Women's Ice Hockey Tops Clarkson, 2-0

Though temperatures are dropping outside, Harvard women’s hockey sophomoe goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer and the rest of the squad’s defenders are only continuing to heat up. Fueled by defensive intensity, the Crimson (6-1), skated to a 2-0 victory Saturday afternoon against Clarkson (8-3-2).

“The defense has been getting better and better every game,” Harvard coach Maura Crowell said. “Clarkson is a difficult team; they put a ton of pressure on our defense. But we were picking up sticks, doing the little things right and clearing pucks away for Emerance.”

Rock solid defense has been a staple of Harvard’s performance this year. The Clarkson victory marks the Crimson’s third shutout of the season. Maschmeyer made 36 saves in the match, keeping the Clarkson offense under control for 50 minutes of play.

“It definitely starts with Emerance.” Crowell said. “She made some really exceptional saves. She’s very athletic, and came up with some big ones that really held us in there this game.”

A solid defensive performance gave the offense the confidence it needed to take control of the match on the other side of the ice.

“Our goalie played an incredible game,” freshman defender Briana Mastel said. “She was on fire. We all trusted each other, so we knew we would pull through.”

One of the top offenses in the country, Clarkson’s attack was difficult to keep under control. Maschmeyer recorded multiple back-to-back saves in the showing, and her blue-liners played a big role in keeping the Knights off the scoreboard.

Harvard took the lead early in the game as sophomore forward Mary Parker posted the first goal halfway into the first period. Sophomore forward Dylanne Crugnale and junior defenseman Sarah Edney supplied the assist for Parker, who skated through the Knights defense to find the back of the net for the first time this season.

“It was a great top-shelf goal,” Briana Mastel said. “Mary was in perfect position, very close to the goal but she was able to put it top corner. It got us pretty pumped up, to come out and take the lead. It was definitely a good position to be in.”

Parker was not done quite yet. With a little help from her sister, senior defender Elizabeth Parker, Mary went on to notch her second goal of the season, posting her first multi-goal performance of the year.

The play came with eight minutes left in the second period, after Elizabeth launched a powerful backhand at the net, which rebounded off the pipe into her younger sister’s reach. Mary managed to slice the puck into the net, beating the Knight’s goaltender Erica Howe a second time.

“It’s not just the finish,” Crowell said. “The people that set up these plays were in the right spot too. Dylanne on the power play had a great pass to Mary, and she buried that really easily, and a nice little pass from her sister finished the second one.”

While the first goal was important in giving the Crimson the initial jump, it was the second shot that sealed the deal for Harvard, putting them in the driver’s seat of the match.

“We got our two goals, which was great,” Mastel said. “From that point on it was about playing defense and making sure we didn’t let Clarkson back in the game, which I thought we did really well.”

Clarkson featured a sister act of its own, as sophomore and senior forwards Cayley and Carley Mercer led the Knights offense. The two accounted for almost one third of the total of 36 shots taken by Clarkson.

With the Cornell game just around the corner, Harvard will be drawing from this weekend’s experience in the coming days to prepare for this rivalry game.

“Every game we get a little better, and in this one, I thought, as a team we did a lot of the little things right,” Crowell said. “We’re building confidence in a young team, and focusing on all of the little things and what it takes to keep going against a tough team. We’re learning how to be in tight situations and come away with the win.”