The Northeastern Huskies have not been kind to the Harvard women's ice hockey team this season.
On Tuesday night in the opening round of the 18th annual women's Beanpot, the Huskies defeated an injury-plagued Crimson squad for the third time this season, winning 4-0. Northeastern (12-10-4, 7-5-1 ECAC) advances to next week's final against Boston College who was also victorious in Tuesday's action. Harvard (9-11-1, 3-6-1) will play Boston University in next Tuesday night's consolation game.
Harvard entered the game with an already thin defensive corps decimated by injuries. The Crimson, who began the season with just five defensemen lost junior Colleen Malek and freshmen Melissa Milbert earlier in the year and saw star forward/defensemen A.J. Mleczko go down with a shoulder injury in last week's Dartmouth game. These injuries left the Crimson with just one defensive substitute.
But Harvard was quick not to make that an excuse after the game.
"We played really hard and really well against them," freshmen Olivia Nottebohm said. "This is the best that we played against them all year."
The Huskies wasted no time taking advantage of the beat-up Crimson squad. Less then one minute into the game, Northeastern left wing Keri-Anne Allen intercepted an errant Crimson pass and fed Husky center Danyel Howard. Howard launched a shot that rattled off both posts and into the goal.
However, Harvard did not let the early deficit change its game. The Crimson played a solid first period, particularly defensively, and entered the first intermission trailing only 1-0.
Harvard came out of the locker room and mounted an offensive surge. However, the Crimson could not capitalize and, gradually, Northeastern regained control. With four minutes remaining in the period, Husky forward Angela Scerra received a pass in the high slot and rifled a slap-shot past goalie Jen Bowdoin.
In the third period, Harvard appeared tired and Northeastern dictated the play with excellent passing.
"We were exhausted," said senior captain Holly Lietzes, who played nearly the whole game.
The Crimson defense was not only tired from the inordinate amount of time that they spent on the ice, but also because the Huskies play an extremely physical brand of hockey.
"Northeastern is a really chippy, rough team. They play pretty dirty," Lietzes added. "But that is not to take anything away from them--they are definitely good."
The Huskies added two goals late in the game to put it out of reach and eliminate the Crimson from the possibility of repeating as Beanpot champions. However, Harvard did have some standout performances in the game.
"Elizabeth [Ganzenmuller] and Olivia [Nottebohm] really stepped up and played great games," freshmen Alice DuBois said.
Ganzenmuller, a freshman, skated with the first line, and Nottebohm played nearly flawlessly in the defensive zone. In addition, sophomore goalie Jen Bowdoin had one of her best games, making an incredible 45 saves.
Harvard will host ECAC foes Brown and Providence this weekend before returning to Matthews Arena next Tuesday night for the Beanpot consolation match against the Boston University Terriers.
The Terriers, a club team which was routed 10-0 by Boston College on Tuesday, should pose little opposition to the Crimson, even though Harvard still be without Mleczko who is expected to return in two weeks.
"[B.U.] doesn't receive any funding or support from their school," Lietzes added. "We should beat them pretty easily." First Period NU--Howard (Allan) 00:22. Second Period NU--Scerra (Cheatham) 16:30. Third Period NU--King (Fotten) 14:52. NU--Werner (Howard) 15:17. Saves: NU--Meyers 3-4-3 10; Har--Bowdoin 19-12-14 45. Power Play: NU--0/4; Har--0/5.
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