“We competed every day and just made each other better,” said Bellamy, who owned the nation’s top goals-against average by the season’s end.
“We were extremely fortunate to have two very capable goalies,” Dempsey added.
Harvard rode a 10-1-1 record to No. 4 in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll by midseason.
In its next game, the Crimson defended its perfect 8-0-0 ECAC record against a Union side still searching for its first conference victory.
Harvard humiliated the Dutchwomen, netting nine goals in front of a Union-friendly crowd in Schenectady, N.Y.
Dempsey found the back of the net twice and assisted on three other goals over the course of the onslaught. The senior led the Crimson in scoring on the season with 45 points.
Dempsey had support from junior linemates Kalley Armstrong and Fry. The two combined for 27 goals and 31 assists.
“We both see the ice really well,” Fry said. “Our styles mesh well together.”
Freshman forward Mary Parker also played a big role in a Crimson offense that scored 3.32 goals per game, a mark good for eighth in the country.
The Union game catalyzed a Harvard side that took the next seven games in regulation.
“Of course that gets the team psyched,” said Bellamy of the scoring in the road matchup. “We were feeling good about ourselves so that probably brought up the morale.”
Due to inclement weather in February, the Crimson was forced to close out its regular season later than initially scheduled.
An eventual victory over Yale in the postponed game gave Harvard, which managed just one point in its previous two scheduled conference matchups, a bit of momentum going into the postseason.
The Crimson went on to dominate Dartmouth in a best of three series, following a 4-0 shutout in the first game with a 3-0 victory the next afternoon.
Maschmeyer, who started both games in net, put on a clinic on home ice throughout the season, allowing just eight goals in eight games at Bright.
For the second straight season, Harvard dropped its first-round Beanpot matchup. This year, it fell to BC, which squeaked out the 2-1 victory after conceding a late goal to the potent Crimson offense. Harvard bounced back to beat BU 3-0 in the consolation game.
—Staff writer Daniel A. Grafstein can be reached at dgrafstein@college.harvard.edu.