A mistake in the defensive end would cost Harvard its only lead of the game in the final minutes of the second period. Duluth pressured Crimson captain Kalen Ingram from both sides behind the net, and she tried to bank the puck off the boards to Banfield. Instead, the puck was intercepted by Duluth’s Joanne Eustace, who fed Sikio in front with a two-on-none with Jenny Potter. Ruddock left the near-side open out of respect for Potter, and Sikio hit the open target to tie the game.

The key event of the third period was when Ruggiero was whistled for a two-minute interference penalty and a 10-minute misconduct with five minutes left in regulation. The calls forced Harvard to play the next 12 minutes, including seven of overtime, without the best defenseman in the world. The Crimson more than held its own during that stretch, however, with freshman defenseman Jennifer Skinner replacing Ruggiero.

Ruggiero returned triumphantly to the ice during the first overtime and rallied her teammates. But 30 seconds into the second overtime, Shepherd’s whistle ended her bid for the game-winning goal. The Harvard players failed to control the puck through the neutral zone in the game’s final three minutes before Tallus’ heroic goal forced them to cope with defeat.

“All the girls are so appreciative of the kind of team that we’ve had and the effort we put forward tonight,” Botterill said. “It was a great hockey game to be a part of, and I think that obviously this evening we’re going to be a little disappointed for a little while. But I think with time we’ll realize what a special season this was. It was a great game. We’re very proud to have been a part of it.”

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

—Staff writer David A. Weinfeld can be reached at weinfeld@fas.harvard.edu.