The Harvard women's hockey team, 1986 and '87 Ivy League champion, looks strong in what should prove to be a competitive season.

The Crimson will have great depth, with six returning seniors and seven first-rate freshman recruits. Co-Captain and All-Ivy goalie Jen White is optimistic that the team will have three full lines, as opposed to relying on two in past years.

Of the seven freshmen, Coach John Dooley believes Sandra Whyte of Saugus, Mass., and Beverly Stickles of Concord, Mass., have the potential to receive All-Ivy and All-Ivy Rookie of the Year honors.

Other freshmen include Buffy Hansen, Ceci Clark, Sarah Colt, Ginny Simonds and Lauren Messmore. Co-Captain Julia Trotman thinks this strong incoming class will offset the loss of last year's seven seniors.

Junior Char Joslin, last season's leading scorer, Jen White, and high-scoring Co-Captain Brita Lind return, attempting to lead the Crimson to a third consecutive Ivy League title.

Last year's Captain and All-Ivy player, Julie Sasner, returns this season to help Dooley with the coaching. With her talent and experience, Sasner is expected to contribute a lot.

Harvard will need all its power as it will be competitive race for the Ivy title. Dartmouth and Cornell also have strong incoming classes, and Princeton, second in the league to the Crimson by only one point, returns many of last year's stars. Top ECAC teams like the University of New Hampshire, Northeastern and Providence, all scholarship schools, will feel this pressure although they are usually noticeably stronger.

Harvard hopes to maintain its edge in the Ivy League after winning five of six overtime contests last year. Dooley predicts the league will be equally strong this year.

The Crimson opens its season against Providence today in Rhode Island, followed by games against Boston College, Yale, Brown, UNH, Colby and Bowdoin before the Lake Placid Tournament over Christmas Break.

The maturity, experience and leadership of the seniors combined with this year's fiery freshman talent should build a strong nucleus of players, making Harvard the team to beat.