Decorated, But Not Done

“This year it feels like we are really well prepared—almost like we have done it before,” senior forward Margaret Chute says.

The Crimson seniors certainly have. The group, which has played together since arriving in Cambridge back in 2009, has devoted the last three years to breaking into the pinnacle of collegiate hockey.

While coming tantalizingly close, the seniors of this year’s squad have yet to secure a berth to the NCAA semifinals, affectionately nicknamed the Frozen Four. But the confidence projected by Chute speaks to the belief of a team that draws from a reservoir of experience.

Chute and her cohort represent a wide spectrum of on-ice ability, with each of the four positions represented.

Bursting onto the scene in 2009, the rookies immediately made noise. Goaltender Laura Bellamy’s 1.68 goals-against average was good for No. 10 nationally, while forward Jillian Dempsey finished second on the Crimson and among ECAC freshman with 27 points.

The class built on that momentum going forward. As a sophomore, defender Josephine Pucci topped the team with a + 24 rating. And last season, the class of 2013 combined for 33 percent of the assists on a Harvard offense that was ranked seventh in the nation, largely due to Dempsey who broke out with an 11-game point-scoring streak.

Throughout its first three years, the group improved its already impressive résumé with a smattering of ECAC Player of the Month awards and national team appearances.

“[The seniors have] set a standard for what’s expected to all these young kids,” Harvard coach Katey Stone says.

But the numbers and praise alone don’t do enough to explain the contribution of this year’s senior class.

A microcosm of Crimson hockey, the group just clicks—perhaps too well, as their social preferences suggest.

“It’s the five days we have apart the whole year,” says Bellamy, referring to the squad’s shortened winter break. “And we want to spend them together.”

Despite having lost Pucci to injury, the group remains large and diverse, with six seniors making up nearly a third of the team.

“Collectively, we bring a lot because of that uniqueness between everyone,” forward Kaitlin Spurling says. “Together, we can all mentor the younger kids because we all are similar in some way to them and have different qualities that match theirs.”

These qualities are embodied by the team’s co-captains, Dempsey, the team’s leading scorer, and Bellamy, whose .919 save percentage propelled Harvard to sustained stints in the USCHO rankings a season ago.

Growing into the senior role does not appear to provoke any apprehension among the familiar bunch.

When asked how hockey has shaped her experience, Bellamy immediately responds, “It is my experience.”

After all, despite having just one senior on the team last season, the Crimson found success in most phases of the game, finishing with the second-best record in the deepest league in the country.

“You can talk all you want, but it does so much more when we can lead by example,” Dempsey says. “It doesn’t always have to be goals. It’s some of those little things like [blocking a shot] where people just play gritty.”

According to the seniors, Stone—who also serves as coach of the U.S. national team—is one of the best at making sure that the team does those little things.

“We definitely take pride in the jersey we wear,” Bellamy says. “And a lot of that is credit to Coach Stone.”

Stone, women’s college hockey’s winningest coach, brings her own share of experience to the squad with 18 years behind the Harvard bench.

Defender Hilary Hayssen describes how, in a juniors-only meeting before last season, Stone revealed just how much confidence she had in the unit.

While the bounce of the puck will ultimately decide the team’s fate this year, the visibly excited seniors realize the importance of the preparation process.

“The ultimate goal is a national championship,” defender Kelsey Romatoski says. “Four years in the making. This is an experienced group we have right here, so we are pretty much ready for anything.”

Yet the road that has led to this moment cannot translate into complacency.

“[The seniors] are very smart; they know the game,” Stone says. “It’s time for them to step up and execute.”

—Staff writer Daniel A. Grafstein can be reached at dgrafstein@college.harvard.edu