The Crimson's next big win came a week later against then-No. 2 Brown on the strength of a game-winning goal from sophomore second-line winger Tracy Catlin. It was also the first day that Stone decided to make senior Tara Dunn the Crimson's fifth defenseman. That switch would continue to pay off throughout the season.

After dropping a pair of games at then-No.5 Minn.-Duluth and its 2001 opener against then-No. 4 St. Lawrence, Harvard stood at 8-6-0 overall, and the team's NCAA hopes were looking dim. But then Botterill's play took off. The Crimson reeled off seven victories in a row, including a stretch in which Botterill netted hat tricks against the three traditional women's ice hockey powers-Northeastern, Providence, and New Hampshire.

A disappointing loss to Princeton ended the Crimson win streak, but Harvard would bounce back with two of its biggest victories of the season the following week: a come-from-behind 4-3 overtime win over Northeastern in the Beanpot Championship, and a 3-2 triumph over then-No.1 Dartmouth. It was the Crimson's first victory over the Big Green in five tries. In both games, senior Kiirsten Suurkask netted the game-tying goals, and Botterill netted the game-winners. It was the third consecutive year that Botterill had scored in overtime to defeat Northeastern en route to the Beanpot title.

When the ECAC playoffs rolled around, Tammy Shewchuk fast became the Crimson's go-to player. In the quarterfinals, Providence made a serious bid to bring Harvard's season to a premature end, but Shewchuk would not be denied, scoring a hat trick and assisting on sophomore linemate Kalen Ingram's game-winner in overtime.

In the ECAC semifinals, Harvard avenged an earlier defeat to St. Lawrence in dominant fashion, rolling to a 7-1 victory that essentially locked up a Crimson NCAA berth. But Harvard's title hopes were stymied by Dartmouth in a 3-1 defeat the next day in front of a league-record crowd of 2,592. During the course of the weekend, Shewchuk scored her 300th career point, and Botterill broke the collegiate hockey record for consecutive games with at least one point.

Harvard drew No. 2 Minn.-Duluth in the national semifinals in Minneapolis. In front of 2,099 fans at Mariucci Arena, the Crimson played the Bulldogs to a 1-1 draw through two periods before Minn.-Duluth exploited a series Crimson defensive zone breakdowns early in third period and held on for a 6-3 win.

St. Lawrence had shocked Dartmouth in the first NCAA semifinal, setting up the fourth Crimson-Big Green meeting of the season in the consolation game. Shewchuk scored the 152nd and final goal of her Harvard career, and Ingram lit the lamp twice to allow the Crimson seniors to go out triumphantly.