Eavesdrop on Jennifer Raimondi’s teammates, and you would think they were talking about Fulton Reed—the rebellious, slap-shooting teenager from The Mighty Ducks—and not the Harvard women’s ice hockey sophomore.

It’s not because Raimondi shares Reed’s notorious bad-boy attitude, or has similarly wild, untamed skills, or lacks the ability to skate.

Just talk to them long enough, and they’ll tell you: It’s that shot.

“Her shot is unreal,” says co-captain defenseman Angela Ruggiero.

Judging by the early scouting reports, the Harvard women’s hockey team has every reason to anticipate a big year from Raimondi.

The Crimson is relying on underclassmen such as Raimondi to step up and help bring Harvard what it barely missed in 2003—a national championship.

The Girl with the Golden Stick

So, what about that shot?

“From one of the first scrimmages we had last year, she stood out to me as a sniper,” says junior forward Nicole Corriero. “A strong, powerful forward who could come down the ice and pick the corner.”

Ruggiero likens the harnessed power of Raimondi’s stick to the comparative advantage of using an aluminum bat in baseball.

“She got a Synergy,” Ruggiero said, referring to the carbon-composite model of hockey sticks. “It doesn’t give as much, so it’s harder to stick-handle, but your shot is improved. Once you can get control of it, the puck just snaps right off. If you can control that, like if you can get a good slap-shot off, it just flies.”

And controlled it Raimondi has. So much so that several team members are predicting this year as Raimondi’s breakout season.

“Jen Raimondi is one of the players to look out for,” says co-captain forward Lauren McAuliffe. “She’s got one of the best shots of the team, with an awesome release. I predict she’s going to score a ton of goals this year.”

“It’s like she went in the backyard all summer and shot pucks in the driveway,” says Ruggiero, complementing her ability to rip pucks into the top-right corner. “That’s what you’re told to do when you’re younger, but I think she actually did it. Her shot’s improved a ton, and she’s just a big strong hockey player. If she can utilize that strength better, she’ll be one of the top scorers this year.”

Raimondi, on the other hand, very modestly attributes the majority of any success she expects this season to old-fashioned hard work.