Gold Medal Game Sees Women's Hockey's Ex-Captains Go Head to Head

Monday night, I couldn’t take my eyes off my laptop. Not because I had an essay due, but because there was a tense, back-and-forth championship game coming down to the wire. I’m talking, of course, about the epic Nova-UNC game (shout-out to Kris Jenkins for finishing off the most memorable college game I’ve ever seen).

Yet while Jenkins was writing a new chapter in NCAA tournament lore, there was another tense championship game unfolding about 2,500 miles away from Houston over in Kamloops, British Columbia. It was the final of the International Ice Hockey Federation’s Women’s World Championships between bitter rivals the United States and Canada. And it had a Crimson flavor to it.

Former Harvard co-captains Michelle Picard and Emerance Maschmeyer were part of the rosters for the United States and Canada, respectively, leaving the two to go against each other after years of donning the Crimson H together and protecting the Harvard goal.

Picard, who was on the ice in the 2012 Sochi Olympics when the Red, White, and Blue fell to Canada in the title game, helped the United States pick up the gold on Monday while playing on the second pair. The Taunton, Mass., native was part of a formidable defensive unit that conceded a mere two goals in five tournament games and held the potent Canada attack to just one goal in 132 minutes of play between the two teams.

While the blue-liner—who logged a plus-4 rating in the tournament—will return to Cambridge with the gold, it was Maschmeyer who walked away as one of the stars of the tournament.

Playing on the same ice her brother Bronson once played on as a member of the Western Hockey League’s Kamloop Blazers, Maschmeyer had a breakout performance on the international stage.

Chosen as the starter for Canada’s opening game against Team USA, the Bruderheim, Alberta, native dazzled in goal, making save after unbelievable save.

The former Harvard captain opened the tournament with an impressive 35 saves against a potent USA attack. While Canada lost the game, 3-1, Maschmeyer kept the game close before an empty netter with 20 seconds remaining sealed the final score.

That performance was merely the start for Maschmeyer.

The senior would go on to play in all five games of the tournament, starting three of them—including both matchups against the United States—while conceding only four goals over 191 minutes of time between the sticks.

In her final performance on Tuesday, Maschmeyer provided 33 saves in over 72 minutes of playing time, shutting out the USA and withstanding barrages of shots late in the game until Boston College senior Alex Carpenter poked a loose puck past the goalie in overtime to give Team USA the gold. For her efforts, Maschmeyer was named the tournament’s top goaltender.

As I processed the performances and watched their highlights on loop, I came to a sad realization: we’ll never get to see them in a Crimson uniform again.

It’s funny how you don’t appreciate or fully realize how important someone is until that person’s gone. Next year I’ll return to the press box overlooking Bright-Landry’s rink, but no longer will I see the names of the seniors I saw on the lineup sheet every game. No longer will we get to see them skate alongside the rest of their teammates.

Gone will be Maschmeyer and Picard, two of the most decorated players in Harvard history. Both came in as highly touted recruits and exceeded expectations with both the Crimson and their international squads during their time in Cambridge.

Maschmeyer leaves as one of the most prolific netminders in Harvard history, holding the school record for career saves with 2,538. Meanwhile, Picard was a stalwart on the blue line, recording a plus-103 rating for her career to go along with 53 points. The commanding presence of the two seniors in the back end will no longer be there, leaving a large hole.

Also gone will be classmates Miye D’Oench, Jessica Harvey, and Mary Parker, athletes who left sizeable marks of their own on the program.

D’Oench, an offensive spark for Harvard over the past three years, ended her career with 64 goals and 122 points, becoming just the 24th Crimson athlete to break the 100-point barrier. Parker, who was injured early in the season, led the team with 39 points during its run to the national championship game in 2015, where Harvard fell short against Minnesota. Harvey provided depth as a constant presence for the Crimson on the second and third lines.

As I watched replays of Villanova’s trophy ceremony the next day, I couldn’t help but notice the respect and praise being directed towards seniors Ryan Arcidiacono and Daniel Ochefu for all they had done to lead the Wildcats to the title. Writing this column, I feel the same level of respect and admiration for the women’s ice hockey seniors that will leave Harvard this year.

Their success at multiple levels demonstrates the talent of each of those players and showcases the impact they have had on an already storied Crimson program. While they might not suit up for Harvard anymore, their commitment and impact will always be appreciated and felt.

While only time will tell what each senior accomplishes after Harvard, both on and off the ice, I know one thing for sure: I’m already looking forward to seeing Maschmeyer, Picard, and the rest of the seniors suit up once again, wherever it might be.

—Staff writer Julio Fierro can be reached at julio.fierro@thecrimson.com.