Harvard continued the barrage on Schaublin at 10:41 of the first period. After getting the puck from freshman forward Caitlin Cahow, sophomore defenseman Jennifer Skinner fired a shot from the point that sailed into the net.

Co-captain forward Lauren McAuliffe and sophomore forward Julie Chu added goals later in the period, sending Schaublin to an early shower.

Duluth’s Jessica Kozumi’s goal at 18:24 of the first period got the Bulldogs on the board, but with the score 4-1 at the end of the period, the game was all but over.

“That first goal really set the tone for the rest of the period and the rest of the game,” Ruggiero said. “We were definitely happy with the way our forwards fought the entire game.”

Boe turned in her second straight strong performance, stopping a career-high 31 shots and Duluth’s powerful offense in the process.

The Crimson also benefited from its depth. Having played a grueling overtime game the night before, both teams were fatigued on Saturday. But while the Bulldogs only had two quality lines, Harvard played three, which kept the team fresh through the end of the game.

“We definitely felt like we had the legs today late in the game,” Ruggiero said.

Harvard 2 UMD 2

The first game of the weekend set played out just as one might expect for two top-five teams.

Despite playing a strong game, the Crimson found itself on the brink of its first loss since that fateful night in Duluth last year and had to climb back from two deficits and settle for a 2-2 tie.

“We thought we played well,” said Boe, who recorded 28 saves on a solid night in goal. “We pretty much dominated the game for the most part in terms of quality scoring opportunities and pace of play.”

But after the Bulldogs’ star forward Jenny Potter put her team up 2-1 late in the second period it looked like the Crimson might not be able to capitalize on any of those quality scoring chances.

Throughout the third period, the Crimson flooded the offensive zone, but Schaublin—who finished the game with 31 saves—stood strong and turned away numerous Harvard scoring chances.

The Crimson finally got the break it needed when Duluth forward Tricia Guest was called for cross checking at 16:04 of the third period.

Just 30 seconds into the ensuing penalty, Banfield corralled a rebound from Corriero’s shot and lifted the puck past Schaublin, tying the game at two apiece.