Harvard 5, Northeastern 3

Northeastern has been ranked No. 1 for the last month because its defense has not given up more than three goals in a game all season. Yesterday, the Huskies surrendered three goals to Shewchuk and Botterill in the first period.

"We came out sluggish against Providence, so it was great to turn it up right off the bat," Stone said. "Northeastern is good and our kids understood that they were not going to back down once they fell behind. We outworked them today."

The Huskies cut the lead two 3-2 in the second period, during which neither team could establish its offense. The only goal came in transition, when Northeastern winger Betsy Dyke dumped the puck into the zone and it slipped past Harvard senior goaltender Crystal Springer.

Northeastern's best chance to tie the score came midway through the second when a breakdown in the Harvard defensive zone gave the Huskies a two-on-none break. But the first shot hit the post, Springer deflected the rebound shot.

"Characteristically, Northeastern is a team that pounces on people's mistakes," Stone said. "We played a much more controlled game today. We turned the puck over a bit but not as much as they were hoping."

Harvard got a much-needed insurance goal 6:59 into the third in a four-on-four situation. With its top line and the conference's highest scoring defenseman, sophomore Angela Ruggiero, on the ice, the Crimson cycled the puck in the offensive zone until Ruggiero banged home a rebound at the left post.

"That was a complete team effort," Ruggiero said. "It went back and forth so many times in front of the net and I was just there to pick up the trash when I tapped in a rebound. It was big to pick up the extra goal but we knew they could come back."