Early struggles have made the Harvard women’s hockey team’s quest for dominance within its conference and high standing in the national rankings an uphill battle this season.

But the Crimson’s frustrating bouts with inconsistency have come to an end, and Harvard appears to be back on the rise.

The Crimson (10-7-3, 10-4-2 ECAC) completed a two-game sweep on the road this weekend, routing Union (2-23-3, 0-15-1), 5-1, on Friday before holding on against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) (12-12-3, 7-7-2) for a 5-4 victory on Saturday.

Despite not having its leading scorer in tri-captain Sarah Vaillancourt, Harvard’s offensive attack was irrepressible against the Dutchwomen, overwhelming Union with a 48-shot barrage.

The following day against the Engineers, the Crimson seemed to be heading for yet another blowout, but RPI made things interesting in the third period, nearly climbing back from a 5-2 deficit before eventually falling.

On the whole, Harvard coach Katey Stone was pleased with her team’s efforts, especially since the Crimson had not played in nearly three weeks because of final exams.

“We’re coming together,” Stone said. “Everybody got some great opportunities.

“We’re ready to come out of the gate with a lot of energy.”

HARVARD 5, RPI 4

Harvard’s contest against RPI on Saturday had all the makings of a blowout. The Crimson scored the first four goals of the game and built a 5-2 lead three minutes into the third period, putting the game seemingly out of reach.

But the Engineers refused to go down easily, clawing their way back into the game by catching Harvard off guard with two late goals.

“[The Engineers] never give up,” Stone said. “They play hard and smart and their goaltender did well. You have to learn to bury teams like that.”

The Crimson did learn, in fact, and just in time. After RPI’s Melissa Boik brought her team within one with her goal 18 minutes into the third period, Harvard finally clamped down on defense for the game’s final two minutes, keeping the Engineers at bay and preventing them from pulling their goalie.

“I think we just settled in,” Crimson tri-captain Jenny Brine said. “We started really focusing on our defensive zone.”

Brine contributed two assists in the game, both to Vaillancourt, who returned to the Harvard squad from the Team Canada’s week-long training camp in Calgary, Alta.

Vaillancourt’s time with her country’s national team seemed to pay off. The senior scored two goals against RPI while adding an assist.

“She’s one of the leaders of our team,” Stone said. “She can ignite a lot of energy and make a lot of good things.”

But while Vaillancourt led the scoring for the Crimson, it was sophomore Liza Ryabkina’s third period tally—which gave the team a seemingly comfortable 5-2 lead—that turned out to be the most essential in Harvard’s victory effort.

“In retrospect it was huge for us,” Brine said.

HARVARD 5, UNION 1

Despite not having Vaillancourt, the Crimson had no problem disposing of the last-place Dutchwomen on Friday.

Harvard unleashed 48 shots on Union, while allowing only six on its own goal.

Brine led the Crimson, kicking off her stellar weekend with a one-goal, three-assist effort.

“She’s great,” Stone said. “Every day she’s getting stronger.”

Sophomore Katharine Chute also came up big for Harvard, scoring twice—both times off Brine assists—while adding a helper of her own.

Chute benefited from a promotion up to the Crimson’s top line, where she hasn’t seen action since last season. Pairing Chute and Brine paid off, as the two collaborated on three of Harvard’s five goals.

“She’s taken a step forward,” Stone said of Chute. “We’re able to utilize her strengths—her speed and shot”

Harvard has lit the lamp five times in three of its last four games, indicating that the offensive woes the Crimson experienced earlier in the season are all but over.

“I think we’ve always known that it’s been there,” Brine said. “We have the ability to score five goals a game, and it was nice to have people stepping up and putting the puck away.”

This recent run of success bodes well for Harvard, which is just three points out of first place in the ECAC but faces some of the toughest teams in the nation in the coming weeks.

“I think we’ve made great strides, especially over exam period,” Brine said. “As we head into this last stretch we have everything to gain.”

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