Harvard Skates to Draw with Rensselaer
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CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Christina Kessler made 21 saves and Randi Griffin scored her first goal of the season as Harvard women's ice hockey skated to a 1-1 tie against Rensselaer Friday evening at Bright Hockey Center. Jen Brawn and Katharine Chute each collected their first points of the year on Griffin's tally.
After a quiet first in which the Engineers outshot the Crimson, 6-1, Harvard controlled the tempo of play in the second, recording 11 of the 13 shots in the frame. After Rensselaer was called for hooking at 10:17, Leanna Coskren made a quick pass to Whitney Kennedy, but the freshman's shot was saved by Sonja van der Bliek. Harvard kept possession and had back-to-back chances moments later as Liza Ryabkina just missed on a slapshot from the point and Katharine Chute had an attempt go wide.
The Crimson (2-0-1, 2-0-1 ECAC Hockey) would get on the board on a delayed call at 13:49. With Kessler heading to the bench, the Crimson used six skaters and moved the puck around Rensselaer's perimeter. Chute, standing in the right circle, passed it to Brawn, who took a shot on goal. The puck got on net and Griffin picked up the rebound and put it home to put Harvard on top, 1-0.
With a minute left in the second, Ryabkina played the puck in the neutral zone and found a speeding Kennedy down the middle. Kennedy moved in alone on van der Bliek and tried to slip the puck into between the post and her right pads, but van der Bliek made the save to keep the Engineers within one score.
In the third, Rensselaer nearly tied the game midway through the period, but Kessler made a save on a slapper by Jaime Jacquard-Sowa. Kessler made another stop on a quality chance by Nicole McDonald with less than seven minutes remaining when McDonald moved down the left side and took a leaning shot towards the net. The puck almost went over the line, but Kessler moved on her back and prevented the equalizer.
The Engineers pulled van der Bliek with a minute left in regulation and set up their offense in the Crimson end of the ice. Jamie Lynn-Stewart and McDonald crashed the net, creating a loose puck to Kessler's left. Allysen Weidner picked it up and shot it into the net, tying the game with only 18 seconds remaining.
In the extra session, the Engineers had three shots on net, and Chute hit the right post, but neither team was able to score before the final horn sounded.
Rensselaer led in the final shot count, 22-19, and neither team capitalized on its power play chances. The Crimson was 0-for-2, while the Engineers did not score on six chances with an extra attacker. Van der Bliek made 18 stops for Rensselaer, which moves to 5-4-1 overall and 2-0-1 in ECAC Hockey.
The Crimson will host Union at Bright Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m.
