t until the final two minutes that pucks found the back of the net.
16 saves in the first period? No big deal for Michaela Hesová.#GoBigGreen | #TheWoods pic.twitter.com/P8iO7xNrjh
— Dartmouth Women’s Hockey (@Dartmouth_WIH) January 3, 2026
Dartmouth scored first. Shae Messner poked the puck out of the defensive zone to Ella Inglis who carried it through the neutral zone and passed to Hamilton Doster. Doster sent a shot into the crease, leaving the rebound loose for Messner who found a hole to give her team a 1-0 lead.
Shae Messner opens the scoring at Thompson Arena!#GoBigGreen | #TheWoods pic.twitter.com/s4frfd8O6h
— Dartmouth Women’s Hockey (@Dartmouth_WIH) January 3, 2026
Battling in the crease and finding loose rebounds was a point of focus for the Big Green coming out of Friday’s loss, and Head Coach Maura Crowell was happy it paid off.
“We came out with a ton of fire. Fired 14 shots on net in the first. I think they had double digits, too,” Crowell said. “So, it was fun. Very, very fast offensive period, and really excited that we were rewarded for being tough, paying the price around the net, and sticking with it.”
Hear from Head Coach Maura Crowell following Saturday’s game.#GoBigGreen | #TheWoods pic.twitter.com/0pjFhTw1hi
— Dartmouth Women’s Hockey (@Dartmouth_WIH) January 3, 2026
The offense would not end there, as Vermont responded just 29 seconds after Dartmouth to tie the game at one.
“That’s sports, right? We’re going to score; they’re going to score. Sometimes it takes 10 minutes, sometimes it takes less than that. So, what’s our response?” Crowell said about how the first period ended. “That’s the most important thing in hockey is what happens when something goes wrong. How do you respond? So I liked our response after we got through a couple minutes after the goal, we settled in, and the rest of the game was really back and forth.”
The Big Green and Catamounts played a majority of the second period knotted at one, but it was again in the final two minutes that the score shifted. Vermont, outshooting Dartmouth 7-6, found the back of the net with 1:12 to play in the period to take a 2-1 lead.
In the third period, the Big Green flipped the script, outshooting Vermont 7-5, and despite a power play opportunity and extended 6-on-5 pressure with the goalie pulled, Vermont held on for the 2-1 victory over Dartmouth.
Hesová finished the night with 27 saves, again earning credit from her head coach. The Big Green were also 3-for-3 on the penalty kill and impressed Crowell in multiple phases of the ice.
As nonconference play concludes, Dartmouth will shift their focus back to conference play and the final 12 games of the regular season.
“This was probably our most complete weekend of the season. From defense to offense, goaltending was outstanding,” Crowell said about her team. “I saw our freshmen take big steps in maturing in their game, upperclassmen doing what they needed to do. We had 21 blocks last night, 13 tonight. So, I just see us progressing. Results didn’t go our way, but really like the way we played.”
The Big Green will be back in action at Thompson Arena on Friday, January 9 taking on the Yale Bulldogs at 3 p.m. You can watch the game on ESPN+, follow the live stats on DartmouthSports.com, or purchase tickets here.
