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The Harvard women’s ice hockey team faced a fierce lineup this weekend. On Friday, the team (5-4-1, 3-4-1 ECAC) took on No. 10 Yale (6-3, 3-3 ECAC), and then on Saturday the Crimson headed to Providence, RI, to play No. 13 Brown (7-2-1, 3-2-1 ECAC).

Harvard shocked the Bulldogs, securing a dominant 4-1 win over its rivals in New Haven, Conn. Then the Crimson fell just short of securing a top-ranked weekend sweep, dropping in an overtime 4-3 nailbiter against the Bears.

Harvard 4, No. 10 Yale 1:

The Bulldogs came out quickly to start the game, putting heavy offensive pressure on the Crimson and shutting down Harvard’s breakout attempts. Nevertheless, senior goaltender Emily Davidson held down the fort in net, logging five saves in the first three minutes of the game to keep the score even.

Harvard soon found its momentum as freshman forward Elle Sproule broke down the ice, getting an assist for junior Kayley MacDonald, who slid the puck past Yale’s goalie Anna Phillips to take a 1-0 lead. Just moments after stepping onto the ice, junior defender Annie Sun continued the scoring streak for the Crimson, banging a slapshot into the net from the blue line straight off a face-off win from junior captain Zoe Boosamra. The goal was the first of Sun’s collegiate career, and helped lift the Crimson to a 2-0 lead.

Play remained tight for the rest of the first period with neither team able to break through and score. The second period started with increased physicality from both sides as sophomore Ella Lucia drew a penalty for boarding in response to an uncalled hit from Yale’s Jordan Ray. While the Crimson nearly came out of its penalty kill unscathed, the Bulldogs’ Gracie Gilkyson snuck a one-timer past Davidson just as the kill came to an end to close up the score 2-1.

The game remained close for the rest of the second period as the Crimson held its lead despite Yale’s offensive pressure. Going into the third period, it was Harvard that came out quick, cycling the puck around the Bulldogs’ defensive zone until freshman Emi Biotti sniped a shot into the top left corner of the net for her second goal of the season. Stellar goaltending from Davidson allowed the Crimson to maintain its lead, even as Lucia was cited with a second penalty.

With frustration seeming to set in for the Bulldogs, Harvard drew a power play with just under nine minutes left in the period, but was unable to capitalize despite some close chances.

Then, refusing to go down without a fight, Yale pulled its goaltender with three minutes left, allowing sophomore Emily Hamann to score on an empty net and secure the dominant 4-1 upset victory for the Crimson on its rival’s ice.

Harvard 3, No. 13 Brown 4 (OT)

As the match began, Harvard’s motivation from the win against Yale was evident. The team’s controlled stretches of possession throughout the matchup, coupled with its strong offensive and defensive efforts, conveyed its growing chemistry. Although the Bears escaped with the overtime victory, Harvard’s performance this weekend solidified its position as a formidable ECAC competitor.

Freshman forward Morgan McGathey utilized her speed and agility as she exploded for her first career multi-goal game, tallying two crucial points. Boosamra delivered a go-ahead goal in the second period. On the defensive end, rookie goaltender Izzy Whynot stopped eighteen shots.

After tallying an assist against Yale the previous day, Sproule wasted no time making her presence known to the Bears. Sproule and McGathey connected for the game’s opening goal at the six-minute mark, helping the Crimson establish an early lead. McGathey’s goal was the first of her collegiate career.

The Bears then evened the score in the opening period, but Harvard responded immediately.

Less than thirty seconds after Brown’s goal, McGathey struck again on a feed from freshman defender Bella Finnegan, and the Crimson surged to the top of the scoreboard.

The second period featured stagnant scoring between the two teams. As the Crimson battled to defend its lead, the Bears countered with excellent defense. Whynot, although only a freshman, thwarted numerous scoring attempts from Brown, helping her team maintain its lead.

After the end of the first period, Harvard emerged in the second with renewed intensity. The Crimson extended its lead as Boosamra capitalized on a Brown turnover. The captain lifted a shot into the top left corner, delivering the goal that gave Harvard a 3-2 lead heading into the third period.

Harvard’s defense improved and looked as if it might stop all of Brown’s scoring attempts. As the Bears fought desperately to close the deficit in the third period, the Crimson determinedly blocked shots and battled in the corners of the defensive zone. Only eight shots on goal were logged in the final period as tension rose. With under six minutes remaining, Brown finally broke through with the game-tying goal, forcing overtime.

Just before the four-minute mark of overtime play, the Bears scored, ending the game. The Crimson fought hard, but just narrowly missed out on securing its second win of the weekend.

Despite the loss, Harvard’s weekend was successful, reflected not only in its victory over Yale but also in its competitive performance against Brown. The Crimson blocked 16 shots and recorded multiple multi-point performances, disrupting the Bears’ momentum all afternoon. Harvard also controlled possession for significant stretches of the game.

Next week, the Crimson will face the University of Maine (4-8-1, 2-3-1 Hockey East) for a non-league game with a home ice advantage. Harvard’s season has just begun, yet it has already proven itself as a fierce competitor. The Crimson team will likely continue to improve, as its large number of underclassmen athletes adjust to the rigor of collegiate hockey.

– Staff Writer Sofia Zhang can be reached at sofia.zhang@thecrimson.com