Harvard Coasts Past Boston U.

Photo by DSPics.com

Final	1	2	3	Final
Boston U. (13-10-5,10-6-0 HEA)	0	0	0	0
Harvard (11-7-3, 10-4-2 ECAC)	2	2	4	8

Scoring Summary
1st - 03:19	PP - Jen Brawn (Harvard)
1st - 07:32	SH - Sarah Vaillancourt (Harvard)
2nd - 10:03	Kati Vaughn (Harvard)
2nd - 12:10	Jenny Brine (Harvard)
3rd - 00:18	PP - Sarah Vaillancourt (Harvard)
3rd - 03:27	Jenny Brine (Harvard)
3rd - 11:26	PP - Cori Bassett (Harvard)
3rd - 16:38	PP - Sarah Vaillancourt (Harvard)

Boston U.	Harvard
G: N/A A: N/A Sh: 2 Players (#2, #8 - 3) Sv: Wilcox, Allyse - 25	G: 2 Players (#9, #26 - 3) A: Sarah Vaillancourt - 4 Sh: Jenny Brine - 8 Sv: Christina Kessler - 17

TEAM STATISTICS	Boston U.	Harvard
Power Plays	0 for 5	4 for 10
Shorthanded Goals	0	1
Penalties (min)	11 (22)	7 (14)
Shots on Goal	17	37
Face Offs Won	41	39

full stats

BOSTON – Sarah Vaillancourt scored three goals and collected four assists for her second hat trick in four games and Jenny Brine also recorded a hat trick to guide the Crimson to a 8-0 victory over Boston University in the semifinal matchup at the 31st Women’s Beanpot, held Tuesday evening at Northeastern’s Matthews Arena. Christina Kessler recorded 17 saves in goal for her second shutout of the season to help Harvard advance to next week’s Beanpot final. Kati Vaughn chipped in with three assists.

With the win against the Terriers, Katey Stone, the Landry Family Head Coach for Harvard Women’s Ice Hockey, has tied Brown’s Digit Murphy for the most victories among active Division I coaches and second all-time with 311.

Harvard (11-7-3) grabbed an early 1-0 lead on a power-play score by Jen Brawn 3 minutes, 19 seconds into the game. BU received a penalty at 2:04 for tripping, and the Crimson offense immediately went to work. Harvard mustered four quick shots with an extra attacker, including one by Brine that hit the left post, but BU’s defense withstood the pressure. Midway through the power play, Anna McDonald and Kate Buesser swung the puck around the left side of the Terriers’ zone, finding Brawn at the top of the left faceoff circle. Brawn accepted the puck and wristed a shot that went past Allyse Wilcox’s blocker and into the net.

With 12:28 to play in the opening frame, Vaillancourt tallied Harvard’s second special teams’ goal of the night, this time while the Crimson was short-handed. The co-captain picked up a loose puck near center ice and skated unopposed down the left side. As she neared the left of the slot, she made a quick move to get around one defender and fired the puck over Wilcox’s glove to light the lamp and give the Crimson a 2-0 advantage with an unassisted goal.

BU (13-10-5) had its best scoring chance in the first with 3:19 to play when Kelley Karnan found herself wide open at the Harvard blue line, enabling her to a breakaway. Karnan moved down the slot toward Kessler, but her slap shot went high and wide to the left and out of play.

For the period, Harvard outshot the Terriers, 14-4, and was 1-for-3 on the power play.

In the opening minutes of the second, Sarah Wilson poke-checked the puck away from a BU defender near the Terriers’ blue line, creating a breakaway attempt. Wilson faked to her left before lifting the puck to the right, but Wilcox got her left pad on it to make the stop.

The Crimson made it a 3-0 game with 9:57 left to play in the second when Brine got a shot through from the left of the net. Vaughn made a long outlet pass up the ice to Vaillancourt, who then moved it to Brine.

Less than three minutes later, Vaillancourt skated through the BU defense and slid a pass to Katharine Chute, who found Brine charging down the right side. Brine took the pass and one-timed the puck into the net for her second goal of the period, extending Harvard’s lead to 4-0.

In the opening seconds of the third, the Crimson notched its second-power play tally of the night, as Vaillancourt found the back of the net for the second time. Vaillancourt made her way through the center of the ice and into the slot when Vaughn sent her the puck. Vaillancourt chipped a shot up and over Wilcox, making it 5-0.

Brine clinched the fourth hat trick of her career at 3:27 when she tipped in the puck from the left of the crease after receiving passes from Vaillancourt and Anna McDonald.

Harvard added to its lead on a wrist shot by Cori Bassett from the right circle at 12:26. Liza Ryabkina took possession of the puck in the Crimson zone and skated down the right side and all the way behind the BU goal. She moved the puck through the left circle and to the point, finding Vaughn. Vaughn held for a moment before sliding to Vaillancourt, who quickly passed it to Bassett for the one-timer.

Vaillancourt capped the scoring at 16:38 on a wrister from in front that deflected off BU’s Ashley Leichliter, who had replaced Wilcox in net halfway through the third. Ryabkina was credited with an assist on the goal.

"It's a great time to be playing some serious, fast hockey," Stone said. "We're playing as well right now as we have been all year."

Harvard led the final count in shots, 37-17, and finished the game 4-of-10 on the power play, including 3-of-5 in the third period.

After a full month on the road, Harvard will return to Bright Hockey Center to host Ivy League rivals Yale and Brown Feb. 6-7. During the upcoming weekend, the Crimson will celebrate 30 years of women’s hockey at Harvard, as well as pay special tribute to the 1999 AWCHA national championship team.