She was also unable to unwind on her patented slapshot for the final 28:01 of her collegiate career, but that did not keep her off the ice when her team needed her most.

But the game-winner is where all characteristics of a typically hard-fought Harvard victory end. The officials provided several scary moments for Harvard, but Crimson skaters who had been relegated to the status of role player all year long stepped up in the clutch and showed that Harvard was not just a four-player team.

The most dangerous--and probably surprising--play of the season came 1:40 into the extra period, when sophomore winger Angie Francisco was called for high sticking. It was her third penalty in the final 30 minutes of the game and gave the UNH power play a chance to win the championship. The overtime penalty was the 12th of the game and the culmination of a heated, physical contest.

"It was the two best power play percentages in the nation going against each other," said Francisco, who more than redeemed herself with a championship game hat trick that earned her a spot on the AWCHA All-Tournament Team. "If you had told me that we would commit seven penalties against their power play then I would have said our chances weren't that great."

And things looked grim for the Crimson when Francisco entered the penalty box for the last time of the season. The two most productive offenses in the nation had capitalized for six goals on the man advantage during regulation, and the UNH power-play unit had scored on the first two Harvard penalties of the game. But the Crimson man-down unit of freshman defenseman Angela Ruggiero, Mleczko, Shewchuk and Botterill settled down after that, and Kuusisto made her biggest contribution during the overtime penalty kill, when she made four of her 28 saves.

"I knew I would have to stop the puck and I just told myself to stay focused," said Kuusisto of the two most stressful minutes of her young career. "I had to stay mentally tough and keep my head in the game. I just wanted to cover the puck and not give them any rebounds, because I knew my teammates would help me out on the faceoffs."

Kuusisto made her first postseason start of the season in place of hard-luck Springer, who broke her collarbone for the second time in 10 weeks with 3:04 left in the semifinal victory over Brown. Fortunately for her teammates, Springer's earlier injury had given the rookie valuable big-game experience over a nine-game stretch during which Harvard clinched the ECAC regular season title.

Kuusisto--who wears No. 30--gave the Crimson its 30th consecutive win and raised her perfect career record to 11-0.