HARVARD 2, QUINNIPIAC 0
Although Quinnipiac controlled much of the offensive action on Friday night, a strong defensive stand gave Harvard its first victory of the season. Co-captain and goaltender Laura Bellamy recorded 30 saves to deny the Bobcats any chance to get onto the scoreboard.
“Bellamy played unbelievable in the Quinnipiac game,” Parker said. “She was stopping pucks left and right, which I thought really helped and really kept the momentum on our side.”
The Bobcats failed to capitalize on multiple chances to score late in the first period. After missed shot attempts by Quinnipiac players, sophomore forward Nicole Kosta had a clear shot past Bellamy. Kosta took a shot at net, but her backhand shot hit the post and ran wide.
With the shutout, Bellamy is now tied for second in career shutouts for goaltenders at Harvard.
“Our defenders played really well, and I saw every puck on Friday night,” Bellamy said. “They were moving bodies out of the center of the net, and just made my job a lot easier. To get the offense and then the defense helping was everything I could ask for.”
A power play with two minutes left in the first period led to the Crimson’s early lead. After Parker won the faceoff, sophomore forward Hilary Crowe received the puck and passed it to Dempsey, who received it near the right circle. Dempsey returned it to Parker, and the duo worked the puck across the ice to give Dempsey a go-ahead goal for Harvard’s first score of the season.
A scrum near the Bobcats’ goal at the end of the second period led to the second Crimson goal. Crowe took advantage of the confusion to shoot the puck past senior goaltender Victoria Vigilanti, extending Harvard’s lead to two.
Goaltenders on both sides held the third period scoreless; Quinnipiac held the advantage in shots on goal throughout the game, 30-22, as well as in the final period, 10-4, but couldn’t convert on ample opportunities.
“Even though they outshot us, we had a lot of good shots on them, and the shots we did have were quality,” Bellamy said. “Our forwards did a good job putting pressure on them.”