Harvard Travels to N.H. to Face Rival Wildcats

For hockey fans, the annual December matchup between two of the women’s eastern powerhouses has become a holiday tradition.

Tonight, the rivalry continues when No. 10 Harvard and No. 7 New Hampshire face off in Durham, N.H at the Whittemore Center.

When the Crimson traveled north last year for its traditional tilt with the Wildcats, the team was riding an 11-game winning streak and had just climbed to the top of the national polls.

But then No. 2 New Hampshire was too tough an obstacle to overcome, sending Harvard home for the holidays with a 4-1 loss that will be fresh in the team’s minds tonight.

“I think we do a good job of remembering our history with teams, and that loss last year was tough,” tri-captain Jenny Brine said. “It was one of two, so we definitely remember that game.”

This year, the stage is a bit different. The two squads, both expected to duplicate last season’s success—the Crimson and Wildcats both won their league titles and advanced to the NCAA Frozen Four—have experienced some early-season setbacks.

New Hampshire has lost three of its last four games, including two against No.1 Wisconsin.

Last Saturday, the Wildcats were upset on the road by Colgate, who edged the Wildcats 5-4.

Harvard brings a pedestrian 4-4-2 record to the contest, and is fresh off a Thanksgiving weekend sweep at the hands of No. 2 Minnesota.

Despite the outcome, the Crimson played well against the talented Gophers and hopes to build off of that momentum tonight.

“I think [we want] to duplicate the kind of effort we played with over the weekend in Minnesota,” Harvard coach Katey Stone said. “If we can do that, I think we’re going to be in pretty good shape for the rest of the season. They played hard, they played smart, they were relentless, which is what we’re looking for.”

But New Hampshire is not a team to be taken lightly. Harvard is 0-5-1 in its last six meetings with the Wildcats, with its last win coming way back in December 2003.

The team will get two chances to break that streak this year, as New Hampshire will visit Cambridge next weekend.

“We have a history with UNH, since my freshman year when they were the team that knocked us out in the national quarterfinals,” Brine said. “It’s not a game that takes a lot of effort to get motivated for.”

The Wildcats are led offensively by sophomore Jenn Wakefield, who has posted 19 points in 13 games, junior Kelly Paton, and senior Sam Faber.

Sophomore goaltender Kayley Herman currently has a 2.44 goals against average.

And New Hampshire is unbeaten on its home, Olympic-sized ice, with a 5-0-2 record at the Whittemore Center.

“We certainly enjoy playing New Hampshire. They’re a strong team and it should be a good atmosphere,” Stone said.

Stone is no stranger to Wildcat hockey, as she graduated from the university in 1989. She won two ECAC titles during her four years there.

“It’s always nice to go back there, and it’d be truly nice to win,” she said.

The Crimson has been carried offensively by its all-senior top line of Brine, tri-captain Sarah Vaillancourt, and Sarah Wilson.

Wilson leads the team with 12 points, and the first line has accounted for more than half of the team’s 58 points on the season.

But to take down New Hampshire, the team will have to play a complete and balanced game.

“We’ve been focused on playing a really strong D-zone and being more creative in the offensive zone,” Brine said. “The power play and the penalty kill are two things we’ve been working on a lot, because they’re so important, especially with the amount of penalties being called this year.”

“It’s not a secret recipe by any means,” Stone added. “It’s just trying to make the simple plays and minimizing our mistakes and turnovers, and trying to capitalize on our opponents’ mistakes.”

Harvard will take the ice tonight in Durham with one simple goal in mind-to break its losing streak and start the journey back to the top of the national heap.

“It’s going to be a key game for us. We have a few injuries, so a few of the players have stepped up,” Brine said. “We have a lot to prove, not only with UNH, but in our season.”

—Staff writer Kate Leist can be reached at kleist@fas.harvard.edu.