Maybe that was because Ruddock had already given her teammates--and the fans--one scare when the puck was behind her early in the game. Midway through the second period, it was right behind her left skate after she had ventured five feet out of the crease to play an uncontested puck.

The 1,066 fans in attendance made a collective gasp as Ruddock inched back to the goal, but sophomore defenseman Pamela Van Reesema raced to the net to shove the puck under Ruddock's pads, forcing the officials to blow the play dead and avoid the fluke goal.

"That was just for fun--I like to entertain the crowd," Ruddock joked. "When that happens and I don't know where the puck is, the best thing to do is not to make any sudden movements so I don't kick it into the goal."

Second Fiddle

Harvard also received significant contributions from its second forward line in the final period. After Dartmouth took its only lead of the game with 10:39 left in regulation, senior winger Kiirsten Suurkask scored the equalizer 96 seconds later to cap an aggressive offensive sequence by the second line.

Sophomore winger Tracy Catlin won the puck in the corner and threw it to center ice, where Suurkask and senior center Tara Dunn were waiting in the slot. Dunn tipped the puck to Suurkask, who backhanded it through Ferguson's five-hole to even the score at 2-2.

Suurkask and Dunn found each other for several chances throughout the game, both on the breakaway and in the set offense. This is not unexpected for the two Canadian roommates in Winthrop House. They had been linemates for most of their Harvard careers before Stone decided to move Dunn to the blueline in November. Dunn returned to the second line when co-captain Angie Francisco went on the disabled list earlier this month.

"We had to make a few adjustments when Angie went down and Tara joined our line," said Suurkask, who has scored game-tying goals in the third period in two consecutive games. "Now things are coming together and we are finally able to read each other on offense."