If you want to hear more from The Ice Garden’s NCAA team, check out our end-of-season roundtable.
While all goals count the same, not all goals are created equal. From empty-netters to overtime game-winners, each score has its own meaning over the course of both a game and a season.
Also, some of them look insanely cool. Like jaw-dropping, send-this-to-your-friends-right-away cool. Now that we’re in the depths of the offseason, here’s a reminder of the type of scoring we can look forward to seeing again next fall.
Note: This list was produced in a highly scientific manner and is 100% objective, unarguable, indisputable and, I’m sure, uncontroversial. The rankings were partially generated by a vote of The Ice Garden’s NCAA staff; let us know your thoughts in the comments.
No. 12: Harvard’s Kaley MacDonald vs. St. Lawrence on Feb. 21
Playoffs. Win or go home. Overtime. Does it get any more exciting than this?
Hosting No. 9 seed St. Lawrence, MacDonald, who scored just twice in the regular season, sent the Crimson’s fourth shot of the extra frame off defender Alexia Côté’s skate and toward the Bright-Landry Hockey Center rafters — and eventually into the back of the net.
This goal cracks the list because of its geometric infeasibility (cue Kevin Harlan), but doesn’t rank higher since the goal-scoring effort itself wasn’t anything to write home about.
No. 11: Northeastern’s Stryker Zablocki vs. Maine on Feb. 5
The fifth goal in what was eventually a 5-1 win isn’t a very exciting set-up, but what’s better than when a player on a breakaway decides to fire a wrist shot instead of attempting to deke out the goaltender?
Bonus points for what looks like a very solid Doghouse contingent traveling to Walter Brown Arena and immediately erupting in celebration. Minus points for Éloïse Caron’s celebration wipeout.
No. 10: Mercyhurst’s Julia Schalin vs. Lindenwood on Dec. 5
The first goal of Schalin’s second career hat trick is a bit hard to see, but if you watch it with the volume on, you get a sense of how improbable it was. The first sound heard is the puck deflecting off the Lindenwood defender’s stick, a half-second before the classic ping of a puck going bar down and into the back of the net. Not a bad way to start a 10-1 win.
No. 9: St. Anselm’s Lauren Waldo vs. Assumption Feb. 14
This goal isn’t the best deke or wrist shot to make the list, but it might be the best combination of the two. Waldo’s highlight-reel goal came in the middle of a three-game goal-scoring streak and is the lone NEWHA goal to make the list.
No. 8: Minnesota State’s Taylor Otremba vs. Minnesota Duluth on Oct. 18
If we weren’t already, we’re definitely in jaw-dropping territory now. Somehow, Otremba gets halfway through a toe drag then decides her best play is to push the puck between defender Kate Kosobud’s legs … and it works!
Interestingly, this was the only goal Minnesota State scored against UMD in their four regular-season matchups, but Otremba was held off the scoresheet in the Mavericks’ WCHA playoffs series upset of the Bulldogs.
No. 7: Ohio State’s Hilda Svensson vs. Wisconsin on March 7
If you can’t tell why this goal is ranked so high, go to about 0:25 in the video and keep watching until you see it. When I was going over all the impressive goals from this season, I didn’t think a tip-in would make the list. But this backhand effort from Svensson is on another level. Her stick is almost directly behind her! I don’t know if she could even see the puck as she tipped it.
Oh, and this goal tied the WCHA championship game with five minutes remaining in the third period. An epic goal at an epic time.
No. 6: Yale’s Carina DiAntonio vs. Princeton on Oct. 25
Scoring flashy goals is a bit easier in three-on-three overtime hockey. With fewer players on the ice, there’s more space to maneuver, while defenders’ legs are simultaneously getting tired.
Still, this goal from DiAntonio is well beyond the normal overtime heroics. When her first shot gets blocked, DiAntonio picks up the rebound and in one motion skates around a backcheck and past Second Team All-ECAC netminder Uma Corniea.
Also, it was her fourth goal of the game! Princeton gave up four or more goals just three times all season, to Cornell, Connecticut and DiAntonio.
No. 5: Princeton’s Issy Wunder vs. Brown on Feb. 14
Going into the final day of the regular season, Princeton sat one point behind Yale in the ECAC standings. While the Bulldogs faltered in overtime in the Battle of Whitney Avenue, Wunder stepped up for Princeton with a goal that will go at the top of her PWHL draft reel.
In a matter of seconds, Wunder shields the puck, shoves a defender to the ice with one hand, then, after her initial shot is blocked, manages to stay calm and shovel in the rebound to clinch a share of the regular-season conference title. There was no penalty on the play — the defender was just overpowered.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Assist of the Year: Minnesota’s Abbey Murphy (Goal by Bella Fanale) vs. Minnesota State on Jan. 10
This Murphy assist took the internet by storm in early January, racking up three million views (and counting) on twitter. Her move — flicking the puck up in the air then back down between the defenders leg’s — is almost something out of Banana Ball. And credit to Bella Fanale, who made sure the clip stayed perfect by executing her shot.
Shootout Goal and Goal Celebration of the Year: St. Lawrence’s Abby Hehl vs. Vermont on Oct. 10
No. 4: Boston College’s Sammy Taber vs. Northeastern on Dec. 6
Speaking of Banana Ball, Taber might have received some calls from the Bananas or at least the Boston College softball team after scoring this goal against Northeastern. As the analyst on the broadcast noted, Taber choked up on her bat/stick as the puck came her way — and she had a textbook opposite-field approach to redirect this puck into the net.
No. 3: Quinnipiac’s Emerson Jarvis vs. Franklin Pierce on March 13
It’s difficult to believe there were nine plays in any sport on March 13 better than this incredible Jarvis goal, which featured 10th on SportsCenter’s Top 10 Plays. The Bobcat forward looks like she’s in a video game as she guides the puck between a defender’s legs, around another defender, then backhands a shot through Jill Hertl’s five-hole.
The goal ended a courageous shutout bid by Hertl, who until that point had stopped all 33 shots she had faced. Her 35-minute scoreless stretch set the record for the longest a NEWHA team had kept its opponent off the board in an NCAA tournament game.
No. 2: Quinnipiac’s Kahlen Lamarche vs. Brown on Feb. 27
In every game, multiple players attempt a toe drag. Maybe it’s to fool an opposing defender or to avoid the prodding stick of a goaltender. Kahlen Lamarche’s toe drag in Game 1 of Quinnipiac’s ECAC quarterfinal series win over Brown is the best of the season. Her move was so successful that it caused both the Brown defender and goaltender to bite and subsequently get caught out of position. The context of the goal — the first score of the playoffs for Quinnipiac — adds to its brilliance.
Lamarche is one of the best pure scorers in college hockey. If anyone disagrees, show them this goal.
No. 1: Vermont’s Oona Havana vs. New Hampshire on Feb. 21
This goal is our best goal of the season because it’s so hard to figure out its best feature. Is it that the goal is an overtime game-winner? That it secures a hat trick? Or the insane between-the-legs Pavel Datsyuk-esque flip goal itself? How about that it came on the last day of the regular season and was the difference between Vermont finishing sixth or seventh in Hockey East?
While scoring your first career hat trick is pretty great, the goal itself is something else. It’s not like Sedona Blair was out of position in net — Havana just managed to flip the puck over the Wildcat netminder … while the puck was 180 degrees behind her! Also, I know this was a UNH broadcasting crew that was probably disappointed by the game’s result, but this goal call could have used a bit more excitement.
Thanks for reading! Make sure to stay tuned for TIG’s PWHL Entry Draft coverage and more.
