There hasn't been much reason for the women's ice hockey team to emulate the performance of the men's squad for most of the winter. However, the icewomen hope to repeat the Monday night Beanpot shellacking of Northeastern when they face off against the women Huskies tonight at 8 p.m. at the Bright Center.

The Crimson (4-7 overall, 2-3 Ivy) seeks its third consecutive victory tonight after close pre-exam triumphs over Yale and Dartmouth. With the past two one-goal wins, which followed heartbreaking losses to Boston College, Princeton, and Brown, the skaters have proven a knack to prevail in close contests.

Co-captain Lauren Norton, whose two goals and an assist sparked Harvard's 3-2 win over Yale, spoke yesterday of the team's changed attitude since the Dartmouth victory. "The team's realized that you can't sit back on a one-goal lead in the third period," the All-Ivy defenseman said, adding, "Everyone's fired up now. We're thinking about winning."

Norton teams with Megan Berthold, Julie Starr, and Deb Taft on the Crimson defense, which must skate well, maintain concentration to stop the Northeastern attackers and clear the puck against the Huskie two-man forecheck. Offensively, Harvard's top two lines provide most of its scoring punch.

Leading scorer Diane Hurley (six goals, three assists), Alex Lightfoot, and Sara Fischer form the most potent line, accounting for 14 red-lighters this season. Co-captain Firkins Reed centers for Sue Yunick and Vicki Palmer on the second line, which has tallied ten goals, including both bingos against Dartmouth.

The Huskies, currently ranked fourth in the East, will be, according to Harvard Coach Rita Harder, the toughest team the Crimson must face this season.

Northeastern, sporting a 8-5-1 ledger, substitutes size and strength for what it lacks in quickness. Freshmen centers Patti Storey and Carolyn Sullivan, along with wingers Jenni Pollack and co-captain Donna Sorrentino, lead the visitors, who averaged more than six goals per game until last week.

Solid

A trio of talented skaters, co-captain Tricia Devine, Patti MacGrath and Lee Ann Terhunes, form the solid defensive core in front of three-year veteran goalie Diane DerBerghosian.

Yet, despite probably being the most talented squad individually in the league, Northeastern has failed to skate as a unit, particularly in its last three outings, a tie with Cortland State (2-2), and losses to Boston University (0-1) and B.C. (1-2). Although the Huskies dominated both contests--outshooting B.U. 36-10 and B.C. 37-12--they faced exceptional netminders and remained content to limit their offense to unleashing slapshots from the point and hoping for a rebound.

Northeastern coach Paula Dumart attributes the slump to a lack of ice time since the new year, when scheduling conflicts at the N.U. arena reduced the women's practice time from five days a week to three. The Huskies' youth (11 of 17 skaters are freshmen) may also add to the squad's inconsistent performance.

Still, Northeastern comes to Cambridge eager to return to its winning ways and to vent some of the frustration that has built up over the past two weeks.

With exams over and the women's Beanpot and Ivy Tournaments just a few weeks away, the time is ripe for the Crimson to pull together for a big win and a strong season finish. If the skaters capitalize on their speed in both skating and passing, if the forwards flex their sluggish offensive muscle, and if Yardling Cheryl Tate maintains her hot performances in the nets, Harvard can--and just might--upset Northeastern tonight. Remember, Bright Center, 8 p.m.