The Harvard women’s hockey team combined flashy skills with gritty resilience to establish itself as one of the premier teams in the nation this past season, but in the end a winter of high expectations culminated in heartbreak.

After a hot start and a strong showing in the regular season was cooled by an early exit from the ECAC playoffs, the Crimson sought redemption against top-ranked Wisconsin in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in the hostile confines of the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis.

What ensued was a battle of epic proportions. Harvard proved its mettle against the Badgers, grinding out over 127 minutes of grueling, scoreless hockey.

But in the fourth overtime, Wisconsin’s Jinelle Zaugg one-timed a pass from Badgers star Sara Bauer to end the historic contest and the Crimson’s championship hopes.

“They’re devastated,” Harvard coach Katey Stone said of her players after the game. “I’m devastated for them. They were warriors to the end.”

But despite the anguish of the tough loss, the Crimson had plenty to be proud of and plenty of positives to reflect on following an exciting and hard-fought season.

After losing its three stars to the Winter Olympics in Turin the previous year and proving it could play without them by winning the ECAC Tournament and making an NCAA Frozen Eight appearance, Harvard had a lot to look forward to at the beginning of the season with the return of co-captain Julie Chu, junior Caitlin Cahow, and sophomore Sarah Vaillancourt.

The trio made an immediate impact, helping the Crimson rattle off four straight wins out of the gate and adding a fast-paced, high-scoring dynamic to Harvard’s game.

“It’s just great from a leadership standpoint,” Stone said. “They raise the level of practice and play.”

The Crimson dropped its first game to St. Lawrence, a team that would prove to be a thorn in Harvard’s side for the entire season, before reeling off six straight to close November.

December provided a host of challenges for Harvard, as the squad faced off against nationally-ranked non-conference opposition and powerful ECAC nemesis Dartmouth.

The Crimson would go 3-2-1 in the month, and drop its first meeting with the Big Green, 4-1, before heading into winter recess.

Harvard found itself up against Dartmouth again in January, this time settling for a tie.

After another long break due to exam period, the Saints edged the Crimson once again, scoring with less than a minute left in the third period to take a 2-1 decision. The disappointing defeat prompted a wake-up call for Harvard by an angry Stone.

“Things need to change. Basically I said, ‘This stinks,’” Stone said at the end of January. “Yes, this is a good hockey team and yes, we hit posts, but you know what? It doesn’t matter how many posts you hit if you don’t finish with a win.”

The Crimson responded by winning six of its last seven conference games to end the regular season in a tie for second in the ECAC with St. Lawrence heading into the tournament.

With the regular season over, Harvard entered the ECAC playoffs looking for its fourth consecutive conference championship.

The Crimson easily dispatched the Bulldogs in the first round, sweeping Yale in two games.

Harvard’s opponent in the semifinals proved much tougher. The Crimson was once again at the mercy of the all-too familiar Saints. Despite a late comeback attempt, Harvard fell to St. Lawrence, 4-3, ending its hopes of a four-peat.

With the early ECAC exit lingering in its collective memory, the Crimson traveled to Wisconsin as determined as ever. But Harvard’s best efforts were not enough, and the game for the ages would go down in the record books as a Badgers win. Wisconsin went on to win a national championship.

After the game, as the Crimson reflected on its season, tears of disappointment accompanied by an appreciation for the year that had been, especially on the parts of the seniors—Chu, co-captain Jennifer Sifers, Katie Johnston, Liza Solley, and Lindsay Weaver.

“In our locker room, being a senior, there’s many tears,” Chu said in the post-game press conference. “Because I love Harvard hockey. That’s what it comes down to.”

—Staff writer Loren Amor can be reached at lamor@fas.harvard.edu.