By, David Hashagen

In a state tournament that has been filled with excitement and drama, it was only appropriate that the final game before the state championship would experience plenty of both.  But at the end of the night it was an overtime snipe from Brynn Dandy that sent the Panthers of Princeton Day to the Prudential Center on Monday.  After falling to the Morristown-Beard Crimson twice in a row in the state tournament, including in the 2022 state final, it was finally the Panther’s day in a 4-3 OT thriller at Codey Arena on Wednesday night.

The game began at a breakneck pace with both teams creating great chances in the offensive zones of the ice.  Both netminders were stubborn however, with Kelly Stevens and Hannah Mortazavi both making impressive saves in the first 10 minutes.  The Panthers held a majority of the chances through the first, which was finally rewarded late in the period.  Senior Grace Ulrich, who has had a breakout campaign this season, finally got a shot past Mortazavi to give Princeton Day a 1-0 lead.

The second period was fully controlled by the Crimson, who seemed to remember their mission to return to their rightful place at the Prudential Center.  Colby commit Julie Jasaitis connected with the first goal for Mo-Beard, popping the water bottle over Stevens’ shoulder.  Just a minute and a half later, the Crimson would take their first lead, as the freshman phenom Emma Fuchs lifted an incredible backhand over the shoulder again of the Princeton Day netminder.  The pair of goals inspired the Crimson for the rest of the period, as every member on the roster seemed ballooned by the two goal swing, with shot blocking high on the priority list.

That would change to all out madness in the third period, as this game followed the trend of the entire state tournament to this point.  On the power play from a penalty late in the second, Grace Ulrich would again finish off a chance in front, scoring off a rebound after a series of remarkable saves by Mortazavi to tie it at 2.  Morristown Beard would issue an immediate response from their leader Julie Jasaitis who took off on a breakaway and after an impressive stick handle, beat Stevens to give Coach Driver’s side the lead again.  For the next 10 minutes Princeton Day led a furious pressure push, with Mortazavi forced into great saves with a ton of blocked shots along the way. The pressure finally paid off with 3:10 remaining in the third period as Eibhleann Knox sent a beautiful pass in front to a waiting Della Gilligan who sent it home for her 10th goal of the season.

Despite chances from both sides in the last 3 minutes, the game rightfully went to overtime.  But it wouldn’t take long for the drama to reach its climax.  Just 1:37 into overtime, Brynn Dandy received the perfect pass in the slot from her sister Samantha, and released a picture perfect wrister to the top corner of the net to set off pandemonium for the Panther faithful.  The win sends Princeton Day to the Prudential Center for the first time since their difficult 7-0 in 2022.  There they will face Immaculate Heart, last year’s runner up to Pingry, as both will go for their first ever state title, and the first title officially recognized by the NJSIAA since the recognition of girls ice hockey as a varsity sport last winter.  If the semifinals and the tournament as a whole are anything to go by, Monday’s finale will be must watch viewing at the Rock.