W. Hockey Travels South

Confidence abounds, and with good reason.

The Harvard women's hockey team (26-1) enters the weekend with two Ivy League obstacles in its path to the ECAC playoffs: nationally-ranked Princeton (15-11-1) and Yale (5-19-3).

The Crimson roll into New Jersey Saturday riding a 23-win tidal wave. Having dropped only one Ivy League game on the season, Harvard looks to better its record even more by Sunday's end.

Saturday's game with Princeton comes nearly two months after Harvard's 6-0 drubbing of the Tigers at Bright Hockey Center. Princeton stumbles back home after dropping three of its last four to non-league opponents.

For Harvard, the task of twice shutting down the ECAC's seventh leading scorer, freshman Andrea Kilbourne, looms ahead. Kilbourne's killer instinct has seated her third in the league in game-winning goals.

In perhaps the most encouraging news, senior goalie Crystal Springer-the same goalie who shut out Princeton two months ago-returns from a broken collarbone to take the net duties once again.

Springer will start in place of undefeated Allison Kuusisto, who just notched her second career shutout against Boston College. After a long layoff, Springer is more than anxious to get back into the groove.

"Anxious wouldn't begin to describe how I feel," Springer said. "I feel strong and I've got good movement in my shoulder. Like any injury, it's never as strong as it was before, but it's going to be strong enough to do what I need to do."

As focused as ever on doing her job between the pipes, Springer looks forward not only to finishing her senior Ivy League season in style, but also preparing for the ECAC Championships.

"I think the team hopes that this will be a good warm-up for me," Springer said. "I hope that I'm able to get a good feel for having another team shoot on me other than just our own team in practice. I really just want to go out there and play well and end the season well."

With a menacing defense that rarely puts its goalie in jeopardy, Springer appears poised to do just that, but not only against Princeton.

In another version of The Game, Harvard faces Yale with enough weapons to make the match-up look lopsided before the first puck is dropped. Senior captain A.J. Mleczko enters the game as Harvard's single-season scoring record holder.

As if that weren't enough, sophomore forward Tammy Shewchuk has momentum to burn after lighting up Boston College for five goals and four assists to set Harvard and ECAC records for scoring in a single game.

"I don't know if nine points could be done again this weekend, but it's really easy when you've got your teammates setting you up all week," Shewchuk said. "Hopefully we'll just finish up the season with two wins."

"The Princeton game was one of the best games this year," Shewchuk added. "They're a good team, but we came out strong and played a strong, united game as a team. It was definitely one of the most fast-paced games all year and just a lot of fun to watch."

Watching is one thing that Tammy Shewchuk will not be doing this weekend.

Princeton and Yale will have to be wary of the combined offensive prowess of Mleczko, Shewchuk and Botterill, the league's top three point leaders.

Yale, however, will not try to fend off Harvard at home empty-handed.

Sophomore forward tandem Lisa Meyers and Jane Resor lead the charge against the Crimson.

Freshman defenseman Angela Ruggiero, who will dart off to Finland following the Princeton game, will not be in the Crimson's arsenal for the Sunday afternoon game. Ruggiero will be on hand for the ECAC playoffs, but will not play against the Bulldogs.

Not only do these two games mark the end of an astonishing regular season, but also the final Ivy League games in the careers of captains Mleczko and Claudia Asano.

"These two games are important because the first team we beat will mean an Ivy League title," Asano said. "Neither one of them is bigger than the other, but they'll both be fun."

Just like any other game, Harvard will need to focus on playing all three periods like a top-ranked hockey team.

"Consistency is important this weekend," Asano said. "We can't have up and down periods. We need to pick up our play and play well for the entire game."

With this combination of the right attitude and great play, Asano believes her Ivy League swan song will be sweet music.

"These games really matter to me," Asano said. "If we weren't as successful as we had been, this would be the end of it all. Part of me is sad about finishing. Still, I'm just excited to finish the regular season and be playing in a situation where every game will be so competitive."

With the ECACs lying dead ahead, Asano may just get her wish.