November 14, 2009

No. 8 Harvard Falls in Overtime to No. 9 Princeton

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Christina Kessler made a career-high 37 saves and Josephine Pucci scored the first goal of her collegiate career, but the eighth-ranked Harvard women's hockey team dropped an overtime decision to No. 9 Princeton, 2-1, Saturday afternoon before 451 fans at Bright Hockey Center.

With the Crimson trailing 1-0 with 1:26 remaining in regulation, Harvard won a faceoff in the Princeton zone and Leanna Coskren moved the puck to Cori Bassett.  Bassett found Pucci wide open at the top of the point, and the freshman defender took a hard slap shot that was still rising when it beat Princeton goaltender Rachel Weber, hitting the back of the net and tying the game.

In overtime, Princeton's Landry stole the puck at the Harvard blue line and skated in for a breakaway.  Landry's shot hit the back of the net for the game-winning tally, coming with only 31 seconds to play in the extra session.

Princeton opened the scoring power-play goal just 3:56 into the action in the first period.  Laura Martindale and Danielle DiCesare swung the puck around the zone, before Martindale took a slap shot from the left point.  Landry tipped home the rebound past Kessler, giving the Tigers a 1-0 lead.  In the second period, Harvard (2-3, 2-3 ECAC Hockey, 0-2 Ivy League) and Kessler withstood a barrage of shots, as the Tigers fired 16 shots on net in the frame, all of which were turned aside by the senior netminder.

Princeton (5-2-1, 4-1-1, 3-1) held the final count in shots, 39-26, but Harvard fired four of the five shots in the overtime period.  The Tigers also won 40 of 71 faceoffs, while holding Harvard scoreless on five Crimson power plays.  Harvard will host Quinnipiac Sunday at 1 p.m.