Crimson Seeking a Return to the Top

When the Harvard women’s hockey team begins regular season play against conference foes Quinnipiac and Princeton this weekend, the Crimson will be expectng nothing less than perfection.

“We’re definitely looking to win both games,” junior forward Sarah Vaillancourt said.

No. 5 Harvard is set to play Quinnipiac (1-3-1, 0-2-1 ECAC) on Friday and Princeton (1-1-2, 1-1-1 ECAC) Saturday. Both games will take place at the Bright Hockey Center.

The Crimson looks to improve on last season’s stellar record. Last year, Harvard finished 23-8-2 overall with a 17-4-1 record in conference play, placing it second in the league. The team finished the season ranked sixth in nation and made its fifth straight appearance in the NCAA tournament.

Unfortunately, the Crimson’s national championship dreams were crushed when it lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament to No. 1 ranked Wisconsin 1-0 in a bitterly fought four-overtime game. The Badgers went on to win the national championship.

This season the team comes back without former co-captain Julie Chu. Last year Chu won the Patty Kazamier Award given to the best women’s player in the nation and led the team with 66 points and 48 assists. But while Chu will be missed, this year’s squad comes back younger and quicker.

“We lose a big player, but not the entire team,” Vaillancourt said. “A lot of good players that we had last year are still here and we have new freshmen who are going to be great threats.”

Those threats include freshman Liza Ryabkina. The Ukranian native scored three goals in Harvard’s two-game exhibition series aganst McGill.

Harvard won both of those games, beating the Martlets 3-2 and 5-3. Vaillancourt tallied four goals and two assists in the the preseason tune-up as well. Last season Vaillancourt finished with 56 points, leading the Crimson with 30 goals.

While there is little doubt about Harvard’s offensive prowess, the Crimson will have to clean up its defense this weekend. During the exhibition games, Harvard’s defensive zone was not very cohesive.

“I think the things that trouble me are how the goals that were scored on our side materialized—bad changes, somebody not being able to understand the defensive zone coverage,” coach Katey Stone said following the McGill games.

The Crimson’s first opponent this weekend is Quinnipiac. Last year Harvard crushed the Bobcats 6-1. But one factor that plays to the Bobcats’ advantage is that this Friday’s game will be their sixth, and Harvard has only played twice as a team.

“This is going to be [Quinnipiac’s] sixth game,” Vaillancourt said. “They are going to be more used to playing together than us.”

The Crimson also beat Princeton last year in a 5-0 shutout, but Ivy games always have the potential to offer unexpected intensity and competitiveness.

“Every time we play Ivy League teams it is always big competition,” Vaillancourt said.

One big question facing Harvard is who will be starting in goal this weekend, as the Crimson has a stacked arsenal of goalkeepers. Harvard anticipated junior Brittany Martin and sophomore Christina Kessle to compete for the starting job before the season, but freshman Kylie Stephens has thrown her hat into the ring as well.

Stephens racked up 13 saves in the two exhibition games against the Martlets last weekend.

Harvard will look to answer these questions and more this weekend as it begins its new season.