MINNEAPOLIS--National champions. It has a nice ring to it. And so does the AWCHA trophy, if you can manage to break through the glass trophy case at Bright Hockey Center and beat the shiny new hardware like a brass drum.

Okay, I have to admit that the trophy is mostly wood. But there is a little metal on the exterior--a Zevi Metal.

Why did I change the column name from Gut Check to Zevi Metal? Well, it was really because of nagging suggestions from my editors, my blocking mates, and even my father 3,000 miles away. But I like to think of it as a new column for a new era in Harvard women's hockey.

And now I'll call that era what we've all been thinking for the last four months. It's potentially the beginning of a dynasty.

Sure, with the graduation of Kazmaier Award winner A.J. Mleczko in June, Harvard will lose the most irreplaceable player in the country.

Mleczko proved the value of her presence on the ice in the final 28:01 of her career in the championship game. A separated shoulder and torn shoulder muscles prevented the best faceoff center in the nation from taking any draws down the stretch in the closest game of the season, and she could not wind up on her powerful slapshot. But the co-captain directed the Crimson defense that shut down the Wildcat power play three times in the third period and overtime. She willed her team to victory by walking into the crease and setting up the game-winning goal for freshman winger Jen Botterill.

It was a brilliant play between the ECAC Player of the Year and the ECAC Rookie of the Year, and in a way it was a passing of the torch. With her versatility as a skater, stickhandler, scorer and defender, Botterill's game may resemble Mleczko's more than anyone else on the squad, and the former Canadian Olympian might replace the former U.S. Olympian as the first-line center next season.

If that were to happen, Harvard would hardly be missing a beat. Although Mleczko blew every women's single-season scoring record out of the water--or should I say ice--in 1998-99 with 37 goals and 77 assists, Botterill was not far behind. She managed 37 goals and 51 helpers of her own, and did so in six fewer games than Mleczko. And when the senior was unable to play center in crunch time in the championship game, she swapped positions with her freshman linemate.

Of course, Botterill is one of many candidates to succeed Mleczko next season.