W. Hockey Downs No. 6 Huskies 6-1

BOSTON--Having claimed the No. 1 ranking earlier this week, the women's hockey team continued to roll through ECAC competition with a 6-1 victory at No. 6 Northeastern.

The Crimson (8-1-0, 6-1-0 ECAC) extended its winning streak to five games and turned the tables on the Huskies (7-3-2, 3-2-2)--winners of the last eight games between the cross-town rivals.

Senior forward Kyle Walsh put the game out of reach 2:37 into the third period as Harvard began to get aggressive on the offensive end. She took a shot from the left wing that Northeastern goaltender Erika Silva deflected, but Crimson sophomore forward Kiirsten Suurkask got the rebound in front of the net. Silva stopped Suurkask's shot but had to move out of position, and Walsh tapped in the puck from the post.

"For three years [Northeastern] has always pushed us around," said Walsh, who recorded her first goal of the season. "The seniors really wanted to beat them at least once, and it was so great when that goal finally came."

Walsh's goal took the momentum away from Northeastern, which managed to hang with Harvard for 40 minutes. After two periods, the Huskies had outshot the Crimson. 16-15. But Harvard--which needed two third-period goals to beat then-No. 1 New Hampshire--dominated the final 20 minutes, firing 14 shots while held Northeastern to four.

"We know that we have to start picking it up when it counts in the third period," said freshman defenseman Angela Ruggiero, who tallied a goal and two assists. "Against [New Hampshire] we picked it up in the third period and we did that today. It shows a lot about our team that we have the ability to come through and win games." HARVARD  6 NORTHEASTERN  1

The Crimson secured the lead for good midway through the second period thanks to the forward line of co-captain A.J. Mleczko, sophomore Tammy Shewchuk and freshman Jen Botterill. Botterill won the puck and cleared out of the defensive zone on a pass to Shewchuk, who stickhandled past the blue line for a shot in transition. Silva stopped the shot but Mleczko had skated down the ice and was there for the rebound and Harvard's second goal of the game.

After last night's performance, Mleczko (25), Shewchuk (23) and Botterill (22) are the top three point scorers in the ECAC. Mleczko and Botterill have scored at least one point in all nine games this season.

Harvard started the game on a tear, getting off eight shots in the first 10 minutes of the first period while Northeastern was not allowed a single look at the net. Ruggiero opened the scoring 5:46 into the game when she sent a wrist shot in from the point that went through the five-hole.

"I took a slapshot and the defenseman blocked it," said Ruggiero, who leads all ECAC defensemen in scoring with 19 points. "Suurkask gave the puck back to me and I took a wrister and got lucky."

But Harvard's talented offense disappeared after the first 10 minutes. Husky senior forward Kathryn Waldo finally took Northeastern's first shot 11:21 into the game. Although she was hounded by a Crimson defenseman, the puck found its way past Harvard junior goaltender Crystal Springer to even the score at one.

Springer left the net, stared into the stands to clear her head and turned in a solid performance after the early mishap. She denied the next 19 Northeastern shots as the Huskies outshot the Crimson 15-7 over the next 30 minutes.

"We got that first goal but then we didn't keep the pressure on," Coach Katey Stone said. "Northeastern is the kind of team that, if you give them a little bit of a bite, they're going to take it. They got their goal and then they started to fly."

"But we weren't sharp and we need to not wait until the third period because sooner or later we're going to put ourselves in a hole that we can't dig out of," Stone said. "We need to be sharp from the first drop of the puck until the final whistle."

One reason for the defensive lapse was the absence of co-captain Claudia Asano, a defensive anchor along with Ruggiero and juniors Courtney Smith and Christie MacKinnon. Most of Northeastern's shots came in transition, as Harvard's defense played well enough to keep the Huskies from setting up in the offensive zone.

"Everyone has to pick it up now to fill [Asano's] shoes," Ruggiero said. "I get a lot of playing time so I'm going to have to step up but it's a team effort and we're playing three defensive lines now."

Ruggiero picked it up in the third period when she stepped in front of a Northeastern pass in the neutral zone and skated down the ice along with Botterill on a two-on-one breakaway. Ruggiero stickhandled expertly down the left wing, drawing Silva to her right before flipping the puck to her freshman counterpart for the easy score with 11:37 left in the game.

With a comfortable 4-1 lead, the Crimson padded its total from the bench. After relying on the first line for all three goals against UNH, Harvard showed off its depth against Northeastern--four goals came from defensemen and the team's second or third line.

"We hadn't been producing other than with the line of Mleczko, Botterill and Shewchuk," Stone said. "But there are some really good players on those other lines and they need to get a feel for each other and start capitalizing. It was nice to see them do that against a real good team. To score six goals against a team like Northeastern with a pretty decent goaltender is a successful evening for us. We just waited a little long before we got going."

The third line chipped in with 10:59 left in the game. Suurkask won a face-off in the offensive zone. Senior forward Jen Gerometta controlled the puck and passed it to Suurkask, who shot once before scoring on the rebound.

The Crimson rounded out the scoring in impressive fashion. Playing shorthanded, Mleczko won the puck in the neutral zone and passed to sophomore forward Angie Francisco on the right wing. Francisco skated in front of the net and blasted a shot past Silva for her third goal of the season. HARVARD 6-1 at Matthews Arena Boston Harvard  1  1  4  --  6 Northeastern  1  0  0  --  1

First Period Har--Ruggiero 1 (Suurkask) 5:46. Nor--Waldo 1 (Coen) 11:21.

Second Period Har--Mleczko 1 (Shewchuk, Botteril) 9:05.

Third Period Har--Walsh 1 (Suurkask, Ruggiero) 2:37. Har--Botteril 1 (Ruggiero, Mleczko) 8:23. Har--Suurkask 1 (Gerometta) 9:01. Har--Francisco 1 (Mleczko) 15:23 Saves: Har--Springer 7-8-4 19; Nor--Silva 9-4-10 23. Power Play: Har--0/4; Nor--0/6. Attendance: 315

First Period Har--Ruggiero 1 (Suurkask) 5:46. Nor--Waldo 1 (Coen) 11:21.

Second Period Har--Mleczko 1 (Shewchuk, Botteril) 9:05.

Third Period Har--Walsh 1 (Suurkask, Ruggiero) 2:37. Har--Botteril 1 (Ruggiero, Mleczko) 8:23. Har--Suurkask 1 (Gerometta) 9:01. Har--Francisco 1 (Mleczko) 15:23 Saves: Har--Springer 7-8-4 19; Nor--Silva 9-4-10 23. Power Play: Har--0/4; Nor--0/6. Attendance: 315

Second Period Har--Mleczko 1 (Shewchuk, Botteril) 9:05.

Third Period Har--Walsh 1 (Suurkask, Ruggiero) 2:37. Har--Botteril 1 (Ruggiero, Mleczko) 8:23. Har--Suurkask 1 (Gerometta) 9:01. Har--Francisco 1 (Mleczko) 15:23 Saves: Har--Springer 7-8-4 19; Nor--Silva 9-4-10 23. Power Play: Har--0/4; Nor--0/6. Attendance: 315

Third Period Har--Walsh 1 (Suurkask, Ruggiero) 2:37. Har--Botteril 1 (Ruggiero, Mleczko) 8:23. Har--Suurkask 1 (Gerometta) 9:01. Har--Francisco 1 (Mleczko) 15:23 Saves: Har--Springer 7-8-4 19; Nor--Silva 9-4-10 23. Power Play: Har--0/4; Nor--0/6. Attendance: 315