Women Ice Up

The newest of Harvard's varsity sports has gotten off to a slow start this season, but the latest signs have got to be encouraging for coach Joe Bertagna and his women's ice hockey team.

In its first year with varsity status, the women pucksters fell to an 0-4-1 slate before running up a stunning 5-3 upset over Dartmouth. Center Tania Huber led the Crimson attack with four goals to run her team-leading total to 6 for the season.

The win over powerful Dartmouth marked a strong turn of events for the skaters who began their campaign with an embarrassing 17-0 loss to Providence and a frustrating 2-1 defeat against Yale.

But a 4-4 tie with Brown, knotted when Huber notched a penalty shot with 18 seconds left in the game, started a mild upswing that blossomed in the Dartmouth game.

What Bertagna called "good positional hockey" and the revitalization of netminder Nelia Worsley helped Harvard turn around its fortunes and pile up some respectable play.

A pre-exam loss to powerful Boston State, 10-0, took some of the edge off the lone Harvard win; but with a 1-1-1 record in Ivy League play, the women look forward to presenting some formidable competition in the upcoming Ivy tournament.

The Crimson should be seeded in the middle of the pack in the March 23 and 24 elimination playoff for Ivy bragging rights. Having already beaten top-rated Dartmouth, Harvard could come away with a big surprise in its first year of life. Women's Varsity Hockey [1-5-1] at Providence  0-17L at Yale  1-2L at Brown  (OT)4-4T Providence  3-13L Boston State  2-8L at Dartmouth  5-3W Boston State  0-10L