The Harvard women’s ice hockey team seemingly played two separate games against St. Lawrence in a 3-2 win Friday. The first, which lasted through the first 20 minutes of the game, saw a powerful Crimson (4-1-0, 4-1-0 ECAC) offensive line make quick work of its opponent, scoring three unanswered goals. The second, which lasted the second and third periods, saw an increasingly physical St. Lawrence (4-7-0, 3-2-0 ECAC) offense turn a potential blowout loss into a nail-biter.

“We made [the game] a little bit more exciting than it needed to be,” Harvard coach Maura Crowell said. “But we came off with the win, and I am proud of what the team put up today.”

Friday’s game was not only a crucial one in terms of early-season ECAC standings with both teams heading into the game with a 3-1-0 conference record, but also pitted a prolific St. Lawrence offense against a sturdy Harvard defense. The Saints had averaged four goals per game over its four most recent games, while the Crimson had allowed only one goal per game through the first five games of its season. While three early goals gave the Crimson a comfortable lead, its defense had to dig deep to halt a late offensive surge from St. Lawrence.

The intensity of the game was evident in the eleven penalties called, the most for any game Harvard had played so far in the season. Whereas only one infraction occurred in the first period, ten penalties were called over the next two, with six different skaters being temporarily sent off the ice in the final period alone. Amidst the physicality, sophomore goalie Emerance Maschmeyer spearheaded the defensive efforts for the Crimson, saving 26 shots against a St. Lawrence offense that outshot Harvard, 28-20.

“I think [St. Lawrence’s] plan was to try to play a physical game with us ,” Crowell said. “We are a pretty fast team, so other teams scout us and try to bring us down that way.”

“When we did give up scoring opportunities, [Maschmeyer] kept us in the game and kept it really close. If it wasn’t for the way she played on Friday, the confidence with which she played and her ability to block shots that most goalies would not be able to reach, it would have been a totally different story coming out of St. Lawrence.”

The Crimson offense also displayed its talents, scoring three quick goals that eventually proved to be crucial in sealing the victory. Junior forward Samantha Reber opened up the gates for Harvard 4:26 into the first period, finding the back of the net from the right side on an assist from sophomore Dylanne Crugnale. Exactly six minutes later, it was junior Sarah Edney’s turn as she notched her third goal of the year on a swift two-on-one play with sophomore Jessica Harvey. At 17:46, freshman Sydney Daniels finished the Crimson streak in the midst of a scrum, sending the puck past St. Lawrence goalie Carmen MacDoland for her first collegiate score.

The Saints quickly responded, mounting an offensive surge that resulted in two goals shortly into each of the following two periods. Meanwhile, the Crimson offense seemed to have cooled down considerably towards the end of the game.

“You are not going to get away with sitting on three goals and not trying as hard for the rest of the game,” Crowell said. “We learned that in the second and the third [periods]—we are still trying to put together 60 minutes of hockey.”

“[St. Lawrence’s] goal in the second period was a wake-up call, and our players played hard to settle down and seal the game in the third. Thankfully, we kept it a back-and-forth game and I am glad we were able to come out with a win.”

With its weekend games against St. Lawrence and Clarkson, the Crimson has wrapped up a long string of away games, which included back-to-back weekend trips to upstate New York. Harvard will now begin an even longer homestand, playing six consecutive games in Bright-Landry Hockey Center.

“Every meet is a learning opportunity,” Crowell said. “We are still in the process of learning how to play together for a whole game and really become one cohesive team on the ice. So to pick up this crucial win [on the road] gives us a lot of confidence, something that we can use as a springboard next week against Colgate and Cornell.”