Women's Ice Hockey Ties Princeton, Shut Out by QPac

On Saturday afternoon, a shot from the point caused a mad scramble in front of the Princeton net. Bodies were flying everywhere when finally Harvard sophomore forward Becca Gilmore slid behind the Tigers’ goaltender and tucked the loose puck into the net.

This play late in the third period knotted the game at 2-2, which allowed the Crimson (1-3-1, 1-3-1 ECAC) to earn a tie against Princeton (3-2-1, 3-0-1) following a scoreless overtime period. The team salvaged a point this weekend after falling to Quinnipiac (3-5-2, 3-1-0) on Friday in Hamden, Conn.

HARVARD 2, PRINCETON 2

“We regrouped Saturday morning and we talked about being more relentless and having urgency,” Gilmore said. “Nothing changes, just urgency and we knew what we needed to do.”

The team certainly brought that urgency on Saturday, but it was the Tigers who jumped out to a quick start in the first period by capitalizing on a Harvard penalty. Sophomore forward Sharon Franklin put her side ahead on the power play off the assist from her fellow sophomore forward Sarah Verbeek.

This lead would last until the second period. After 13 minutes, freshman forward Dominique Petrie converted a penalty shot, the squad’s first since 2011, to draw the Crimson level.

An early goal in the third period from Princeton forced Harvard into another comeback effort. After applying pressure, the team got its breakthrough with Gilmore’s goal before having to pull its goaltender for an extra skater.

“It was not the prettiest goal,” Gilmore said. “My two linemates put a lot of pressure and a screen on the goalie and I was able to just sneak behind and bury it.… It was a good, gritty play by all five players on the ice.”

The five-minute overtime period featured a handful of shots from the Crimson, as it played with confidence, riding the momentum from its late equalizer. However, none of those efforts found a way past sophomore goaltender Rachel McQuigge.

Despite not pulling out the victory, the team’s two goals were certainly an improvement from the shutout the day before. The change is not so much due to an altered style, but more just a focus on working hard and being willing to do the dirty work to finish chances.

“I think it’s just getting more shots to the net and getting more bodies in front of the net,” said captain and forward Kate Hallett. “Screening those goaltenders, and capitalizing on rebound opportunities [are really important].”

QUINNIPIAC 1, HARVARD 0

Friday night’s game was a very different affair in terms of the score sheet. Nothing could separate the sides through two periods at the People’s United Center.

Freshman goaltender Lindsay Reed played a big part in keeping things level. She accumulated 25 saves on the night to help her team stay in the game. After a save, Reed dove back towards her own net and tipped the a shot wide with her outstretched arms to prevent a Bobcat player from tapping in the rebound.

A power play goal from junior defender Kenzie Prater broke the deadlock in the third period. The game ended 1-0 after a late flurry from the Crimson fell short.

The lackluster offensive showing was led by Petrie, captain forward Lexie Laing, and junior forward Kat Hughes. The trio finished with five, three, and three shots respectively on the night.

On the other side of the ice, six Quinnipiac players totaled at least three shots apiece. Junior defender Kati Tabin had a team high four shots out of the total 26.

This weekend was a continuation of the slow start Harvard has had. The team has only notched seven goals in its first five games, with three of those coming in the opening win against Dartmouth. If it hopes to turn things around, the goal scoring will certainly have to increase.

“We have a lot of talent on this team,” Gilmore said. “All four lines can put the puck in the net and we just need to do it consistently. I don’t think that’s based on the other team. I think that’s our power, our grit, to dig deep and get one in.”

The Crimson has almost two weeks before its next contest against Holy Cross. The break will afford the group an opportunity to build up chemistry and make adjustments from this first stretch of games.

“We have a lot of work,” Gilmore said. “This is not where we wanted to be at the end of five games now… As a team we need to regroup and reflect on what went well, what went bad, and how we get better… The next two weeks will be huge in that aspect.”