W. Hockey Hosts ECAC East Leaders

The Harvard women’s hockey team will put its two-game unbeaten streak on the line tonight against Northeastern (12-1-0) and Sunday afternoon versus Niagara (11-3-0).

On the strength of impressive wins over Niagara and Boston College this past week, the previously unranked Crimson (5-4-1, 3-1-1 ECAC North) moved to No. 9 in the national polls.

However, Niagara is ranked No. 8 in the nation and Northeastern is No. 4. Both teams sit atop the ECAC East standings with identical 8-1-0 records in league play.

“It adds fuel to the fire that these teams are doing well, but no one is really talking about the rankings,” said junior captain Jamie Hagerman. “We know we have the ability to knock off top teams.”

Junior forward Kalen Ingram echoed Hagerman’s feeling.

“It’s fun to be a bit of an underdog, but we go into every game expecting to win,” Ingram said.

Tonight’s game will be the first of the year between the Crimson and the Huskies, who are coming off of 6-3 and 3-2 wins over Providence last weekend.

Senior forward Brooke Whitney, the reigning USCHO Offensive Player of the Week, had three goals on the weekend for the Huskies. She leads the ECAC Eastern division with 16 points.

Junior forward Brooke White and defender Kim Greene each scored two goals in the first win over Providence and have 15 and 14 points, respectively, this year.

Harvard is also coming off a productive weekend, however.

“We’re coming off two big wins and we have a lot of confidence,” Hagerman said. “We’ve scored nine goals in the past two games.”

Looking to add to her league-leading point total is freshman forward Nicole Corriero. After recording a hat trick against Boston College on Tuesday night the newcomer has 13 goals on the year.

“Nicole makes scoring goals look effortless,” Hagerman said.

Sunday afternoon’s contest will be a rematch of the game played at Niagara exactly a week before.

In that game, the Crimson received goals from four different players to overwhelm the Purple Eagles, 4-2. Ingram had four assists on the afternoon.

“Our offensive has really been connecting the past couple of games, but if it’s a tight game we can get it done defensively,” Ingram said.

Sophomore forward Lauren McAuliffe got the Crimson on the board in the first period last Sunday with her third goal of the season.

Harvard took the 1-0 lead into the locker room at the end of the frame but lost focus early in the second. The Crimson allowed a Niagara goal just 18 seconds into the period.

Harvard regrouped however, and scored three unanswered goals midway through the frame to take a 4-1 lead.

Sophomore goalie Jessica Ruddock and the Crimson defense made the goals stand as the teams played to a scoreless third period.

Harvard will need to play tight defensively again on Sunday, as Niagara junior forward Valerie Hall and freshman forward Theresa Marchese-Del Monte are ranked second and sixth in ECAC Eastern point totals respectively. Each recorded points against the Crimson last Sunday.

Niagara all-time leading scorer Brooke Bradburn has also re-entered the Purple Eagle lineup after missing time due to injury. She netted an overtime game-winner against BC last week.

“We’ve focused in practice on how we need to play so that teams are forced to react to us rather than us reacting to them,” Hagerman said.

Face-off for tonight’s game is a 7 p.m. and the puck will drop at 2 p.m. on Sunday. Both games are at the Bright Hockey Center.