Deep Impact

The Crimson hopes to have a similarly potent offense, but with a much different style than last year’s team.

“We averaged six goals a game last year,” Stone says. “We’re probably not going to average six goals a game again this year. Three or four would be nice. I would anticipate winning games by one or two goals this year versus a wider spread.”

In the wake of losing Botterill, Kalen Ingram ’03 and Tracy Catlin ’03, Harvard will turn to one of its most potent weapons to add more punch to the offense.

“We’ve got a tremendous amount of speed,” Stone says, “and we’re going to use it.”

This strategy dramatically changes the Crimson’s lineup shifts.

Last season, the first and second offensive lines were set in stone with the occasional maneuverings of a player on each line.

“In the past, everybody said “play more people, play more people,”” Stone says. “But you can’t let that type of player sit on the bench for too long, like a Botterill or an Ingram, when they are so talented and effective on the ice. And that’s why we’ve become so good.”

This season, however, Stone hopes to go deeper in the lineup.

“We’re going to play three lines as much as we can, if not four, which I think will add a depth dimension to our game strategy versus what we’ve done before,” Stone says.

Given that speed is a main thrust of the strategy, employing a deeper bench might become a necessity.

“We need to utilize everyone,” Ruggiero says. “Last year, 7-1 was the average score. Yeah, your stats go up, but you’re not improving the little things—filling in a tight situation, or playing from behind, or facing a tie game or down by a goal. This year, the games will be closer, because of the way the rankings are, but I think that will end up helping us in the long run.”

Sophomore phenom Julie Chu will bear a great deal of the goal-scoring burden on her back, along with McAuliffe and junior Nicole Corriero.

“[Chu] played out of her mind last year,” Stone says. “To anticipate getting better than that performance is awesome. If it’s the same, it’s still awesome.”

“Lauren McAuliffe and Nicole Corriero were tremendous impact players for us least year,” Stone adds. “We’ve brought in some kids who can fit right in those spaces.