A few defensive lapses allowed UNH to tie the championship game at 5-5 and force overtime with two goals late in the third period, but Kuusisto remained calm under pressure. She covered the puck when she had to and guided the Crimson through a penalty kill in the extra period, keeping the Wildcats at bay until her classmate Botterill came through on the other end of the ice.

Harvard developed a pair of experienced returning goaltenders, but it also had a solid defense in front of them. Ruggiero, who finished sixth in the nation in scoring from the blue line, provided an intimidating presence to opposing snipers. She could also handle the puck well enough to lead rushes down the ice, and the steady forechecking of linemate Courtney Smith allowed the Crimson to take gambles that often paid off. The line of Asano and junior defenseman Christie MacKinnon did the dirty work to keep the puck out of the defensive zone.

With so much production from the top line, the quiet performances of a trio of sophomores seems lost in the mix. But Angie Francisco, Kiirsten Suurkask and Tara Dunn combined for 110 points and provided more than enough offensive depth on the second and third lines.

All that talent will skate into next season riding a 30-game winning streak and the momentum of one of the most dominating teams in college hockey history. Harvard won five games in overtime--including victories over UNH in both the ECAC and AWCHA championship games--and outscored its opponents 218-62. The Crimson will miss the leadership and talent of Mleczko and Asano next season, but there is more than enough experience and ability to give the women's hockey team another shot at being The Crimson Team of the Year.