W. Hockey Hopes To Squish Big Green Giant

There’s more than bragging rights on the line at the Bright Hockey Center on Friday night.

But that doesn’t mean that No. 6 Harvard isn’t playing for pride against Ivy nemesis and perennial roadblock Dartmouth, ranked third in the nation.

The history between the two women’s hockey powerhouses is a rich one, and often a troubling one for the Crimson. Harvard has a 3-6 record versus the Big Green in the last four seasons, making this year’s senior class a group that has enjoyed only limited success against its Ancient Eight archrival. Dartmouth dealt the Crimson two of its four losses last season, including a heartbreaking 3-2 decision in the highest-attended women’s game in Bright history.

“For all four years I’ve been here it’s always been one of the biggest games of the year, the biggest in the ECAC,” senior defenseman Ashley Banfield said. “It usually gets a lot of fans and we play pretty close games, hard fought and clean games––quality hockey.”

Entering the final weekend of this regular season, first place in the ECAC is up for grabs––the Crimson and Big Green stand tied atop the league tables with 32 points apiece. Seeding for the following weekend’s conference tournament is yet to be determined.

Harvard would clinch the division crown with a win or, assuming it prevails over a struggling Vermont squad on Saturday, a tie. The Crimson holds that edge on the merit of a resounding 6-3 win over Dartmouth in Hanover three weeks ago.

“It gave the team a lot of confidence, knowing what we were capable of,” tri-captain Nicole Corriero said. “By the same token, we don’t feel any added pressure this time. We have nothing to lose.”

In addition to swinging the head-to-head tiebreaker in Harvard’s favor, that triumph gave credence to the coach’s claims that the Crimson were a young team on the upswing that would be a true force come playoff time.

Recent results have only bolstered that assertion. Harvard comes into the game as one of the hottest teams in the nation, unbeaten in its last 13 contests, dating back to last calendar year. The Big Green, having asserted itself alongside the Crimson in college hockey’s upper echelon, brings special intensity to meetings with its main Ivy foe and will have something to say about the continuation of that unbeaten streak.

“I think that one of the biggest things about the Dartmouth rivalry is we are two good teams who bring out the best in one another,” Corriero said. “Not from a personal hatred, but the stakes are always high, pride is on the line. Everyone’s so focused and so intense.”

The Harvard offense will once again rely on the brilliance of Corriero, who carried the team to victory in New Hampshire with a stunning five-goal performance. In these the final regular-season clashes of her collegiate career- with the national single-season goal-scoring record within reach, expect the senior forward to drive to the goal with even more determination than usual.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if it was another high-scoring game,” Corriero said. “Both teams have strong offensive-minded players, and in an open style of hockey anything can happen.”

Corriero is not alone in propelling the Crimson attack. She is joined on the first line by fellow tri-captain Julie Chu, among the country’s leaders in points and assists, and freshman Sarah Vaillancourt, the highest-scoring rookie in the nation. Both Corriero and Chu are among the ten finalists for the Patty Kazmaier Award for player of the year.

Dartmouth, however, has a Kazmaier finalist of its own in junior Cherie Piper, who is but one member of a fearsome constellation of four junior forwards that also boasts Tiffany Hagge, Katie Weatherston, and Gillian Apps. Corriero and Banfield are both familiar with Piper and Apps from their days on the Canadian youth circuit, lending their reunion extra personal significance.

“Cherie was like my hockey sister,” Corriero said. “She looked after me on the ice. I always looked up to her. She was a real role model for me.”

And, as Banfield can attest, the Harvard blue liners will have their hands full with the Big Green rush, which produces 5.08 goals per game, good for tops in the nation.

“In the top two lines they have really talented players,” Banfield said. “We have to limit the number of quality chances they get. They can shoot from the perimeter all day because we have good goalies. but we have to limit their second and third chances.”

If the Crimson does prevail, and then finds its way past a hapless Catamounts squad the next afternoon, it will see its post-season path cleared considerably.

Earning the top seed means the difference between having to meet probable third seed St. Lawrence and the eventual fourth seed (most likely Princeton or Yale) in the ECAC semifinals. The gulf in talent between the top three and the rest of the field is measurable, so Harvard would benefit greatly from avoiding the Saints and Big Green until the final.

With another quality win, as a conquest of Dartmouth would surely be, the Crimson would be all but a lock for a bid into the NCAA Frozen Eight in late March.

—Staff writer Jonathan Lehman can be reached at jlehman@fas.harvard.edu.