Harvard Edged In Top-10 Showdown
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CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Kaitlin Spurling scored the first goal of her collegiate career and Christina Kessler stopped 20 shots in net for the Crimson, but the Harvard women's hockey team fell in its home opener to No. 2 Clarkson, 2-1, Friday evening at Bright Hockey Center.
In the first, Clarkson (10-1-1, 4-0 ECAC Hockey) was whistled
for two back-to-back penalties, giving Harvard (1-2, 1-2 ECAC
Hockey) a 5-on-3 power play for 29 seconds. The Crimson
mustered shots on goal by Josephine Pucci and Kathryn Farni during
the two-skater advantage, but Clarkson goaltender Lauren Dahm
covered up both shots. Less than six minutes into the second
stanza, Harvard broke the scoreless tie with a slap shot by
Spurling from just above the left circle. Randi Griffin
pushed the puck ahead to Spurling who fired her shot over Dahm's
right shoulder and into the back of the net at 5:48.
Midway through the period, the Golden Knights tied the game, as
Dominique Thibault batted home her own rebound from in front of
the, slipping the puck underneath Kessler at the 12:19 mark.
Through two periods, Clarkson had the edge in shots, 17-14.
Early in the third, Harvard was called for a cross checking
penalty, giving Clarkson a faceoff in the Crimson zone. After
the puck was dropped Carlee Eusepi, skating at the right point,
passed the puck down to the right circle, finding Dominique
Thibault. Thibault slid the puck back to Eusepi, who fired a
shot that flew past Kessler, who was screened, and into the net,
giving Clarkson a 2-1 lead at 2:48.
Harvard held the final count in shots, 26-21, while finishing the game 0-for-5 on the power play and 4-for-5 on the penalty kill. The Crimson remains on home ice to host No. 7 St. Lawrence Saturday at 4 p.m.
