Before anyone grants No. 1 Harvard the American Women's College Hockey Alliance National Championship, three teams would like to raise an objection.

In fact, there is another game tonight to award a spot in tomorrow's final. One of those teams, UNH, just happens to be the defending champions.

The No. 2 Wildcats (22-6-5, 19-5-3, ECAC) will battle No. 3 Minnesota (28-3-3) in the AWCHA semifinal tonight for the right to potentially deny Harvard the title. Minnesota will look to avenge last year's loss to UNH in the tournament's semifinal round. "I think we have shown this year that we can play with anyone," UNH Coach Karen Kay said. "I hope we get another shot at Harvard in the finals."

These two teams match up very well with each other and have developed something of a rivalry.

After losing in the playoffs last year, the Golden Gophers have been unable to exact any revenge in this year's regular season. Their two meetings with the Wildcats have not produced a winner.

Goaltending and defense have dominated those earlier contests with the teams skating to a 1-1 tie during the first week of the season. And on Jan. 30, both goaltenders pitched shutouts--extremely rare for a sport in which double-digit goal totals are not uncommon.

This time will be different in at least that respect. Obviously, this game must produce a winner and the teams will play sudden death until either Wildcat junior goaltender Alicia Roberts, who stopped 22 shots in January, or Gopher sophomore Erica Killewald, who turned aside 32, lets one too many get by her.

Roberts, with a career 2.05 GAA, is the Wildcats' all time winningest goaltender and among the best in the nation. Killewald has been even more dominant this season, posting a miniscule 1.15 GAA.

During crunch time, the Wildcats will turn to co-captain Nicki Luongo and junior forward Carisa Zaban to provide the crucial goals. Both players were among the 10 candidates for the Patty Kazmaier Award, and Luongo named one of the three finalists.

Luongo not only anchors the defensive corps, but she is the offensive sparkplug. She leads the Wildcat transition game, frequently rushing the puck up the ice, clearing out space for her talented teammates up front.

"[Luongo] is our Ray Bourque," Kay said. "When she isn't out there we really miss her."

None of Luongo's teammates has a better nose for the net than Zaban. With 64 points, she is the only non-Harvard player in the top five in ECAC scoring, at fourth overall.

Had Harvard been unable to find a late-game equalizer during its 5-4 overtime win over the Wildcats last Sunday, Zaban would have probably grabbed the Tournament MVP.

At 15:38 of the third period, she deftly stickhandled out of the corner through three Crimson defenders to position UNH for an upset with a 4-3 lead.

Flanking Zaban, senior forward Melisa Heitzman and sophomore forward Michelle Thornton also crank out the goals for the Wildcats. Both players have 44 points and combine blazing speed with an ability to break players down one-on-one.