Then, for Harvard’s sixth goal, Sweet entered the zone with Botterill, drew two defenders as she made like she was going to shoot, then set up Botterill for the open shot.

Harvard’s fifth goal was scored by captain Jamie Hagerman on a screen shot from the blue line.

Dartmouth scored in the final minute of the second period to cut the lead to 6-2. Knowing all too well the Big Green’s ability to comeback, Harvard looked to ice the game early.

Thanks to Sweet and sophomore Nicole Corriero, it did. Sweet came up the left side within a minute of the third period and passed off to Corriero, who fired home the open shot.

Botterill and freshman Jennifer Raimondi each scored in the third as well to round out the scoring and the 9-2 win.

“Even though we were winning by such a large margin at the end, everyone was working hard at the end,” Ruggiero said.

The Big Green could sustain no offense beyond cherry-picking, which seemed to be a feasible strategy at the outset, when freshman Katherine Weatherston got behind the defense and scored on a breakaway to go up 1-0.

Harvard scored two goals within a minute apart to take the lead quickly.

Ruggiero scored on a shot from the point on the power play as Botterill distracted Ferguson in front. Then, 33 second later, captain Kalen Ingram scored on a clever, impossibly angled shot from the end line that deflected off Ferguson into the net.

Junior goalkeeper Jessica Ruddock stopped seven of nine shots in net for the victory. Both goals she allowed came on breakaways.

Harvard’s power play was unstoppable as it scored on its first three chances. The power play’s 66 percent success rate is the nation’s best. Harvard had the best power play in the nation last season even without the Olympians.

Harvard 13, Vermont 0

As expected, the Catamounts didn’t put up much of a fight. Harvard led 7-0 after just one period, by which time Chu had also already netted a hat trick.

Harvard scored four in the second and two in the third for the victory. Nicole Corriero also had a hat trick. Sophomore Kat Sweet had a goal and four assists.

Botterill’s nine-point effort tied the school record set by Tammy Shewchuk ’00-’01. The seven assists broke a school record shared by herself and A.J. Mleczko ’97-’99.

—Staff writer David R. De Remer can be reached at remer@fas.harvard.edu.