W. Hockey Seeks Revenge

Although the Harvard women’s hockey team has enjoyed unparalleled success early in the season, they still remember last season’s bittersweet end.

After losing in double overtime in a battle for the ages, the Crimson is looking forward to its first rematch with Minnesota-Duluth.

“There is a lot of buzz in the locker room right now,” said co-captain defender Angela Ruggiero. “There’s still that memory for a lot of the older players.”

After ending last season—one of the best in Harvard women’s hockey history—with a 3-2 defeat in double overtime to Duluth, the No. 3 Crimson (11-0-0, 4-0-0 ECAC) visit the No. 4 Bulldogs (9-5-0, 5-3-0 WCHA) looking for revenge in a crucial two-game set this weekend.

“We’ve had a pretty competitive schedule to this point, and now its time to ratchet it up a little bit,” said Harvard coach Katey Stone. “But these are the kind of games you’re looking forward to.”

To date, Harvard has faced two ranked opponents, already defeating both No. 10 Providence and No. 7 UNH twice each on the way to its perfect start. This past Tuesday, the Crimson downed the Wildcats 4-0 at home, playing what Stone called the best game of the season.

Following the victory, the Crimson admitted that while they had not overlooked UNH, he team could not help thinking about the weekend’s dual.

“We were using this game as a warm-up for sure,” Ruggiero said. “We were using it as a vehicle to practice some of the little things.”

No previous Harvard opponent has brought an offensive threat like high-powered stars forwards Carolyn Ouellette and two-time Olympian Jenny Potter. The two Bulldog veterans have notched 28 and 26 points respectively, currently the third and seventh best totals in the country.

Having graduated three of its top five scorers from last year, Duluth has taken a considerable hit from the national championship team of last year. But the Bulldogs have proven so far this year that they still have the talent to compete for a national title. After dropping two games to No. 1 Minnesota to open the season, the Bulldogs split two-game sets with ECAC powerhouses No. 2 Dartmouth, No. 6 St. Lawrence and most recently No. 5 Wisconsin.

Each loss has been a tight one—only a one-goal margin in each defeat—and Harvard expects this weekend’s games to be just as close.

“We haven’t faced that highly-poised an offensive player like Potter and Ouellette yet,” Stone said. “We know what its like to have a combination like that on the line and it’s a tough thing to beat. I’m anxious to see what happens. ”

The Crimson will counter the Duluth attack with a defense and goalie that have been nearly unbeatable so far. Harvard’s defensive unit has suffocated opposing players, allowing more than a single goal only once in 11 games, while sophomore goaltender Ali Boe has posted an incredibly low 0.55 goals against average. Between the pipes, Boe and freshman Emily Vitt have combined for seven shutouts.

Expect the Crimson to play man-to-man defense against Duluth to shut down the Bulldogs’ shots on goal. Duluth averages 39.9 shots on goal per game this season.

“[Potter and Ouellette] are so effective individually, so you just have to mark up,” Ruggiero said. “You have to take their bodies; [otherwise] they’ll mesmerize you with their stick-handling skills.”

When Harvard controls the puck, the team will look for more scoring chances this weekend than the Crimson enjoyed against the defensive oriented teams it has faced recently.

“When you’re playing against an opponent who is very offensive, things are spread out, there are more spaces,” Stone said. “You get 2-1 breaks, and transition plays that can happen. We are looking forward to getting our kids a few more offensive chances.”

And if Harvard can convert those offensive chances into goals this weekend, its winning streak could stretch to 13 games. With the Crimson looking for revenge for last year’s championship game and Duluth wanting to knock off the unbeaten No. 3 team in the nation, Friday and Saturday’s games will have the feel of a postseason do-or-die contest.