One second.

Such a seemingly short interval of time, but as that guy in the Seiko commercial will tell you (you know, the one where he misses bumping into his true love because he didn't buy a Seiko), a second can make all the difference in the world.

On Sunday, December 3, one second may have caused the downfall of the Harvard women's hockey team. Leading St. Lawrence by one goal with just a second to play, the Crimson surrendered a game-tying goal that sent the contest into overtime and Harvard's season into a downward spiral.

The Crimson was in good shape, coming off a second-place finish in the All-American Tournament in Minnesota and an ECAC victory over rival Yale. Good shape, that is, until the tie against the Saints.

"The St. Lawrence game hurt us the most," freshman forward Catherine Kreindler said. "That game possible could have put us over the top."

After that disappointment, the Crimson (9-17-1, 3-12-1 ECAC) fell into a rut that turned its season into a rebuilding one, plain and simple.

That season ended just over three months ago, as a young, injuryplagued squad hung up its skates after failing to make the ECAC playoffs for the first time in several years.

Harvard simply never got on a roll after that heartbreaking day, finishing ninth in the ECAC with a meager three league victories.

Injuries proved to be too much for the Crimson, as a battered squad ended the season eight points out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the conference.

Even when the Crimson did muster an impressive victory, it didn't matter in the standings. After losing big to Princeton at home in November, the Crimson bounced back to trounce the Tigers at Princeton a month later. In perhaps the never-ending irony that is collegiate sports, the loss counted in the standings but the win did not.

But more devastating were the injuries.

Every team has its share of bumps and bruises, but at times it seems that the Crimson had theirs--and then some. Defensemen Melissa Milbert and Colleen Malek missed most of the season with knee problems, cutting the Harvard blue line nearly in half. That forced the Crimson to compensate with drastic measures such as having junior superstar A.J. Mleczko stay in for two shifts--one at center and one at defense.

But the most noticeable effect of the battered blue line was surprisingly not seen on the defensive end of the ice. Anchored by co-captain Holly Leitzes, the Harvard defensive core (that is to say three defensemen) battled admirably, but at the expense of the offensive punch of the team.

"Our core players were missing and we were always trying to fill in the holes," senior Stacey Kellogg said. "Our focus definitely shifted more toward defense."

Even though the season was marred by disappointment for the Crimson, there were several bright spots.

Mleczko was selected to the First Team All-Ivy squad for the second straight year, as was Leitzes.

Mleczko also set several career milestones in her third season on the ice for Harvard. The Mather House resident climbed atop the Harvard all-time leader board in both goals and points, tallying 26 goals and 16 assists on the year to lead the Crimson in both categories.

But more importantly, the young Crimson team has gained experience for the future. A promising freshman class of eight was thrust into the mix as depth problems forced Harvard coach Katey Stone to go with a younger lineup than she would have liked.

And they played well. Freshman forwards Kyle Walsh and Alice DuBois were third and fourth, respectively, for Harvard in scoring, and fellow first-years Jen Landry and Olivia Nottebohm also played fulltime.

Harvard Sports Stats 1995-96

Women's Hockey

Record: 9-17-1, 3-12-1 ECAC

ECAC Finish: Ninth (tie)

Head Coach: Katey Stone

Captains: Holly Leitzes, '96 Ellen Frump '96

Other Key Players: A.J. Mleczko '97, Stacey Kellogg '96, Christa Calagione '97, Jen Bowdoin '98, Kyle Walsh '99, Alice Dubois '99