Crimson clicking through thick and thin

No. 1 icers get by Huskies, fry Friars to stay perfect

By Andrew Brooks

Harvard News Office

Something of a scoring famine and a big scoring feast visited the Harvard women’s hockey team this past weekend at home and away. Yet through it all, the robust Crimson found a way to satisfy what’s become an apparent taste for victory, overcoming a stingy University of Connecticut club, 2-0, on Friday (Dec. 7) at Bright Hockey Center, before putting away host Providence, 4-1, on Saturday (Dec. 8).

With the wins, Harvard seizes the No. 1 spot in the country and improves to 11-0-0 on the season. Even before this latest round of victories, the Crimson were the only unbeaten, untied hockey squad in the nation. Now, they’ve tied the best start in the history of the women’s program; a record established by the spirited 2003-04 Crimson squad, which featured a handful of Olympians who ultimately fell in the NCAA finals. Not bad company.

Against No. 10 Connecticut, meanwhile, Harvard was held scoreless through two periods for just the second time this season. That’s no small detail considering that Harvard’s scoring offense ranks fourth in the country at nearly four goals per game. Weirder yet, in the first and middle stanzas the Crimson largely dominated possession of the puck, firing off 60 total shots, half of which were on target and subsequently saved by sensational Huskie netminder Jennie Bellonio.

And though the human shield from Storrs, Conn., went on to collect a career-high 40 saves on the night, Harvard’s Sarah Vaillancourt ’09 eventually broke the stalemate at the 7:07 mark of the final period when she snaked a rebounded puck into the corner of the net. Four minutes later, the Crimson sealed the deal with another tally after junior Jenny Brine ripped a clean shot from the crease to set up the 2-0 final. Harvard goalie Christina Kessler ’10, meanwhile, recorded 14 saves in the win.

The following night at Providence, Harvard exhibited its customary well-balanced attack en route to a 4-1 win. All told, four different players tallied goals, including senior captain Caitlin Cahow, who notched the go-ahead goal on the power play with three-and-a-half minutes remaining in the opening period. Cahow’s most recent goal — assisted by Vaillancourt — brings her season total to five to pace Harvard defensemen.

In the second period, Vaillancourt kicked off a three-goal onslaught at the 7:53 mark to give the visitors a 2-0 cushion. It proved useful, as the Friars responded within minutes when Katy Beach got one by Kessler to halve the deficit.

The Friars’ hope for a comeback was quickly squelched, however. With Providence skating a player short following a holding penalty, Crimson freshman Liza Ryabkina hurriedly netted a goal to set up a 3-1 tally. Less than four minutes later, Brine tacked on an unassisted goal to cap the scoring fit.