Men’s, women’s hockey players open 2007 on ECAC weekly awards binge

The Harvard men’s and women’s hockey teams both had huge weekends as each team won both of its games against ECAC opponents.

On Monday, two players on each team were rewarded by the League for their performances.

On the men’s team, junior forward Jon Pelle was named ECAC Player of the Week and freshman goaltender Kyle Richter was chosen as ECAC Goaltender of the Week.

For the women, co-captain forward Julie Chu took home ECAC Player of the Week honors and freshman goalie Christina Kessler was named ECAC Rookie of the Week.

Pelle had two goals and an assist during the Crimson’s two games last weekend, a 5-1 win at RPI on Friday, followed by a 3-2 win at Union the next night. He scored once in each game, with his goal against the Dutchmen being the game winner. With four minutes remaining in a 2-2 game, Pelle deflected a pass from junior forward Paul Dufault into the Union goal for what would be the last goal scored in the contest.

Richter started and won both games last weekend for his third and fourth wins on the season. He stopped 16-of-17 shots against the Engineers and saved 30 shots from the Dutchmen the next night, while allowing only two goals. For the year, he is 4-4 with .912 save percentage.

Chu, a member of the US Olympic Team in 2006, also had two goals and an assist over Harvard’s two home wins, a 3-0 win over No. 10 Princeton on Friday, and a 5-0 rout of Quinnipiac one day later.

She had a goal and an assist against the Tigers. The captain assisted on sophomore forward Jenny Brine’s second-period goal, the first score of the game, then added her own goal on a four-on-three before the second period ended.

Against the Bobcats, she scored early in the second period to give the Crimson a 2-0 lead.

Kessler made her sixth start in net of the season against Princeton and turned in a spectacular performance. She turned away 30 Tiger shots on the night, including 17 in the third period for her third career shutout. Her first came November 25 at Princeton, where she also saved 30 shots.

Her other shutout came on December 2, against then-seventh ranked Minnesota-Duluth.

—THE CRIMSON STAFF