Alex Lightfoot is, you see, the supreme bubbling, cheerful "happy-jack," and as White says, "the perfect social butterfly" Even more to her credit, she's the true star of this year's Harvard squad

After an off year last year the Lyme, Conn native has become one of the Crimson's top scorers and one of the team's most respected players

"Alex just really provides the inspiration for everyone, Dooley says. "The difference between her play this seat and last year is just amazing"

The Winthrop House resident who had taken the Harvard team by fire her freshman and sophomore years with her aggressive style of play managed just one measly goal all last year And that scoring drought really bothered Lightfoot

"I just never played well all last year," she recalls "I thought I was probably skating harder than I was."

But all that changed this year Her teammate and roommate White says, "The thing is she just wasn't into it last year. But this year, she's really been psyched for every game and she's been skating much harder."

And with her newly found confidence. Lightfoot has quietly crept up among the team's scoring leaders and has provided many key goals, including the tying goal in this year's Beanpot final.

"Winning the two Beanpots was such a great thrill," Lightfoot says. "I've never been so excited about anything."

But that's a strange statement from someone who always seems excited. "She's always happy." White says. "I can't think of a time she's ever been depressed but I can say that she's calmed down a bit now in her old age."

As the season winds down, Lightfoot is finding it difficult to accept that her Harvard career is just about over, Before yesterday's practice, White recalls, "Lightfoot was so crazy she was running around saying that this might just be our last organized practice. She was having a little accepting that."

But Lightfoot revels in the role as one of the remaining few from the original Crimson squads. "It's a lot of fun to be able to look back at all that's happened," she says. "When I came here I was kind of scared I wasn't going to make it on the team."

Four years later, Dooley points out, "Alex is just about the key to the team."

"She's really the team character, Vicki really does her own thing: she does whatever she want to. And that's what's so great: she's so remarkable at getting people to laugh and respond to her"   --Alex Lightfoot

* * *

What second-year coach Dooley remembers most about Vicki Palmer occurred in last year's Ivy championship game against Princeton