DURHAM, N.H.--Driving through southeastern New Hampshire, passers-by will notice a highway sign that reads "Welcome to Durham, home of the 1998 women's ice hockey national champions."

But 1998 will soon be part of history, and Harvard might be the women's hockey team of the future. The No. 3 Crimson (7-1-0, 5-1-0 ECAC) upset No. 1 New Hampshire (6-1-3, 5-1-2) yesterday, 3-2, and made a strong bid to steal the top ranking from UNH, which has been No. 1 since the season began Oct. 20. HARVARD  3 NEW HAMPSHIRE  2 HARVARD  15 COLBY  0

UNH entered yesterday's game at the Whittemore Center unbeaten this season and riding a 19-game winning streak at home against ECAC rivals. The contest against Harvard was supposed to be another UNH victory on its way to a second straight national championship.

The Crimson, however, had a different plan.

Harvard dominated the final seven minutes of the third period to overcome a 2-1 deficit and beat the Wildcats for the first time in school history.

Harvard took the lead for good when freshman sensation Jen Botterill knocked in a rebound from the post off co-captain A.J. Mleczko's shot with 5:41 left in regulation, just 52 seconds after sophomore forward Tammy Shewchuk had tied the score with an unassisted goal.

Both the Crimson and the Wildcats have blown through their schedules this season, often embarrassing their opponents by ridiculous margins. On Saturday, UNH pasted No. 5 Northeastern (7-2-2, 3-1-2) 5-2, while Harvard blanked last-place Colby, 15-0.

Yesterday's contest in Durham, however, was a competitive rematch of last season's ECAC quarterfinal, when UNH needed overtime to fend off Harvard, 2-1. Yesterday's game was an evenly matched, back-and-forth affair, with Harvard getting the slight advantage in shots on goal, 27-26. The Crimson has outshot all eight of its opponents this season.

"I haven't seen many women's hockey games that have been played at a level like today's game," UNH coach Karen Kay said. "It was the two best teams going at it and it was a great game. But they [Harvard] worked and never gave up, so they deserved to win."

The Crimson struggled in the first period and was unable to capitalize on four power play opportunities. Harvard controlled the puck with the man advantage but did not have enough time to set up quality shots against UNH's efficient defensive zone coverage.

The Wildcats struck first, 6:27 into the game, when junior forward Carisa Zaban's shot trickled past Crimson goaltender Crystal Springer after Springer had stopped the puck initially. That surprising turn of events gave UNH the upper hand for the rest of the period and the Wildcats headed into the first intermission with momentum and the lead.

"I blew it on that play," said Springer, who came through with 24 saves after the early mistake. "I never really got a good look at the puck and it went by me."

But a rejuvenated Harvard squad came out of thelocker room after the intermission. The Crimsonrecorded its first goal 3:32 into the secondperiod when Mleczko found Botterill in the leftcorner. The former Olympian rifled the disc to herCanadian National Team counterpart, Shewchuk, whoscored from point-blank range to cap off thewell-executed play.

"I was coming down the wing and I saw Tammy'sstick in front of the goal," Botterill said. "Sheis such a good finisher that all I had to do wasget her the puck and she did the rest."

Deadlocked at 1-1, the intensity from bothsides picked up for the rest of the period. Atenacious Crimson defense held the Wildcats toseven shots on goal, but Harvard could reel offjust nine shots in the period.

It was Springer who rose to the occasionagainst the UNH offense, which leads the ECAC inscoring at 6.5 goals per game. While strongCrimson defensive zone coverage limited UNH'sattack to 26 shots, Springer made several clutchplays, denying shots from point-blank range by aWildcats offense that features eight players whohave scored more than 10 points through 10 games.

"I needed to shake off the mistake I made onthat first goal and play through adversity,"Springer said. "I had a great defense in front ofme and we made the plays we needed to win thegame."

On the other end of the ice, UNH netminderAlicia Roberts held her own until the final 10minutes of the contest. The Crimson controlled thepuck more and more as the game wore on and set upgood opportunities from the post and in front ofthe goal. But the UNH defensemen did not allowHarvard's forwards to follow through with cleanshots until the third period.

After solid defense had held the two mostpotent offenses in the country to a goal apiecefor the first 52 minutes, the final eight minutessaw a flurry of offensive action as both teamsbattled for the No. 1 ranking.

Again, the Wildcats struck first with atwo-on-one breakaway. Junior forward SamanthaHolmes cleanly rejected a Crimson shot from thepoint and took off down the ice with only oneHarvard defender helping Springer. After drawingSpringer to her left, Holmes flipped the disc toclassmate Melissa McKenzie, who sent the puck intothe net with 7:39 left in the contest.

But it was all Harvard after that. Although ittrailed by a goal, the Crimson offense that hadstarted to click early in the second period wentinto full throttle when it counted most.

Shewchuk was the catalyst of that offensiveoutburst. One minute and six seconds afterMcKenzie gave UNH its second lead of the game,Shewchuk intercepted a UNH pass at the blue lineand stickhandled around the UNH defense beforesending a shot past Roberts to tie the game with6:33 left in regulation.

"I got the puck and saw an opening so I wentfor it," Shewchuk said. "I was on the right wingand had a shot against [Roberts'] glove hand. Thatis a comfortable shot for me, so I just took it."

It did not take long before the Crimson tookthe lead for good. Fifty-two seconds after she hadknotted the score, Shewchuk reclaimed the puck andsent it to Botterill in the left corner. Botterillskated into the post and hit Mleczko in front ofthe goal. The co-captain immediately fired on goaland Botterill, still at the post, knocked in therebound to give Harvard its first lead with 5:41remaining in the final period.

Then Harvard clamped down on defense andrefused to allow UNH back into the game. A penaltyon Crimson defenseman Courtney Smith with 1:47left in the game gave the Wildcats a change topull even, but aggressive forechecking andimpressive saves from Springer prevented theWildcats from getting another good shot.

"Our whole team came up big at the end of thegame," Botterill said. "That just shows how muchheart we have."

The victory will probably move the Crimson intothe No. 1 ranking ahead of Brown in the U.S.College Hockey Online poll. The win also gaveco-captain Claudia Asano a special present on her22nd birthday.

"I told everyone that all I wanted for mybirthday was to beat UNH," Asano said. "My wishcame true."

Harvard 15, Colby 0

The one bright spot for the White Mules wasthat goaltenders Josephine Chapman and KatieMangan combined for more saves, 49, then therewere fans in attendance, 45, in Waterville, Maine.The problem with that statistic was that theCrimson poured 64 shots on goal.

Harvard freshman Alison Kuusisto earned thevictory in her first start between the pipes in aCrimson uniform, making seven saves to maintainher perfect goals against average of 0.00.

But most of the action took place in front ofChapman and Mangan, who were helpless againstHarvard's vaunted offensive attack. Mleczkodirected the furious traffic in front of the Colbynet, tying Harvard's single-game record with fiveassists.

Harvard coach Katey Stone moved juniordefenseman Courtney Smith into the first linealongside freshman Angela Ruggiero, and Smith tookimmediate advantage of the opportunity. She openedthe scoring 54 seconds into the game and theCrimson proceeded to tally seven goals in theperiod.

Fifteen minutes, forty seconds into thecontest, Botterill recorded her first collegiatehat trick. She added a goal in the second to giveher 10 goals and 10 assists on the season.

Only four players in the ECAC have scored morethan Botterill this year, and two of those playersare her linemates. Shewchuk added a goal and threeassists to give her 22 points on the season, thehighest total in the conference.

But Mleczko's barrage of assists also gives her22 points on the season. Andrea Kilbourne ofPrinceton, who has played in three more games thanShewchuk and Mleczko, is the only non-Crimsonplayer that has that many points this season.

Freshman defenseman Angela Ruggiero chipped inwith a goal and two assists, making her theninth-best scorer in the conference with 16points.

Harvard's leading scorers got plenty of helpagainst the White Mules. Almost everyone wearingCrimson scored Saturday.

Senior Jen Gerometta had two goals and oneassist. Sophomore linemate Kiirsten Suurkaskrecorded one goal and two assists, as did Asano.Sophomore forward Tara Dunn scored two goals, andsophomore linemate Angie Francisco added a goal ofher own.

Assists from senior forward Kyle Walsh, juniorforward Sally Maloney and sophomore defensemanJamie Notman rounded out the scoring for theCrimson.

HARVARD, 3-2at Towse Rink, Durham, N.H.Harvard  0  1  2  --  3UNH  1  0  1  --  2

First Period

UNH--Zaban (Heitzman, DeGriselles) 6:27.

Second Period

Har--Shewchuk (Botterill, Mleczko) 3:32.

Third Period

UNH--McKenzie (Holmes) 12:21.

Har--Shewchuk (unassisted) 13:27.

Har--Botterill (Shewchuk, Mleczko) 14:19.

Saves: Har--Springer 11-7-6 24;UNH--Roberts 9-8-7 24.

Power Play: Har--0/7; UNH--0/4.

Attendance: 591

HARVARD, 15-0at Alfond Ice Arena, Waterville, MEColby  0  0  0  --  0Harvard  7  8  0  --  15

First Period

Har--Smith (Shewchuk, Mleczko) 0:54.

Har--Gerometta (unassisted) 3:55.

Har--Botterill (Shewchuk, Mleczko) 4:44.

Har--Gerometta (Smith) 7:34.

Har--Botterill (Mleczko, Bennett) 8:05

Har--Dunn (Asano) 8:36.

Har--Botterill (Mleczko, Ruggiero) 15:40.

Second Period

Har--Shewchuk (Notman, Mleczko) 2:40.

Har--Suurkask (Gerometta) 4:52.

Har--Ruggiero (Maloney) 5:46.

Har--Botterill (Mleczko, Asano) 6:47.

Har--Waldinger (Ruggiero, Suurkask) 10:18.

Har--Asano (Shewchuk) 10:53.

Har--Francisco (Bennett) 13:40.

Har--Dunn (Ruggiero) 19:10. (PPG)

Saves: Har--Kuusisto 1-2-4 7;Col--Chapman 27-13-0 40, Mangan 0-5-4 9.

Power Play: Har--1/1; Col--0/4.

Attendance:45CrimsonMatthew R. CordellHAPPY BIRTHDAY: Senior CLAUDIA ASANOgot her birthday wish with a win over UNH.