The concluding moment of the Harvard women’s hockey team’s season was its most trying. After months of high ambitions, the season came to a sudden halt in double overtime of the NCAA championship game on March 23 when Minnesota-Duluth’s Nora Tallus caromed the puck into the net. Now that the title pursuit was over, the Crimson faced a different daunting task—coping with the disappointment of achieving all but its highest goals.

As painful as the ending was, Harvard (30-3-1, 15-0-1 ECAC) did not allow it to be all-consuming.

“Overall I think it was a terrific season and very successful in many ways,” said Jennifer Botterill, one of four Harvard captains this year. “Obviously there’s a hint of disappointment that we didn’t have that perfect ending. I think over the past couple months we’ve had time to reflect and realize how many great things we did accomplish.”

After each success during the 29-1-1 start to the season, the Crimson made clear it was aiming for higher goals. There was no celebration, for instance, after the team won the ECAC regular season title, and no other championships followed. That did not mean, however, that the team did not appreciate its achievements.

At a time when the Ivy Presidents talked of changes that might reduce the overall competitiveness of the league’s teams, the Harvard women’s hockey team served as a clear counterexample to the notion that national ambitions destroy the student-athlete experience. No ECAC team had more players earn league All-Academic honors. Few Harvard teams had ever worked as hard in the offseason or had as much fun, whether they were third-line freshmen or seasoned veterans.

“This season was such a great experience and more than I ever expected,” said Jennifer Raimondi, a freshman who typically played on the third line. “I have learned so much this past year not only from the coaching staff but also from my teammates on and off the ice. It was an intense season as we had our goals set very high, but in the end when I step back from it all it was full of good times and lots of laughs.”

From the beginning of the year it was clear that this team had set a new standard for its work ethic, due to the combination of returning players training hard in the offseason, Botterill and Angela Ruggiero’s return from the 2002 Olympics and newcomers following their example. It showed when the Crimson needed just one weekend to break a school consecutive-day record for goals scored with a 13-0 win over Vermont and a record margin of victory in a 9-2 thrashing of top rival Dartmouth.

“I can safely say that compared to other falls where we have come back to school for preseason for hockey, this fall we were the most prepared we had ever been,” said captain Jamie Hagerman.

A week later, Harvard played its third game of the season on the road against then-No. 1 Minnesota-Duluth. The Bulldogs, not subject to Ivy scheduling restrictions, had already played 10 games. Harvard changed perceptions when it came into Duluth in midseason form and triumphed 2-1 over the two-time defending national champions.

A 4-3 defeat to Minnesota the next day briefly stalled the Crimson’s momentum, but a 27-game unbeaten streak followed and Harvard controlled the nation’s No. 1 ranking from December through March.

The Crimson dominated all facets of the game, especially in team defense. Harvard allowed more than two goals in a game just once during its first 22 games and allowed an absurdly low number of shots. The only time the Crimson was outshot all season was in the first game against Duluth, but junior goalkeeper Jessica Ruddock made the saves Harvard needed to win.

“Our defense is one of the most solid in the league,” said freshman Julie Chu. “It was our backbone. We were lucky to have so many veterans on defense. We didn’t give up many shots. In the games where there were a lot of shots, Jess came up with some big saves.”

The unbeaten streak finally came to an abrupt halt with a 7-2 defeat to Dartmouth in the ECAC final, which no one was fully able to explain. Harvard earned a No. 2 seed to the NCAA Frozen Four and defeated Minnesota 6-1 to advance to the national championship, where the season met its disappointing end against Duluth.

The Duluth defeat was career-ending for five Harvard seniors, who will leave a huge void to fill. The Crimson graduates it all-time leading scorer in Botterill, its sixth all-time leading scorer in captain Kalen Ingram and a first-liner and former Beanpot MVP in Tracy Catlin at forward. Hagerman and senior Pamela Van Reesema had been impact blueliners for full years.

“It’s so surreal. It’s gone by so quickly,” Hagerman said. “I wish I could have it back and do it all over again, but I know I can’t. Every day I come down here it’s like magic playing with these people.”