Hanover
The bigger news coming out of Thompson Arena during the evening, however, was first-year coach Laura Schuler’s statement that she’s the lead candidate to coach the Canadian Olympic women’s team at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Such an appointment would mean Schuler would leave Dartmouth for roughly a year.
“They’ve already told me I’m the person they want,” Schuler said of Hockey Canada, which oversees the sport’s national and Olympic arms. “They’ll make their final decision and I’ll make my final decision at the end of the (season).
“It’s a huge honor and a dream of mine, but I’ll have to continue to discuss it with my family.”
Schuler, also in her second year as Canada’s women’s national team coach, was in Finland for an international competition during Dartmouth’s previous two games, at St. Lawrence and Clarkson. She said she doesn’t anticipate missing any more time with the Big Green this season, although she’ll be with Canada for games against the U.S. in December, when the Big Green is on 27-day break between games.
Schuler and athletic director Harry Sheehy said earlier this year they expect her high-level connections to pay recruiting dividends. Schuler said Friday that although the program’s freshman class for next year was completed by the previous coaching staff, she’s optimistic about the 2018 crop and expects to turn the ship around before then.
“I hope that my experience in coaching will attract national-level players,” Schuler said. “We’re working hard in the recruiting process and we’re going after top-level kids. It’s definitely a battlefield out there for them, but I’ve been happy with how hard my staff has been working.”
Schuler’s lead assistant, Chris Cobb, has one previous year of Division I experience and the second assistant, Courtney Sheary, came to Dartmouth from the prep school ranks. Schuler said it’s possible she would be replaced by a more-experienced, interim head coach should she accept the Olympic job.
“The focus right now is for me to be a part of that Olympic coaching staff as we go forward,” she said. “Right now, I’m really happy with my assistants and what they’ve been showing me.”
Dartmouth hasn’t shown much of an offensive pulse this season, being outscored by a combined 18-3 and taking 67 fewer shots than their opponents. Senior Robyn Chemago made 33 saves against the No. 8 Bobcats on Friday, when the Big Green committed six of the game’s seven penalties but killed off all the visitors’ power plays. The hosts had 16 shots, three during the third period.
“We have to find a way to put the puck in the net, for sure,” said captain and senior wing Mackenzie St. Onge, who has three points in 92 college games. “It’s got to come from all over the team. Everyone has to contribute and make sure we’re finding a way to score.”
Dartmouth graduated three of its top four scorers from last season, when it staggered to a 6-19-3 record and missed the eight-team ECAC playoffs. Those lost accounted for 44 percent of the Big Green’s offense during the 2015-16 campaign, when it was outscored, 74-51. The leading returning scorer, Kennedy Ottenbreit, has two assists this season.
“We’ve got to continue to focus on getting pucks deep,” said Schuler, previously an assistant at Minnesota-Duluth and the head coach at Northeastern, her alma mater, before that. “You’re always looking for the pretty shot on net, and nowadays goalies are just too good. You have to create chaos in front of the net and get pucks to the blue paint.”
Dartmouth took only four of the first period’s 19 shots but hung tough against a foe both skilled and poised on the power play. The Bobcats’ Kenzie Lancaster scored after curling out from behind the net midway through the game, but the hosts equalized on Eleni Tebano’s power-play goal seven minutes into the final stanza.
Quinnipiac (8-4-1, 3-2) notched the winning goal just 40 seconds later, however, Kate MacKenzie ripping home a high shot fro atop the right circle.
“Our identity is more of a grinder-type team that needs to outwork other teams and I think the girls are buying into it,” Schuler said. “Quinnipiac is a really good team and our girls battled hard tonight.”
What does the long-term future hold for Schuler and her team? St. Onge brushed the question aside.
“We’ll get to that one as it comes,” she said. “We’re here right now, and we’re playing Princeton tomorrow.”
Said Schuler: “I know we have players here who can turn this into a winning program right now. They showed tonight how hard they can compete against a top-10 team and it’s not going to be long before they start creating some wins.”
Tris Wykes can be reached at twykes@vnews.com or 603-727-3227.