NOTEBOOK: Crimson Blanked Again, Hurt by Missed Chances

Harvard’s offense ran into a brick wall last night, and her name was Carli Clemis.

Although the Dartmouth netminder was peppered by 31 shots, Clemis turned them all away.

“Goaltenders are keeping teams in the game,” Crimson coach Katey Stone said. “We’re getting the chances, we just need to find the back of the net.”

This inability to convert on offense has become a recurring trend for Harvard.

In the squad’s last three games, the Crimson has averaged a whopping 36 shots per game while being shut out twice.

Harvard had no shortage of opportunities last night, with 15 shots in the first period alone, but the team was unable to light the lamp.

“We had plenty of chances, we just have to get better at burying them—burying the first chances and getting the second ones,” Stone said.

The Crimson has been ineffective on the power play of late, converting just one of its last 18 opportunities.

And the team is even less productive when playing from behind. While Harvard is 5-0-2 when it scores first, the squad holds a 1-7-1 record when its opponent grabs the opening goal.

The Crimson will need to rediscover its offensive firepower if it hopes to make a run for the ECAC title in the second half of the season. While Harvard ranks fifth in the conference in scoring defense, it is a disappointing eighth in scoring offense.

“You have to make your own luck,” Stone said.

“I think we’re at a point now where we’re playing really hard, and we’re getting some opportunities,” she added.

BACK IN CRIMSON

One bright spot in last night’s game was the return of tri-captain Jenny Brine, who had missed the last three games with an injury.

“It was great to be back out there,” she said.

Brine had five shots in her return and saw plenty of ice time both at even strength and on special teams.

She was back on the first line with classmates Sarah Vaillancourt and Sarah Wilson, a line that has been extremely productive for the Crimson all season.

Last night, the three seniors combined for 17 of Harvard’s 31 shots, a percentage consistent with their typical offensive contributions.

The linemates are Harvard’s top three scorers and account for half of the Crimson’s points on the season.

“I thought our line played pretty well out there tonight,” Brine said. “A few passes were a little off, but overall I’m pleased.”

For a team that has been battered by injuries of late, Brine’s return is crucial.

Harvard is still missing its top defenseman, junior Cori Bassett, who sustained an injury in the Crimson’s first matchup with the Big Green last month. While her return date is still uncertain, starting goaltender Christina Kessler will rejoin the team this weekend after spending the last week fulfilling her duties with the Canadian U-22 team. Kessler made 35 saves in two shutout appearances, helping her team to a silver medal at the MLP Cup in Germany, which ended last night.

“We want everybody back in the lineup,” Stone said. “The exam break comes at a good time for us. We hope we can get healthy and do some damage in February.”

BASH SISTERS

In what proved to be a very physical game, it wasn’t surprising that Harvard was called for six penalties last night.

The Crimson was whistled three times for illegal hits, the most blatant of which came late in the second period.

Right after freshman Whitney Kennedy’s penalty expired, there was a scuffle in front of the Harvard net.

After Crimson goalie Brittany Martin was roughed up by Dartmouth’s Amanda Trunzo, Vaillancourt stepped in to defend her teammate.

Both skaters were put in the box for hitting after the whistle.

“There’s never a good time, but by the same token, you’ve got to be smart about protecting your goaltender and not letting someone take advantage of you,” Stone said.

Harvard had a solid night on the penalty kill, shutting the Big Green down in its last three power-play chances.

The Crimson was able to limit Dartmouth’s opportunities in a 5-on-3 situation in the third period and generated some shorthanded chances of its own.

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