Icewomen Sit Atop Ivies, Top Visiting Cornell, 5-1

Harvard women's ice hockey Coach John Dooley is a man with a purpose. "Our goal this year is the Ivy League," says the fourth-year coach.

And Saturday's 5-1 victory over Cornell brought the icewomen one step closer to capturing their first-ever Ivy crown.

The Crimson (5-3 overall) is now 3-1 in Ancient Eight play and in sole possession of first place in the league for the first time in history.

"We're in good shape in the Ivies," said Dooley. "It's pretty much up for grabs."

This situation is a novel one, since Princeton has dominated the league for several years. But two weeks ago Harvard knocked off the Tigers, 4-3 in overtime, for the first time in the history of the women's hockey program.

And Saturday's victory confirmed what that upset had suggested--the. Cantabs are not merely contenders, but the team to beat in the race for the Ivy title.

This year's squad is a transformed one, as four of the six starters did not play last season. Defender Julie Sasner, one of a superb crop of freshmen, got the Crimson rolling on Saturday.

Fifteen minutes into the game, Sasner took a pass from center Liz Ward and lined it to the left of Cornell goalie Sandy Gilbert.

Not one to be satisfied with just one goal, the freshman paid a repeat visit on Gilbert less than a minute later. Hooking through a couple of Big Red defenders, Sasner skated to the center of the ice and drove the puck high into the net from about 20 feet out.

"Once we get those one or two goals, we get really fired up," said Crimson Tri-Captain Dinny Starr.

Cornell clawed back in the second period, pulling to within one on a tally from speedy left wing Alison Shull at 9-57. The entire period was a reversal of the first--for whereas Harvard led in shots, 9-4 in the first stanza, the Big Red turned it around with an 11-2 shot margin in the second.

"In that quiet period, thank goodness Julie Sasner, Kelly Landry, and Genie Simmons were in the game--they saved us," said Dooley. "Kelly was fantastic and the moves that Sasner made were just terrific."

The third p8eriod brought the return of Crimson domination. "I think that once we get going and realize the stakes are a little higher, we're able to come back," noted Ward.

With the intensity turned back on high, Harvard proceeded to run away with the contest.

Senior Kalrinka Leschey notched a goal two minutes into the period, sliding the puck past Gilbert, who was sprawled in front of the net.

Nine minutes later, Leschey swept down the right side of the ice and at the last moment tapped a pass across to freshman Karen Carney who had fallen in front of the net.

Nevertheless, Carney managed to work the puck past the outstretched Gilbert, upping the score to 4-1.

The final tally of the afternoon came at 15-11 when Ward knocked in her tenth of the year on assists from Starr and Landry.

"It was tremendous everyone is putting their games together," said Crimson goalie Tracy Kimmel.

Two of Harvard's previous losses had been to national powers the University of New Hampshire and two the astern.

"When you go out against the schools you can do things that sometimes it's harder to do in the lower-key games," explained Kimmel.

Saturday, the icewomen proved that they could translate the skills picked up from the "big guns" into Ivy I League victories.

THE NOIEBOOK: The Crimson returns to action Wednesday when it travels to highly touted Providence Ivy action doesn't resume until January.

Crimson,5-1at Bright CenterHarvard  2  0  3--5Cornell  0  1  0--1