SCHENECTADY, N.Y.—Against a Yale team that played disciplined hockey without many penalties—at least, until the final minutes of the game—Harvard countered with a tight penalty kill that seemed more efficient on the ice than its own power play.

Facing a Dartmouth team that had shut out St. Lawrence’s power play a day earlier, the Crimson even managed to put up a point on its penalty kill.

In fact, it would be fair to say Harvard won out this weekend because of the stellar play of its special teams.

“It’s just great that all the time and effort we have spent in practice on special teams paid off,” Harvard coach Katey Stone said. “I think we would prefer playing 5-on-5, but when the opportunities present themselves we want to capitalize.”

On Friday, while Yale had seven man advantages throughout the game, it only managed a measly three shots.

To the Bulldogs’ credit, one of those chances went in for Yale’s only goal with just seconds left to play in regulation. Even that goal, however, was on a two-man advantage after the Bulldogs pulled their goalie to put more even more pressure on Crimson junior goaltender Ali Boe and the rest of the Harvard defense.

Even that penalty play, however, started with Corriero holding the puck by herself in the Yale zone for half a minute while five of the Bulldogs’ skaters chased her around.

“Well, it’s always a little frantic and the team that’s up always forgets that they’re up,” Stone said. “You think you would play with more confidence, but sometimes you’re squeezing it and the other team is playing with reckless abandon.”

In the opposite semifinal, Dartmouth maintained a suffocating defense as well on special teams, keeping St. Lawrence scoreless despite eight power plays and two two-man advantages.

Against Harvard, however, some moments of amazing goaltending by Kate Lane during the penalty kill could not slow down the Crimson unit.

On the opposite side, Harvard killed off a 1:14 of two-man advantage while Dartmouth was throwing its big duo of Gillian Apps and Cherie Piper together after the two had been playing on separate lines the whole weekend. All told, Harvard killed five straight minutes of power play to end the second period, including three of 5-on-3 hockey.

Additionally, sophomore Jennifer Sifers added a shorthanded goal to give the Crimson the 4-1 lead.

“Our penalty kill is very attacking we don’t spend a lot of time practicing a passive penalty kill,” Stone said. “And they did a nice job of setting some picks, and holding the puck long enough to draw someone and move it, we were just a little bit hesitant.”

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN

As the Harvard women’s hockey team was riding home along with the ECAC championship trophy it had secured, the focus had already shifted to what will be the climax of the season.