But it did take 17 minutes and a determined solo effort to put Harvard on the board in the first period. After collecting the puck near her own goal, senior defenseman Sarah Edney streaked from end to end to slide a finish past the UNH goalie.

Despite this late flash, the Wildcats, losers of seven of their last eight games, played a close first period with the Crimson. Harvard tallied nine shots during this time; the University of New Hampshire tallied eight.   

Part of the reason for this slow start was the abnormal size of the rink.

“It was a very different sheet of ice than we were used to,” Crowe said. “Our transition game wasn’t as dominant…. In the first period, we talked about simple adjustments that would give our team energy and speed in such a big and different rink.”

Such changes led to renewed energy, as the Crimson not only won the second frame, 2-0, thanks to the scores from Pucci and Parker, but also built a 13-3 shot advantage.

“The ultimate goal is winning a national championship, no question,” Crowe said. “However, the road to Minnesota is long…. We talk about taking a piece of every team along the way and staying true to the mentality that everyday is an opportunity to get better.”

—Staff writer Sam Danello can be reached at sdanello@college.harvard.edu.