Harvard senior forward Jennifer Raimondi has taken control of the Crimson’s offense this year, netting 12 goals and 21 assists and earning first team All-Ivy honors this year

For a few years now, the expectations have been high for senior Jennifer Raimondi. Coming in, her teammates and coach lauded her for having the poise and the skills—especially the shot—to be a potent offensive force in collegiate women’s hockey.

This past weekend, Raimondi stepped up and proved how valuable she is to Harvard with a goal at the end of regulation and another one with one second remaining in overtime to earn the win against Clarkson and seal a home playoff series—Raimondi and her fellow seniors’ last games in Bright Hockey Center.

“I’ve settled into a different style of play this season,” Raimondi says. “Everything is so close that nothing is absolutely handed to you. I’m always trying to create things.”

And this year, she has created much of the Crimson’s offense.

Harvard’s points leader with 33, Raimondi is the team’s second-leading scorer with 12 goals and has tallied 21 assists. In a season in which Harvard graduated the NCAA record-holder for goals in a season—Nicole Corriero ’05—and lost two of its most prolific contributors in Julie Chu and Sarah Vaillancourt to their respective Olympic teams, Raimondi has thus borne the offensive burden for this year’s Crimson squad.

In traditional Harvard style, Raimondi’s newfound role has meant stepping back to play the point on the penalty kill and the power play, which until recently was the nation’s number two unit, and looking to get the puck to her young linemates waiting close to the net. With this added responsibility, Raimondi has matured on the ice to become an all-around player—a noticeable progression from the rookie with the stunning shot she brought with her three years ago.

“I have a very different perspective now,” Raimondi says. “I have been playing defense on the special teams throughout the season, and it allowed me to switch off to and from defense much better.”

Back in her first campaign with the Crimson, when Raimondi posted the second-highest point total among Harvard rookies, all signs pointed to her eventual offensive stardom asan upperclassman.

Entering her sophomore season, her teammates knew she had the skills to be a key piece to the puzzle for the Crimson.

“Her shot is unreal,” Angela Ruggiero ’02-’04 said before the 2003-2004 campaign.

“I’m anxious to see how Jen Raimondi is going to do,” Harvard coach Katey Stone commented when asked in October of 2003 who she was focusing on for the upcoming season. “I think she did a lot of great things for us last year, really transitioned [from high school] well…I think that kid’s going to be a great college hockey player. I’m looking forward to seeing her development.”

During her second year with the Crimson, Raimondi did begin to develop into a great player. In the season-opener, she scored a trio of goals and registered an assist in against Union.

By the time Harvard fell to Minnesota in the NCAA Tournament, Raimondi was fifth on the team in scoring with 27 points, and she began cracking the national lists as well. Her biggest goal of the season came when the Crimson needed it most—as the pressure-packed game-winner against St. Lawrence in the NCAA semifinals.

And in these last few weeks of her career, the expectations will be the highest they have been in Raimondi’s career to date.

With her dramatic two goals this past weekend, Raimondi has proven again that Harvard can not only count on her for leadership and experience, but key plays come crunch time. And with the biggest challenges yet to come in the ECAC and NCAA tournaments, the Crimson will surely be looking in her direction again to lead the offensive charge.

—Staff writer Gabriel M.Velez can be reached at gmvelez@fas.harvard.edu.