Buesser’s Effort Lifts No. 3 Harvard

Photo by DSPics.com

Final	1	2	3	Final
Harvard (1-0-0)	0	0	2	2
Quinnipiac (1-8-0)	0	1	0	1

Scoring Summary
2nd - 01:19	Stacey Kmill (Quinnipiac)
3rd - 02:32	Kate Buesser (Harvard)
3rd - 18:27	Kate Buesser (Harvard)

Harvard	Quinnipiac
G: Kate Buesser - 2 A: Randi Griffin - 1 Sh: Kate Buesser - 4 Sv: Christina Kessler - 22	G: Trudy Reyns - 1 A: Melissa Perry - 1 Sh: 3 Players (#5, #16, #17 - 4) Sv: Nanna Holm-Glaas - 17

TEAM STATISTICS	Harvard	Quinnipiac
Power Plays	0 for 5	0 for 5
Shorthanded Goals	0	0
Penalties (min)	5 (10)	5 (10)
Shots on Goal	19	23
Face Offs Won	32	21

full stats

Boxscore

HAMDEN, Conn. - Forward Kate Buesser scored two goals including one on a shot from in front with 1:37 remaining in the game to propel No. 3 Harvard to a 2-1 victory at Quinnipiac Friday evening.  Christina Kessler made 22 saves and Randi Griffin added an assist for the Crimson in its season opener.

With two minutes left in the contest, the Crimson set up shop in the Quinnipiac end of the ice.  Randi Griffin took the puck and skated around the Bobcat goal, trying a wraparound.  The puck sat on the goal line and Buesser pushed it across for the game-winning tally.

In the first, Harvard (1-0-0, 1-0-0 ECAC Hockey) earned back-to-back power plays in the opening eight minutes of the game, but could not find its scoring touch early against Quinnipiac goaltender Nanna Holm Glaas.  At 6:37, defenseman Cori Bassett took a quick shot from the center of the blue line that was deflected in front by forward Anna McDonald and on goal.  Glaas fought through traffic and covered up and then made another save moments later on a shot by McDonald off the ensuing faceoff.

At 10:47, freshman forward Whitney Kennedy skated past several Bobcat defenders and wristed a shot at Glaas, but the goalie made another stop.  Less than two minutes later, Quinnipiac had its best scoring chance of the period on a power play.  Elyse Cole had possession of the puck behind the Crimson net and slid it to Evelina Husar, who was camped out in front.  Husar managed a quick shot, but Kessler got her left pad on it to keep the game scoreless.  After one, the Crimson led in shots, 8-6, and each team was 0-for-2 on power-play chances.

After Harvard had killed off a penalty that overlapped into the beginning of the second period, the Bobcats kept possession and set up its offense in the Harvard zone.  Melissa Perry took the puck at the right circle and passed it back to Trudy Reyns, who was standing at the point.  Reyns fired a shot that was deflected off Stacey Kmill's stick and into the net, giving Quinnipiac at 1-0 lead at 1:19.

Later in the second, Quinnipiac's Kelly Davies skated from the left side and took a shot that Kessler stopped.  Husar grabbed the rebound and tried a back hand, but Kessler made that save as well at 13:20.  After Quinnipiac (1-8-0, 0-1-0) was called for hooking at 15:36, Liza Ryabkina took a hard shot from the point, but it was redirected by a Bobcat defender and went wide of the net.  Less than a minute later, Sarah Wilson and Ryabkina had a 2-on-1 opportunity, but Glaas made consecutive saves on the shots by the Crimson forwards, as Quinnipiac remained on top, 1-0, after two.

After a slashing call on the Bobcats gave the Crimson a power play at 0:28, Kati Vaughn took a hard slap shot from just inside the blue line, but the puck hit Glaas in the chest, and bounced away.  Four seconds after the same power play had expired, Buesser picked up a loose puck at the right circle.  Buesser paused and wristed a shot over Glaas's left shoulder to knot the game at 2:32.

With 12 minutes left in the third, Buesser skated down the left boards and continued around the Quinnipiac goal.  With two defenders moving towards her, Buesser slid the puck in front, finding a wide open Wilson, but Wilson's shot was kicked aside by Glaas. 

Quinnipiac held the final edge in shots, 23-19, including 10-5 in the first and both teams were 0-for-5 on power-play chances.

The Crimson continues its road trip with a visit to Princeton Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m.