Mounsey left Providence last year to join the U.S. Olympic team after winning the ECAC Rookie of the year award in 1996-97. She also plays on the front line, where she should receive help from junior forwards Jordan Jiskra (14 g, 18 a), an All-Ivy selection, Carly Regnier, a Second-Team All-Ivy forward, and Jill Graat, who notched 12 goals and 15 assists last season.

The Bears have won either the ECAC regular season or tournament championship each of the last four years.

Northeastern

The Huskies (26-6-5) finished second in the league before losing to Brown in the semifinals of both the ECAC and AWCHA tournaments. But Northeastern returns a solid nucleus to make another run at the Bears and Wildcats for the league title.

The Huskies can count on an abundance of scoring from their front line, which is led by two junior forwards who were Kazmaier Award nominees last season. Hilary Witt (32 g. 26 a) was second in the league in scoring, earning her a Second-Team All-ECAC selection. Stephanie Acres (17 g. 25 a) finished ninth in the league scoring last season.

Northeastern will rely on senior Jaime Totten (7 g, 22 a), a First-Team All-ECAC defender, and junior Jennie Setaro (7 g, 14 a) to anchor the defensive end of the ice. If opposing front lines get past the defense, they will have to deal with sophomore goalie Erika Silva, who led the league with a 1.27 GAA in limited action, or senior netminder Shannon Meyers, who finished fifth with a 2.07 GAA.

Harvard

Please see preview, page 12.

Providence

Picked by the coaches to finish just behind Harvard, the Friars (9-21-2) should improve on last season's sixth-place finish.

The brightest spot in Providence's roster is sophomore goalie Sara DeCosta, who returns from her stint with the U.S. Olympic team. Although the Friars' defense loses to graduation Catherine Hanson, a Second-Team All-ECAC defender, DeCosta's presence between the pipes should frustrate opposing offenses.

On the front line, Providence will look to sophomore forward Jess Tabb (22 g, 17 a) for leadership. Tabb was a Kazmaier Award nominee and beat out Harvard's Angie Francisco and Kiirsten Suurkask for the ECAC Rookie of the Year award. She is joined up front by senior forward Myia Yates (12 g, 16 a).

Dartmouth

The Big Green (20-9-1) is relying on a new head coach, former assistant Judy Parish, to fill the big hole on the bench left with the retirement of ECAC Coach of the Year George Crowe. But the biggest void will be in the front line, where Parish needs to find a replacement for AWCHA All-American forward Sarah Hood (22 g, 21 a).

The team hopes sophomore forward Jen Wiehn (13 g, 21 a) and senior forward Kathleen O'Keefe (8 g, 16 a) can lead the team offensively. The Big Green will also need its defense to pick up the slack in Hood's absence.