This squad of seniors has overseen an impressive four-year era in Crimson hockey, one in which the squad has never finished below 20 wins in a season. One item lacking from this resume, however, is a Frozen Four appearance, and Friday’s game marks new territory for this reason.

“It’s in the back of my mind,” Reber said. “More than anything this weekend, I want to leave everything out on the ice and do everything I can to help our team get to where we want to be. 

For Harvard coach Katey Stone, the game against BC means another Frozen Four experience, albeit her first since 2008. That year, the team lost to Wisconsin, 4-1, in the semifinal contest.  

Stone has had an impressive run since then, including a stint as the Olympic head coach. But a second national championship would surely prove valuable to the legacy of the coach with the most wins in women’s Division I college hockey history. 

“We’ve got to focus on the things that we do well,” Stone said. “If we’re going to play our game, we better remember what we value and what’s gotten us to this point.” 

Of course, in order to perform at the highest level, Crimson players will try to push these large-scale thoughts to the sideline as much as possible. That’s no small task given the size of the stage.

Even if Harvard players succeeding in forgetting their various burdens, they can’t cast them off. The intensity of the Frozen Four derives from such emotional storylines, and like the game itself, the emotions belong solely to the players. 

—Staff writer Sam Danello can be reached at sdanello@thecrimson.com.