Women’s Hockey Earns Overtime Win Against No. 5 Minnesota Duluth During Friendship Four

On Friday, the women’s ice hockey team took the ice in Belfast, Northern Ireland, for the Friendship Four tournament. The Crimson competed against No. 5 Minnesota Duluth (UMD) for the first game of the series in its opening matchup of the new year, winning 3-2 in overtime thanks to a golden goal scored by freshman forward Carla McSweeney.

For the first time in the eleven-year history of the Friendship Four, Ireland is hosting Harvard (7-6-1, 4-5-1 ECAC) alongside Minnesota Duluth (12-6-0, 8-6-0 WCHA), Quinnipiac, and Boston University in a competition for the Belpot Trophy.

The Crimson, though unranked, proved its ambition for a win early in the game by scoring two goals in the first period and fiercely defending its net. Although Harvard faced the top-ranked UMD team, the squad was motivated to secure an upset win on the road. Although the Bulldogs caught up by the third period by tying the score at 2-2, the Crimson bounced back to score the winning goal in overtime. Harvard looked forward to this opportunity, especially being able to compete at such a large scale in the SSE Arena, home to the Belfast Giants Elite Ice Hockey League team.

“It’s not every day that you have this type of opportunity,” junior captain Zoe Boosamra said. “So we’re just really looking forward to taking it all in — enjoying the moment — and showing you guys some good hockey.”

The first period began with Minnesota taking shots against Harvard but seeing no success. The Crimson’s sophomore goaltender Ainsley Tuffy did not falter under the Bulldogs’ offensive onslaught, keeping the game into an initial deadlock. In fact, during the game, Tuffy tallied 55 saves, the most in a victory in Harvard women’s hockey history.

With just over eleven minutes left in the period, senior captain Kate Kasica drove forward to score a shorthanded goal for Harvard. Freshman forward Elle Sproule was in the box for hooking, but Kasica was able to intercept a pass and nab a breakaway, securing the first point for the Crimson and setting the score 1-0 for the first period.

At five minutes until the end of the period, another penalty was issued to both Harvard’s sophomore forward Emily Hamann and UMD’s sophomore forward Caitlin Kraemer. Soon after, the Bulldog’s senior defender, Krista Parkkonen, joined Kraemer in the penalty box, allowing a 4-on-3 power play for the Crimson, but the Harvard team was unable to capitalize on the opportunity.

The second period opened with another flurry of shots from both teams, but neither was able to break through and score. Tuffy continued to block shots from the Bulldogs, preventing them from pouncing on any loose rebounds.

With only a minute left in the relatively stagnant period, the Crimson persevered. Sophomore forward Ella Lucia struck through defenders to fire another goal into the back of the net. Lucia scored the second point for Harvard and her third of the season, ending the period with a score of 2-0 in favor of the Crimson.

In the third period, the Bulldogs, hungry to redeem their ranked reputation, relentlessly threatened the Crimson’s net. However, Harvard continued to stand its defensive ground, with Tuffy making save after save.

After almost ten minutes of continuous offensive plays, UMD’s senior forward Thea Johansson got past Tuffy for the first time to tally the Bulldogs’ first goal. Soon after, junior forward Grace Sadura scored to even the playing field at 2-2 in the final frame of the game.

With both teams now on their toes and fighting for a win, UMD removed its goaltender, placing another player onto the ice for a 6-on-5 advantage in hopes of pushing ahead on the scoreboard.

Both the Crimson and Bulldogs played aggressively in the final minutes of regulation play. Lucia received a penalty for boarding, enabling UMD to go on a power play. Junior forward Angelica Megdanis anchored the penalty kill for Harvard, refusing to give up possession of the puck and demonstrating the Crimson’s determination to upset the ranked Bulldogs.

Since the third period ended in a 2-2 tie, the game extended into overtime.

With 4-on-4 play, the competition was tense. Although each team was exhausted, offensive and defensive action did not slow down on either side of the ice.

With just 20 seconds left in the game, McSweeney, assisted by freshman defender Emi Biotti and forward Gwyn Lapp, found the back of the net to claim victory for the Crimson.

Throughout the highly intense game with UMD, Harvard persevered and asserted its dominance against a top-10 opponent. The Crimson wrapped up the first game of the Friendship Four with a statement win.

The game was a testament to Harvard’s perseverance, grit, and drive in high-stakes situations. Tomorrow, it will face Boston University (4-11-3, 4-6-2 Hockey East) in the Friendship Four Championship. The Crimson will take on the Terriers, who beat Quinnipiac in overtime, to vie for the Belpot Trophy.

Harvard women’s hockey fans can tune into YouTube TV at 2:00 PM EST to watch the Friendship Four Championship Game in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

—Staff writer Kaylyn H. Kim can be reached at [email protected]