There's an old Canadian adage that goes: if you don't put the puck in the net, you just can't win. The Harvard women's hockey team learned this lesson the hard way last night, dropping a 2-0 decision to Colby in a hard-fought, well-played game at Bright Center.

After starting off the season with three wins in their first four games, the icewomen have done an about-face and lost three of four. Their record stands at 6-5, but last night they played better than a 6-5 team.

Colby came out strong in the first period, also looking much better than its 1-3 record would indicate. Skating hard, the visitors from Maine controlled the puck and kept Harvard tied up in its own end for most of the first period.

Most of the Colby shots went wide, and when they were on net, Harvard goalie Cheryl Tate came up with the tough saves. About halfway through the period, Tate brought the crowd to its feet, kicking out a shot that had wiggled its way through a maze of players in front of the net.

What Exams?

Both sides had very vocal supporters, with the Crimson cheering section the largest and loudest of the season.

After a scoreless first period, Tate was tested even more in the second. Playing much of the period shorthanded, the Crimson kept the Colby power play at bay. Tate faced a total of 13 shots, many of them from difficult angles, but none got by her.

The Crimson forwards had many chances of their own at the other end, but Colby's freshman goalie Susan Mead also proved impenetrable. With under two minutes to go in the period, a Liz Ward tip off Megan Berthold's slapshot missed the net by inches, and the game was still scoreless.

Opportunists

It didn't stay that way for very long. With just 23 seconds gone in the third period, Colby's Jill Watson took advantage of a Crimson defensive miscue and wristed the puck past a surprised Tate.

Colby fell into a defensive shell for most of the third period, often having to ice the puck to take the pressure off of their goalie. The Crimson skaters continued to swarm the net, but they kept coming up empty.

Fire on Ice

Debbie Taft made a rink-long rush, faking around two Colby defensemen, only to have her backhand slide just wide. Sue Newell let go a wicked wrist shot, but a screened Mead got her stick on it at the last minute.

Crimson Coach John Dooley pulled Tate with a minute left in the game, but Watson foiled the strategy by winning a face-off and slipping the puck into the empty net with nine seconds to go.

Colby only managed to outshoot the Crimson 21-18, and after the game goalie Tate remarked, "We played our best game of the season, playing three full periods for once."

"We just made one mistake, and we got burnt by it," Dooley said later, adding, "We still have not got the fine knack of finishing off the play. Their defense also intimidated us in front of the net."

THE NOTEBOOK: The Crimson doesn't play again until after exams, and its next home game is February 10 against Dartmouth.... The team does seem to have a knack for losing close games. Not counting open-net goals, three of its five losses have been by one goal, and another by only two... Only one other team--B.U. in the season opener--has shut out the Crimson this year... Forward Vicki Palmer celebrated her 21st birthday with a champagne and cake party in the locker room after the game.