So how did the No. 2 Harvard women’s hockey team collect 25 regular season wins this year? Well, the squad played “Harvard hockey.” And how did the Crimson manage to stay near the top of the nation in nearly every statistical category? “Harvard hockey,” of course. And what has propelled the team to this weekend’s ECAC semifinals? That’s right, you guessed it—good old “Harvard hockey.”

Ask any Crimson player or coach what was behind the remarkable season now drawing to a close, and the answer—modest to a fault—is nearly always the same: it wasn’t one great player. No, it was “Harvard hockey.”

So just what is Harvard hockey? It’s pretty simple, really—you begin at the beginning.

“I think it all starts in recruiting,” said Harvard coach Katey Stone. “You recruit the right kind of kid—the kid with great character and attitude and strong work ethic.”

While the preliminary attraction of any player is, of course, her hockey ability, it takes more than individual talent to form a cohesive squad.

“What makes the difference of whether we really want [a player] as a part of our team,” said sophomore forward Julie Chu, “is the type of character she has, and her personality, and what kind of element she can bring to our team productively.

“And I think that’s the key,” she added. “It’s recruiting the player for her athletic abilities, but also, almost more importantly, for her character.”

Co-captain Lauren McAuliffe agrees.

“A lot of teams you can look at on paper,” McAuliffe said, “and you’re like, ‘wow, this team should be so dominant,’ but it just underachieves.

“I think we’ve overachieved a lot. It’s because when you like the kids you’re playing with and you’re really playing with your best friends, it’s just a whole new experience.”

So it seems unanimously agreed upon that the character of a team brings it to life. But it doesn’t hurt to have talent on your side, too. And Harvard has plenty. Chu and co-captain Angela Ruggiero, who average 1.39 and 1.00 assists per game, respectively, are both United States Olympians and National Team members. Junior forward Nicole Corriero, who has remained a driving offensive force all season long with 2.16 points and 1.29 goals per game, is a member of the Canadian under-22 National Team.

But the three aren’t the only weapons on the Crimson. There are 18 other players on the team, and each of them is dangerous in her own right.

“It’s great to have the Olympians, because they raise the level of play for everyone,” Stone said, “but it’s just too easy to shut one or two people down on the ice. You have to have a unit of six out on the ice all the time where there are threats all over the place.

“We’re trying to develop everyone, individually and collectively, so that at any point, if you leave one of our kids alone, she’s going to hurt you.”

And anybody on the Crimson can do some damage. Thus far, Harvard has garnered 348 points. The titanic total has come from the sticks of 17 different players, 10 of whom have double-digit point totals. Even if you removed all the players with more than 20 points—and there are six of them—the Crimson would still have tallied more points than its opponents have collected against Harvard. The squad plays four skaters with more than 30 points and three with more than 50.