BOSTON, Mass.—Though the Harvard women’s hockey team entered last night’s Beanpot opener the underdog, a “Cat ” trick proved too much for the Northeastern Huskies. In the Crimson’s most exciting game this season, junior forward Tracy Catlin and freshmen forward Kat Sweet combined for three goals and sophomore forward Lauren McAuliffe netted the overtime winner as Harvard defeated No. 2 Northeastern, 4-3.

It was the Crimson’s fourth straight overtime Beanpot win over Northeastern and revenge for its 3-1 loss to the Huskies ealier this season.

While current Canadian Olympian Jennifer Botterill ’01-03 beat Northeastern with game-winning goals the past three Beanpots, this time it was McAuliffe who took on the hero’s role.

Ironically, freshman forward Nicole Corriero set up the goal that ended her 10-game goal-scoring streak. Ten minutes into overtime, Corriero skated to the right of the goal and sent the puck to McAuliffe, who lifted the puck past Husky goaltender Chanda Gunn for the deciding goal.

“I was in the right spot,” McAuliffe said. “Nicole was working so hard for that puck…[she] put it so perfectly, I didn’t have to do much work.”

The overtime goal capped the Crimson’s most entertaining win of the year. The first period featured terrific back-and-forth action with both Gunn and Harvard senior goaltender Alison Kuusisto in top form.

Though Harvard did not appear overmatched against the favored Northeastern squad, mistakes in its own zone continued to plague the Crimson.

With 15 seconds left in the first period, Corriero turned the puck over at her own blue line. Northeastern took advantage when defender Kim Greene’s shot deflected off junior forward Michelle Lorion’s skate and by Kuusisto for a goal with 9 seconds remaining in the period, giving the Huskies a 1-0 lead heading into the intermission.

Harvard was getting good chances both in the first and early in the second period, but it wasn’t able to convert on rebounds. In fact, the Crimson would not need a single rebound as all four of its goals were worthy of the highlight reels.

Catlin’s finest performance to date began early in the second period. Sweet set up the play with a perfect pass from to Catlin in front, who beat Gunn low to the left with a wicked wrister.

“I personally was really pissed after [Northeastern’s]goal,” Catlin said. “All of us just really wanted to get back.”

The Huskies scored midway thtough the second period on a fluky goal. Junior Brooke White scampered behind the net, came to Kuusisto’s left and somehow bounced the puck off Kuusisto and in.

Once again, the Crimson came back with a far more impressive display. It began with Harvard on a four-on-three power play and ended with the Crimson having a five-on-four advantage.

Sweet, at 5’3, is one of those players you might notice coming onto the ice until it’s too late. Maybe Husky defenders didn’t know that she had returned to the ice after serving a penalty. Yet there was Sweet, only six seconds free from her rinkside prison, bolting to the left side of the crease. She tipped the puck in to the wide open net before taking the goal off its moorings.

“I was just a little upset they put me in the box to begin with so I had to get right back at them,” Sweet said.