Harvard Is in Lower Tier Of ECAC

Due to a week laden with non-league confrontations, Harvard women's hockey advanced its record and fine-tuned its recently modified line assignments but remained relatively stationary in league standings.

Harvard remains entrenched in the bottom tier of the ECAC standings, posting a 1-3-1 league record, 5-6-1 overall. Northeastern, Brown, UNH lead the league with undefeated records.

Early week action caused some disappointment for Harvard, but the Crimson rebounded with a strong weekend showing. Harvard fell 6-2 to a talented Brown team a week ago today, allowing the Bears to pass the Crimson in the league standings. But a weekend of action against Middlebury and Williams raised the Crimson's spirits significantly.

An 8-1 assault on Middlebury and a 7-0 conquest of Williams followed the team's expectations and turned around a three loss and one tie stretch. Harvard completely dominated the Ells, unleashing 91 shots to Williams' one.

The Crimson's scoring drought, a concern over a four game stretch where Harvard scored the same number of goals as games, appears over.

This brief league intermission should help Harvard compose itself before it faces Princeton this Saturday in New Jersey.

Harvard's strong non-league action has catapulted junior A.J. Mleczko into the spotlight. The versatile forward claimed ECAC Player of the Week honors. Mleczko scored five of the eight goals in the victory over Middlebury, which ties a Harvard record for most goals in a game. She also had a goal and an assist against Williams.

With these forays in front of the net, Mleczko climbs into second-place on Harvard's career-scoring list.

Despite a week of little ECAC ice time in women's hockey, the only other game that counted in the league standings was enough to change them. After a 6-1 romp of Colby, the University of New Hampshire secured a first place tie in the league with Northeastern. UNH freshman Melisa Heitzman tallied her first career hat trick and an assist in the game, helping the Wildcats to a league-leading 35 goals on the season.

Boston College picking up as the season nears its halfway mark. Victories against non-league opponents, Bowdoin, 7-3, and Middlebury, 4-3, as well as a 2-2 tie against Yale have put B.C. in the win column.

Also in non-league action, Princeton routed Northeastern, 7-3 and lost to Dartmouth, 5-3. The Tigers' landslide victory over Northeastern marked its first triumph in this match-up since the 1982-1983 season. Princeton's disappointing lag in the next game against Dartmouth is an indication of the league's unpredictability.

Princeton freshman Ali Couglin secured ECAC Rookie of the Week honors for the second week in a row. A Lincoln, Mass, native, Couglin scored four goals to lead her team in its impressive victory over league-leading Northeastern. It was her second hat trick of the burgeoning season.

As the winter holidays near and most students undertake rigorous exam schedules (except for Harvard), the hockey schedule slows down. League action will include only two games until the Auld Lang Syne tournament at Dartmouth over winter break (December 29-30), which should boast solid competition between league opponents Cornell, Northeastern and host Dartmouth. ECAC STANDINGS OVERALL  ECAC Team  W  L  T  W  L  T UNH  10  1  0  5  0  0 Northeastern  7  4  1  5  0  0 Brown  5  2  1  2  0  1 Providence  5  4  0  2  1  0 Dartmouth  7  4  0  2  1  0 Princeton  3  8  0  2  2  0 Cornell  3  2  2  1  2  2 Colby  1  3  1  1  3  1 Harvard  4  5  1  1  3  1 St. Lawrence  1  3  2  0  3  2 Yale  0  5  2  0  3  1 B.C.  2  5  1  0  3  0

Also in non-league action, Princeton routed Northeastern, 7-3 and lost to Dartmouth, 5-3. The Tigers' landslide victory over Northeastern marked its first triumph in this match-up since the 1982-1983 season. Princeton's disappointing lag in the next game against Dartmouth is an indication of the league's unpredictability.

Princeton freshman Ali Couglin secured ECAC Rookie of the Week honors for the second week in a row. A Lincoln, Mass, native, Couglin scored four goals to lead her team in its impressive victory over league-leading Northeastern. It was her second hat trick of the burgeoning season.

As the winter holidays near and most students undertake rigorous exam schedules (except for Harvard), the hockey schedule slows down. League action will include only two games until the Auld Lang Syne tournament at Dartmouth over winter break (December 29-30), which should boast solid competition between league opponents Cornell, Northeastern and host Dartmouth. ECAC STANDINGS OVERALL  ECAC Team  W  L  T  W  L  T UNH  10  1  0  5  0  0 Northeastern  7  4  1  5  0  0 Brown  5  2  1  2  0  1 Providence  5  4  0  2  1  0 Dartmouth  7  4  0  2  1  0 Princeton  3  8  0  2  2  0 Cornell  3  2  2  1  2  2 Colby  1  3  1  1  3  1 Harvard  4  5  1  1  3  1 St. Lawrence  1  3  2  0  3  2 Yale  0  5  2  0  3  1 B.C.  2  5  1  0  3  0