Harvard Blanks Dartmouth in Battle of Top 10 Teams

Box Score

Cambridge, M.A. - Sophomore goaltender Christina Kessler set a new Crimson single-season shutout record and freshman Liza Ryabkina scored a goal and added two assists, as No. 2 Harvard blanked No. 10 Dartmouth, 4-0, Sunday afternoon at Bright Hockey Center.

Kessler moved ahead of Ali Boe '06 by recording her eighth shutout of the year, as she made 18 stops en route to her 16th win of the season. Boe set the previous mark of seven shutouts in 2003-04.

Harvard (17-1-0, 14-0-0 ECAC Hockey) dominated play in the opening 20 minutes of action, out shooting the Big Green, 17-5, in the first period. Freshman Kate Buesser gave Harvard its first quality scoring chance of the day, as she narrowly missed a goal eight minutes into the game. Buesser moved the puck from the left side of the net and slid the puck underneath Dartmouth goalie Mariel Lacina. The puck, however, went wide of the goal by inches to keep the game scoreless.

Harvard got on the scoreboard five minutes later on an even-strength tally by Ryabkina, her fifth goal of her rookie season. Junior Sarah Wilson played the puck from the left side and moved it to Ryabkina in front, who chipped the puck over Lacina's glove for the score.

The Big Green earned a power play in the final seconds of the first period, but could not get a shot past Kessler as play moved to the second.

At 7:08, sophomore Cori Bassett increased the Harvard advantage to 2-0, as she fired a shot from the point. The puck hit the cross bar and dropped in for Bassett's third tally. Ryabkina was credited an assist on the play.

In the third period, Harvard capitalized on its fifth power-play chance on a tally by senior defenseman Caitlin Cahow. Sophomore Kathryn Farni took a shot that Lacina saved, but junior Jenny Brine found the rebound and tapped the puck to Cahow. Cahow had an open right-side of the net, and flipped the puck in for her 10th score of the year at 13:52. With the goal, Cahow ties Ashley Banfield '05 for 20th on Harvard's all-time career scoring list with 95 points.

Wilson added an insurance tally at 16:20 with assists from Buesser and Ryabkina. With the win, Harvard remains undefeated at home (10-0-0) and in conference play.

The Crimson out shot the Big Green, 43-18, for the game, and was 1 of 5 on the power play. Dartmouth (11-7-3, 8-5-1) was 0 for 3 with the extra attacker, and Lacina made 39 shots in net for the Big Green. The Crimson has only surrendered one power-play tally in the last 54 attempts, and has allowed only one goal overall in its last five games.

Harvard returns to action Friday, Feb. 1 when the Crimson faces Brown at 4 p.m. in Providence, R.I. The Crimson returns to Bright Hockey Center to host Yale Saturday, Feb. 2 at 4 p.m.