Niagara and sophomore goalie Tania Pinelli have been especially effective in stopping their opponents early on. For the first 11 games, not a single team managed to crack Pinelli in the first period until UNH finally managed to break through last weekend. For the season, Pinelli's goals-against average is 1.61 and her save percentage is .935.

If Harvard expects to regain its championship form, it will need to play much better than it did against Brown.

The Harvard defense proved to be in need of serious fine-tuning after giving up four goals in the final period against Brown. Goalie Crystal Springer could use a little bit of a confidence boost too, having had two rough third periods in her three games since returning from a collarbone injury. Springer also gave up three goals in the third to Yale in a 4-3 win on Dec. 4.

Now back in Cambridge, Shewchuk and Botterill join junior winger Angie Francisco on the top line for the Crimson. Though the line was successful in scoring four goals against Brown, the three are certainly capable of a lot more.

Noticeably missing from the scoring line on Wednesday was Harvard's second line of freshman winger Kalen Ingram, junior center Kiirsten Suurkask, and junior winger Tara Dunn.

The trio really picked up the slack for the Crimson, scoring seven goals in four games in the absence of Shewchuk and Botterill. Suurkask even managed to garner ECAC Player of the Week honors last week.

But with Shewchuk and Botterill back in the lineup against Brown, the second line barely managed a serious scoring opportunity for the whole night, albeit in less playing time than before. If the second line can be anywhere near as productive as it was in Shewchuk and Botterill's absence, the Purple Eagles could be in for two long afternoons against the Crimson.