The Harvard women's hockey team chose a good time to begin its defense of its 1986-'87 Ivy League title.

The red-hot icewomen have racked up three shutouts in a row.

They have knocked in 21 goals in the last three contests.

They have outshot their last three opponents 169-22.

And, most importantly, Harvard won its third straight game, a 5-0 muzzling of the Yale Bulldogs Saturday in front of 125 fans at Bright Center.

The Crimson (now 3-1 overall, 1-0 Ivy) notched its first goal when Co-Captain Julie Sasner found linemate Brita Lind on the doorstep. Lind put the puck behind Yale goalie Tiff Bingham for a 1-0 lead with 1:21 gone in the first period.

Then with 1:21 left in the first period, Lind struck again, this time on the power play. The goal, assisted by Julia Trotman and Sasner, was the junior's sixth in two contests and 10th in the young season.

"I'm just glad I'm starting off the season well," Lind said. "I have a good line to play on."

In the second period, Lind set up Sasner for two goals, coming just 29 seconds apart.

The second of Sasner's goals came on the power play, with Yale's Maria Dennis off for interference. Sasner's 50-ft. slapshot lifted her into first place on Harvard's all-time scoring list (112 points), ahead of Diane Hurley '84.

When asked how it felt to be the all-time leading scorer, Sasner said modestly, "Not much different than not being the all-time leading scorer."

"I told my dad I'd get him the puck," Sasner added.

"Saz was marvelous," Harvard Coach John Dooley said. "She means everything [to the program]."

With Five You Get Eggroll

Late in the second period, sophomore Char Joslin made one of her patented solo charges straight up the slot--and through all five Yale defenders--to beat Bingham and close out the scoring.

But it was not quite time to celebrate. For the first time all season, Harvard was faced with a five-on-three deficit late in the second period. But with two of the Crimson's best skaters--Christine Burns and Joslin--occupying the Harvard penalty box, the squad was able to preserve Jennifer White's shutout.

THE NOTEBOOK: The icewomen face one of their toughest Ivy opponents of the season this week when they host Brown tomorrow in a game Dooley called "the big one"...Harvard also plays Eastern powerhouse New Hampshire Thursday at Bright.