ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Senior Seals Thrilling Victory

The eight-hour trek to upstate New York is a long, exhausting and desolate bus trip for a Crimson team when the season is on the line.

With a loss or tie to the now-No. 10 Clarkson squad at Potsdam, N.Y. this past Saturday, the No. 8 Harvard women’s hockey team would possibly have had to make the journey back to the Golden Knights’ home next week for the opening round of the ECAC playoffs.

But a quick shot from senior Jennifer Raimondi—netting her second crunch-time goal of the night—with only a single second left gave the Crimson the road win, the four seed, and the home ice advantage.

“It was definitely the most dramatic goal that I have scored this season and top three for my career,” Raimondi said.

The final tally came on the only shot that Harvard (14-11-4, 10-6-4 ECAC) managed on Clarkson (21-12-1, 12-8-0) in the overtime frame.

With a faceoff in the Crimson offensive zone and 18 seconds on the clock, Harvard coach Katey Stone called a play to try to push through the all-important score.

“It didn’t quite go as planned, but luckily we got the puck back,” Raimondi said. “Wilson just threw it on net and the puck luckily bounced out to me.”

And with the puck in her hands, Raimondi netted her 12th goal of the season.

“The [situation] is exactly what you want at the end of a game and it came from grit and determination,” captain Carrie Schroyer said. “Raimondi got the puck, looked up and sees this hole in the net next to [Clarkson goalie] Kira Hurley.”

After falling behind in the first period 2-0, the Crimson had used the entire 44 minutes and 59 seconds that it could before pulling off the win on Raimondi’s goal.

But just five minutes earlier—at the end of regulation—she had also given Harvard the chance to pull off the last-minute upset. With just one minute left in the third period, the Golden Knights held on to a tenuous one-goal advantage.

At that juncture, Stone decided to pull Crimson senior goaltender Ali Boe for the extra skater—giving Harvard the 6-5 advantage down the stretch.

With 27 seconds left, the Crimson was “just trying to put as much pressure as possible,” as Schroyer described the situation.

Eventually, Raimondi and sophomore Lindsey Weaver found themselves in front of the net with a loose puck bouncing around. Both attacked and tried to push the puck through, and the red light lit up.

Weaver was originally credited with the goal, but later it was changed to give the tally to Raimondi.

“I can only picture the puck going into the net,” Raimondi said. “The goaltender bobbled it and we got out our sticks on it.”

Though neither goal may have come off as cleanly as possible, with her “grit and determination”—as Schroyer noted—Raimondi helped push Harvard into a three-way tie for third place in the ECAC, and a four seed for the playoff tournament. Hopefully for the Crimson, she can do it again against the Golden Knights this weekend back at Bright Hockey Center.

—Staff writer Gabriel M. Velez can be reached at gmvelez@fas.harvard.edu.