Steering the Crimson to the Top

In true Harvard style, the co-captains of the 2003-2004 women’s ice hockey team are more than qualified for the task of leading this year’s squad.

Senior defenseman Angela Ruggiero, one of college hockey’s most experienced and decorated athletes, pairs with classmate forward Lauren McAuliffe, who brings her own share of experience and a contagious personality to the rink.

The Heart of the Defense

Ruggiero returns to the helm after serving as one of the four co-captains of last year’s national runner-up team.

“Angela is the best defenseman in the world,” McAuliffe says. “On the ice she’s such a great example. I’ll look and just watch the other defenders watching her and seeing what she does.”

Ruggiero has also played an integral part in anchoring Harvard’s defense for the three years she has skated for the Crimson.

“I think Ruggiero is the most exciting player to watch overall because of the things that she can do,” says Harvard coach Katey Stone.

“I’d see freshman last year try to mimic her style a bit because she knows the game so well,” McAuliffe says. “She’s so good at it, and they have so much to learn from her. It’s kind of like how Jen Botterill [’02-’03] was as a forward. I could always watch her in the drill in front of me and be like “OK, that’s how it’s done, I’ll try to do that.””

“Her athletic resume is incredible,” Stone says.

That just might be a bit of an understatement.

After her first three seasons at Harvard, Ruggiero holds the school record for most points by a defenseman (198) as well as in a single season (83). She has also been nominated for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award as the most valuable player in the league every year.

But her accolades and impressive statistics are not the reason she’s the Crimson’s co-captain for the second year in a row. Nothing is as precious as the hockey experience she brings to the team.

The 23-year old blue-liner took two years off between her sophomore and junior years to train full time with the U.S. Women’s National Team and compete in the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah.

“Age definitely helps being a captain, as does experience,” Ruggiero says. “I spent two years of my life completely devoted to hockey, so I have some experience in what it takes [to succeed] and in dedication.”

Ruggiero hasn’t always been the team sage; she’s seen it from both sides. At 18 years old, she was the youngest member of the 1998 Olympic gold medal-winning U.S. women’s hockey team in Nagano, Japan.

“I think she’s always led through her example as a player,” Stone says. “And now there’s an opportunity to demonstrate, but also verbalize, to her teammates just how you get to be that successful—the steps you have to take, the sacrifices you have to make, the mental toughness that has to be there in order to achieve some of the things that she’s been able to achieve.”

Stone believes that Ruggiero has one more achievement to add to her and Harvard’s resume.

“I think Angela Ruggiero is going to have the best season she’s ever had in hockey,” Stone says. “She’s ready to help this Harvard program get itself back to a national championship.”

Smells Like Crimson Spirit

Building an equally impressive resume with a different style, co-captain Lauren McAuliffe, a player whose gritty play on the ice is matched only by her finesse as a model teammate in the locker room. McAuliffe steps up in to a leadership role after playing a key role in Harvard’s campaign to the championship.

That role began immediately after Harvard’s nail-biting 4-3 double-overtime loss to Minnesota-Duluth in last season’s championship game.

“Cully was incredibly upset last year, as everyone was,” Stone says. “I think the way she handled it was very captain-like. She was just what you would imagine a leader would be, and so handled it with disappointment but immediately started to focus on the next goal.”

Affectionately called “Cully” by her teammates, McAuliffe, who was lightly recruited out of high school, has become one of Harvard’s most valuable players.

“Cully has been our best utility player since she’s came here,” Stone says. “I can put that kid anywhere because she’s such a smart hockey player. She can play anywhere on a power play, anywhere on a man-down situation, because she just adjusts to the game.”

McAuliffe has since launched herself into the spotlight of women’s ice hockey. She has gone from Harvard’s third line freshman year to her second invitation to the USA Hockey National Team Festival this year.

“Cully is just an incredible story of someone who has just proven everyone wrong,” Stone says. “I think she’s always proven people wrong, that she should be here, that she belongs here in college hockey. And she’s been very successful for us.”

McAuliffe, who hails from North Reading, Mass., also plays for the varsity softball team in the spring, and her determination and dedication paid off in this sport as well—she went from a member of the JV squad for two years to a permanent spot on the varsity team as a walk-on this spring.

Despite these athletic virtues, teammates and coaches alike feel the most appealing part of McAuliffe is her infectious personality.

“She is a great leader because she truly enjoys herself on the ice, and her attitude is contagious,” says fellow senior forward Mina Pell. “Not only is she a talented player, but she has a unique sense of charisma that is unmistakably “Cully!””

McAuliffe keeps things light for her team, helping the other players strike a balance between hockey and the rest of life.

“She makes sure that we don’t take ourselves too seriously and she reminds us that we should keep hockey and being with the team fun,” says sophomore forward Julie Chu. “However, at the same time, she understands that there is a time and a place for everything and when it comes time to work, she pushes herself and those around her.”

Heart and Soul

The combination of Ruggiero and McAuliffe strikes the perfect balance of success, work, dedication and fun. The two are good friends off the ice, which helps make their teamwork more effective.

“I think we may see Angela emerge as an even greater leader this year as a result of she and Cully getting along great,” Stone says.

“We’re both on the same page,” McAuliffe says. “We’re really good friends which is great because there’s really great communication between the two of us.”

“We’re both positive people in general,” Ruggiero says. “I’ll speak when something needs to be said. But you need someone to be the leader who everyone looks to for “how do I do this?” That’s Lauren. She gets the team excited to go out there, like a spark plug.”

Both Ruggiero and McAuliffe know exactly where they want to take this year’s team.

“Last year we did awesome, but we didn’t win it all,” McAuliffe says. “There was that one goal left undone. I’m looking to get that this year, so we’ve got to be better than we were last year.

“We just need to be on the same page and have the same mind set that we’re going to Providence; we’re going to the Frozen Four this year. And I guess that starts with the captains, the seniors and the juniors. If we have that in our mind that we’re going there, then everyone’s just going to jump on board with that and just follow us.”

Stone believes their shared mind set reflects their Harvard experiences.

“They just know what it’s like to be a part of this program,” Stone says. “These kids understand how important it is to pass on that tradition and expectation, and I think they’re just really great role models.”

“I try to show the younger kids how we play Harvard hockey,” McAuliffe says, “to show them what everyone’s worked for, for so many years, to get to the point where we are, and to make sure they appreciate that.”

The balance between Ruggiero and McAuliffe should serve the Crimson well this season as aim to take Harvard to this year’s Frozen Four in Providence, R.I.

“We have great leadership on this team,” Stone says, “and that’s going to be the key to our success.”