Action Jackson: Sizing Down the Competition

HANOVER, N.H.--While Dartmouth was relishing in its first ever ECAC women's hockey championship, Harvard was already moving on.

"We're going to play another day," said Harvard Coach Katey Stone. "You put all these lessons in your head...because we're going to see the same thing next week."

The No. 3 Crimson could get another shot at No. 1 Dartmouth next Sunday at the Frozen Four finals in Minneapolis, Minn.

Even after yesterday's frustrating loss, Stone was confident and very proud of the Crimson's performance.

"We put ourselves in a position to win this game a number of different times, particularly at the end when we pulled the goaltender," Stone said. "We were still able to generate the same kind of firepower we normally do."

The Crimson dominated the second half and played step-for-step with Dartmouth through the first, outshooting the Big Green 22-5 in the third period and 47-28 in the game.

Senior forward Tammy Shewchuk chalked the difference in the game down to luck and a couple of bounces that could have gone either way.

"This is a game of inches," Shewchuk said. "In the first period things could have gone very differently...The bounces just weren't there, but it's nothing really to be concerned about."

It's a nice thought, but it's not the way hockey works. The game's all about the bounces, capitalizing on the opportunities and putting the puck in the net.

Dartmouth Coach Judy Oberting hit the nail on the head.

"We got a lot of the bounces, but it came from a lot of hard work and a lot of confidence," Oberting said. "The players did all the little things to get themselves the bounces."

Both teams got stellar performances from their goaltenders. Dartmouth sophomore Amy Ferguson and Harvard freshman Jessica Ruddock both did what was expected of them.

The difference in the game was the battle in front of the net. Dartmouth won the fights and Harvard barely showed up.

"The defense in front allowed Amy to see the shots and they weren't getting a lot of second, third and fourth chances," Oberting said.

Dartmouth's three goals were virtually identical, screened shots from the point that were either tipped or went directly through. Ruddock didn't have much of chance, and Dartmouth knew she wouldn't.

"You can't really stop what you can't see," Oberting said. "And that's worked for us all year."

It was a combination of tough physical play that paid off.

"They sag in a little and our points were open," Oberting said. "We're pretty dangerous in the corners, and once they sneak in we start using our points and there is traffic in front."

Those shots got through because no one blocked them. Plenty of Crimson players were sliding on the ice yesterday, but few of them were sliding to block shots.

It's not that Harvard was lazy or lackadaisical on the ice. That would be a grossly unfair assessment after watching the Crimson play some of its best and most exciting hockey of the year in the third period.

It's just that Dartmouth was able to create traffic in front of the net and capitalize on it, while Harvard wasn't.

Part of that is a difference in styles of play. Harvard is a very skilled team that can create a lot of chances for itself and doesn't have to rely on hacking in garbage in front of the net.

"When they play a very tight, deep zone, most of our chances are going to be generated off fast breaks or breakouts," Shewchuk said.

When a team's up against a hot goaltender like Ferguson, however, relying on skill alone often fails.

If Ferguson saw it, she was going to stop it and make sure there was no rebound.

If there was ever a time when the Crimson needed a garbage goal, a converted second chance opportunity or a screened shot to go through, yesterday was that time.

It didn't happen and the result was predictable.

Dartmouth effectively shutdown the Crimson's top line and forced Harvard to dig for its chances in the corners.

Botterill and co-captain Angie Francisco did a great job of winning the battles along the boards, but when they were in the corners, there wasn't anyone big enough left in front of the net to create traffic or run interference.

The Crimson's top line is small and it showed yesterday.

Shewchuk and sophomore Kalen Ingram are both incredibly talented, but Botterill's the only player on that line who matches up against Dartmouth in terms of size.

As long as the Crimson is scoring on fast break opportunities or peripheral shots, size doesn't matter much. Once that line of attack fails, however, it becomes a very big deal and a large liability.

Stone downplayed the importance of Dartmouth's physical play.

"They run a lot of interference and do a lot with the sticks, but we managed," Stone said. "Early on it affected us...but that wasn't a factor in the last two periods."

It wasn't as much of a factor only because Harvard responded by increasing its own physical presence.

When Harvard went toe-to-toe with Dartmouth in the corners and in front of the net, the Crimson generated some of its best opportunities.

It needs to do that more often.

On Harvard's first powerplay opportunity at 7:29 of the third, Francisco plunked herself in front of the net and decided to make Ferguson's life difficult.

Just 1:16 later Francisco had already gotten under Ferguson's skin and drew a roughing penalty.

"I was planning on skating right by her," Francisco said. "But the next thing I know her glove is in my face and I'm on the ice."

Through the ensuing two-man advantage and as a result of staggered line changes in the final ten minutes, Francisco and Botterill found themselves on the ice together several times. During that time, the Crimson generated some of its best chances all game.

Francisco added the physical presence Botterill and Shewchuk needed when the three were on the ice together.

It's a combination that the Crimson might need to use more often than powerplay situations if Harvard is going to beat Dartmouth in a rematch.

Over the past two seasons, Harvard has lost 5-of-6 meetings with the Big Green. Harvard was a better team than Dartmouth a year ago, and the Big Green still gave the Crimson fits, winning all three contests.

Now Dartmouth is the No. 1 team in the country, and Harvard still doesn't match up well against them.

Bounces are not likely to change Harvard's fortunes next weekend. The team needs a different game plan and it made need a tougher style of play.