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OT Goal Gives W. Hockey Beanpot Opener, 7-6

By Zevi M. Gutfreund, SPECIAL TO THE CRIMSON

BOSTON--There's just something about the Beanpot.

Maybe it's the local rivalries, maybe it's the tradition. Regardless, the No. 1 Harvard women's hockey team needed overtime for the first time this season to defeat No. 6 Northeastern 7-6 last night at Matthews Arena--the Huskies' home ice.

Freshman winger Jennifer Botterill completed her second hat trick of the season when she scored the game-winning goal 9:53 into the overtime period. She skated across the right face-off circle and accepted a timely pass from sophomore winger Tammy Shewchuk, who was handling the puck along the boards.

Botterill sent the puck top-shelf past Northeastern goaltender Shannon Meyers, who had to make 14 saves over the final 29:53 as the Crimson sent a flurry of shots on goal in crunch time.

"I just remember that Tammy had the puck while I was going into the net," Botterill said. "We had a two-on-one and Tammy feathered the puck perfectly. She put it right on the face of my stick and I just made sure I got off a clean shot."

The victory extended Harvard's winning streak to 14 games and sent the Crimson into the Beanpot championship game next Tuesday against Boston College, which beat Boston University, 9-1, in the evening's first semifinal.

After falling behind 6-4 early in the second period, the Crimson (17-1-0, 15-1-0 ECAC) settled down on defense and reeled off the final three goals, outshooting the Huskies (15-5-2, 10-4-2) 16-5 in the third period and overtime. That came after a first period which saw each team score four goals.

"This was fun," said co-captain A.J. Mleczko, who recorded two goals and four assists. "The Beanpot is the pride of Boston, and we have a great rivalry against Northeastern. Every time we play them the play is very physical and intense, which makes it fun."

The duo of Botterill and Shewchuk--who also play together on the Canadian Under-22 Team--sent the game into overtime on a play that resembled the game-winner with 6:02 left in regulation. Shewchuk won the puck in the right corner and found Botterill streaking into the crease to tie the game at 6-6.

Mleczko and freshman defenseman Angela Ruggiero contributed to both goals by keeping the puck in the offensive zone. Those four players, all of whom are amongst the nation's top five point scorers, combined for all seven Crimson goals as well as 11 of Harvard's 13 assists in the game.

Harvard Coach Katey Stone used the top line of Mleczko, Shewchuk and Botterill almost exclusively in the third period and overtime. The only other forwards that saw the ice at the end of the game were Angie Francisco, Kiirsten Suurkask and Tara Dunn, a trio of highscoringsophomores whom Stone combined into a makeshiftline to give the top line intermittent breathers.

"It's nice to have that line," Stone said."They are so highly trained physically that theycan go as long as they have to. There were timeswhen they didn't click like they normally do andthat's credit to Northeastern."

But even the nation's top scorers looked rustyin Harvard's first game since Jan. 10. Inuncharacteristic fashion, Mleczko found herselffumbling the puck, Botterill and Shewchuk were notconnecting on every pass as they usually do andRuggiero's blazing slapshots were sailing wide ofthe net. But Harvard still outshot Northeastern,39-26.

"Our strategy is to just wear opponents downand, eventually, our shots will go in," Shewchuksaid. "We're not looking for pretty goals, we justwant to get the puck in the net."

That was the case with 5:09 left in the secondperiod when Mleczko narrowed the Husky lead to onegoal at 6-5. Ruggiero drew a Northeastern penaltyin the defensive zone but kept the puck alive andflipped it to Shewchuk.

As Harvard freshman goaltender Alison Kuusistoskated off the ice to give the Crimson asix-on-five advantage, Shewchuk fed Mleczko in theneutral zone and the nation's top scorer skatedalone through a crowd of Huskies. She managed totake a shot from 10 feet away as she was fallingdown, and the puck trickled past Meyers forMleczko's second goal of the evening.

"At that point Northeastern was playing reallywell and making us take outside shots," Mleczkosaid. "It was definitely a lucky shot but itstayed on the ice and fortunately [Meyers] bobbledit. That gave us a lot of momentum heading intothe third period."

That play came after a disappointing start tothe second period--in which Harvard had 4:22 ofpower play opportunities, including more than aminute of a five-on-three advantage. ButNortheastern's special teams shut down Harvard andthe Crimson gave up its first shorthanded goal ofthe season 8:09 into the period.

All of that came after a frenetic first periodthat saw eight goals and seven penalties. TheHuskies capitalized in transition on severalCrimson mistakes to take the early lead. The firstdefensive lapse came 2:33 into the game whenHarvard failed to pass out of the defensive zoneand Husky senior forward Kathryn Waldo foundfreshman forward Brooke Whitney open in the postto open the scoring.

Then Northeastern strung together twoconsecutive power play goals as Harvard committedfour penalties in the first 13 minutes of thegame.

Waldo scored Northeastern's fourth goal of theopening period when she sent a rising shot on netthat Kuusisto gloved. However, she fell backwardsafter making the catch and slid into the goal,forcing the officials to award the Huskies a goal.

But Harvard responded to tie the game at 1-1,3-3 and 4-4. Shewchuk struck first when she putback the rebound of Mleczko's slapshot 3:54 intothe contest. Ruggiero knocked in a wrist shot onthe Crimson power play, Mleczko added a goal andBotterill scored on the power play off a deft passfrom Francisco in the right corner.

HARVARD, 7-6at Matthews Arena, BostonHarvard 4 1 1 1 -- 7Northeastern 4 2 0 0 -- 6

First PeriodNU--Whitney (Waldo, Totten) 2:33.Har--Shewchuk (Notman, Mleczko) 3:54.NU--Totten (Setaro, Witt) 11:38. (PPG)NU--Setaro (Giovanelli, White) 13:56. (PPG)Har--Ruggiero (Mleczko, Shewchuk) 15:15. (PPG)Har--Mleczko (Botterill, Shewchuk) 15:37.NU--Waldo (Witt) 16:22.Har--Botterill (Francisco) 18:34. (PPG)

Second PeriodNU--Lewis (Coen, Ferwerda) 3:43.NU--Witt (Setaro) 8:09. (SHG)Har--Mleczko (Shewchuk, Ruggiero) 14:51.

Third PeriodHar--Botterill (Shewchuk, Mleczko) 13:58.