BOSTON--Like its male counterparts, the Harvard women's hockey team took on Northeastern University in the second round of the Beanpot. The circumstances of last night's final game at Matthews Arena were a little different, however.
Last night was the Beanpot championship game, not the consolation round. Harvard was without the services of only one player, Co-Captain Sue Cullinane, who has been nursing a leg injury. But like the men, Harvard fell to the Huskies, 2-1.
Unbelievably enough, Harvard was able to hold onto a narrow 1-0 lead through two-thirds of the third period before Bev Stickles was whistled for interference. This penalty provided NU with its third opportunity to tie the game.
Junior Co-Captain Sandra Whyte, Jen Minkus, freshman Francie Walton and Joey Alissi took the ice for the man-down Crimson, and it took the Huskies less than a minute to tie the game, 1-1. Huskies forward Michelle Wortman knotted the game on a wrap-around. A minute later Wortman struck again, putting NU ahead to stay.
Minkus put the Crimson up, 1-0, midway through the first period. During the first power play of the evening, Minkus stole the puck off the stick of an NU defender and passed to Ginny Simonds. Simonds returned the puck to a charging returned the puck to a charging Minkus, and the junior forward knocked it inside the near post past Husky netminder Sue Guay.
Harvard got aggressive play from both lines and both defensive pairs. Last weekend's stat, Alissi, shifted to the blue line where she was paired with classmate Beth Mess-more. The duo of Stickles and Walton, who is nursing a sternum injury, also did an excellent job of containing one of the premier offensive units in women's hockey.
The Crimson was able to dodge numerous Husky bullets throughout the second period. A Stickles holding penalty gave NU a golden opportunity to tie the game. But the penalty-killing unit did just that--kill the penalty, keeping the Huskies far away from the net.
Harvard goaltender Gillian D'Souza was saved by the post on NU's best opportunity of the night. The senior goalie made a glove save on a hard shot which dribbled out of the webbing of her glove and towards the net. The post slowed the puck, however, and D'Souza prevented a rebound.
The goalposts were D'Souza's friends all night. A second NU chance was inches too high, hitting the top of the crossbar. The puck bounced up and landed underneath the senior goaltender. D'Souza (27 saves) once again fell on the near miss. First Period: 1, H. Jen Minkus (7) (Ginny Simonds) 11:28. Penalties--NU, Laura Bennion (roughing) 11:01; H. Minkus (boarding) 13:15. Second Period: Scoring: None. Penalties--NU, Michelle Wortman (hooking) 3:48; H. Bev Stickles (holding) 6:38; NU, bench minor (too many women on the ice, served by Geanine Sobek) 14:45. Third Period: 2, NU, Wortman (Laura Schuler) 11:47; 3, NU, Wortman (Theresa Moriarty, Schuler). Penalties--H. Stickles (interference) 10:53. Saves: H--Gillian D'Souza 27; NU--Sue Guay 16.
Read more in Sports
ScoreboardRecommended Articles
-
W. Hockey Advances to Beanpot Final with 8-1 B.C. BlowoutCHESTNUT HILL, Mass.--It's Harvard and Northeastern once again in the women's Beanpot final. The Crimson dispatched B.C. 8-1 last night
-
Tracksters Upset Huskies, 71-65Third time pays for all. A bit of a cliche, perhaps, but ask Adam Dixon, John Murphy and Thad McNulty
-
Lackluster Weekend Up NorthThe Harvard women's hockey team travelled North for the weekend. However, its play went South. In a generally disappointing weekend,
-
Wildcats Blister Icewomen, 6-0The Harvard women's hockey team continued its frigid play on foreign ice, dropping a 6-0 decision to New Hampshire in
-
Hockey Power UNH Overwhelms IcewomenThe University of New Hampshire women's hockey team is considered the best in the country. And now the Harvard Crimson
-
Icewomen Survive Scare by Brown, 5-2After scoring two goals in the first two minutes against a bus-weary Brown team at Bright Arena last night, it
