Junior captain Marissa Gedman needed less than three minutes to get the puck rolling for Harvard women’s hockey Saturday.

Two minutes and 45 seconds into the team’s game against Union, Gedman put Harvard up 1-0, taking control of an errant puck and sending it through the Union defense and into the goal.

The Crimson came out with intensity on both the offensive and defensive ends in the contest, and managed maintain that momentum throughout the entire match.

After dropping Friday night’s contest to Rensellaer Polytechnic Institute, Harvard hit the ice with intensity from the very beginning against the Dutchwomen.

“One of our goals was to come out a lot faster and with more jump than we did yesterday,” junior forward Hillary Crowe said. “It was good to see us playing with a sense of urgency right away.”

This sense of urgency was evident in Harvard’s dynamic offensive performance, which was present from the get go.

“I think the key coming into this game was starting faster,” sophomore forward Miye D’Oench said. “I think everyone was pretty fired up right from the start.”

This aggressiveness played a key role in getting the Crimson on the board early.

“Marissa Gedman's goal was a huge play,” Crowe said. “Scoring the first goal is always big, and I feel like that gave us good momentum that carried us throughout the game.”

Managing just 18 shots on goal, Union was unable to find the back of the net.  The main contributors to the Dutchwomen’s offensive efforts were sophomore forward Jessica Kaminsky, junior forward Christine Valenti, and senior forward Mac Purce, each of whom notched three attempted shots in the match.

“We have so much respect for Union,” Crowe said. “They are well coached, and never give up. I thought they moved the puck well up the ice, transitioning quickly and really testing our forecheck and backcheck. That being said, we had to make sure to stick to our game: fast and simple.”

The Dutchwomen squad’s efforts were not enough to break the stronghold of the Crimson’s defense.  Anchored by sophomore goalie Emerance Maschmeyer, Harvard denied the Dutchwomen’s offensive efforts throughout the entire matchup.

With 18 saves in the contest, Maschmeyer managed to notch her second shutout of the season in just four games. These saves make for a total tally of 94 saves for the sophomore. Harvard’s solid defensive line, led by Marissa Gedmen, contributed to the shutout.

On the offensive end, D’Oench led the Crimson’s efforts.  The second-year player stepped onto the ice with an intensity that led to her first goal of the season. Minutes later, she added a second goal, notching her first multi-goal performance this year.

“She was on fire tonight,” Crowe said. “She is extremely skilled and was rewarded for all of her hard work all over the ice. Not only did she snipe, but she won key wall battles, backchecked hard, and was all over the defense on our forecheck.”

D’Oench’s first goal of the match was scored when the forward backhanded a strong pass from freshman defender Robyn White past the Union goalie.

“It was a really great look from Robyn,” D’Oench said. “It was the type of composure that you don't always see early in someone's freshman year.”

In D’Oench’s second successful shot of the period, junior forward Samantha Reber supplied the assist, giving D’Oench the opportunity to power a rebounded puck into the net.   This quick move rounded out the score for the Crimson at 3-0.

“We were really flying in the second, and that was reflected on the scoreboard,” D’Oench said.

This commanding performance on the ice came after Harvard’s loss to RPI Friday evening, the Crimson’s first loss of the season. It came in tough fashion, as Harvard fell to the Engineers, 2-1.

“We talked a lot about improving our starts,” Crowe said. “I think making that a priority and focus was key. Also setting the pace right away allowed us to maintain the game.”

These changes ultimately proved successful for Harvard squad, as it earned the win and boosted its season record to 3-1. The Crimson will look to build on its momentum in its next game, at St. Lawrence Nov. 8.