MINNEAPOLIS--The Harvard women's hockey team closed out the season just two wins shy of its championship expectations at the inaugural Women's Frozen Four.

In front of 2,099 fans at Mariucci Arena on Mar. 23, No. 3 Harvard played No. 2 Minn.-Duluth to a 1-1 draw through two periods before the Bulldogs--stacked with players from the Finnish and Swedish national teams--exploited a series of Crimson defensive zone breakdowns early in third period and held on for a 6-3 win.

In the consolation game two days later, sophomore winger Kalen Ingram scored twice and assisted on senior winger Tammy Shewchuk's 152nd career goal to lead Harvard (24-10) to a 3-2 victory over No. 1 Dartmouth (26-5-1).

It was a roller-coaster weekend for Crimson junior co-captain Jennifer Botterill, who won the Patty Kazmaier Award the night following the crushing defeat to Minn.-Duluth then watched her collegiate record 80-game point-scoring streak come to an end against Dartmouth.

"We came into the tournament believing that we could win it all" said Botterill, whose Olympic commitments will force her to wait two years for another shot at the national title. "The game against Dartmouth was great because it reminded us how much we wanted to win it all."

Minn.-Duluth (28-5-4) went on to win the first-ever NCAA title in women's hockey with a 4-2 victory in the final over No. 4 St. Lawrence, who shocked Dartmouth 3-1 in the first semifinal of the tournament. Sophomore Bulldog winger Maria Rooth--who netted a hat trick against Harvard--was named the Frozen Four's Most Outstanding Player.

Harvard 3, Dartmouth 2

On a day that brought an end to the careers of six Harvard seniors, a pair of underclassmen who will be relied on heavily in the future teamed up for the game-winning goal.