Team Notes: Harvard Continues Home Stand with Showdown Against Dartmouth
The Particulars
Harvard reaches the midpoint of its longest homestand of the
2011-12 season, as it welcomes Ivy League rival Dartmouth for a
midweek matchup. The Crimson is perfect in two home games so far
this season.
Series History
The Harvard-Dartmouth series is the most contested in program
history, and also one of the few that Harvard trails in, with a
35-40-2 mark in 77 career matchups. Harvard helped its cause
last season, taking two of three against the Big Green, sweeping
the regular-season series.
In just its third home game of the 2010-11 season, Harvard upset
ninth-ranked Dartmouth, 5-3, thanks to a balanced scoring attack.
Five different Harvard players notched goals as Marissa Gedman (Framingham, Mass.) started the scoring
and Liza Ryabkina '11, Elizabeth Parker
(Milton, Mass.), Kate Buesser '11 and Katharine Chute '11 followed
with tallies. Buesser's goal was a shorthanded effort, and Laura Bellamy (Duluth, Minn.) picked up 20 saves
in the win.
In the backhalf of the home-and-home, Harvard came back twice from
two seperate one-goal deficits to grab a 3-2 win in Hanover, N.H.
Jillian Dempsey (Winthrop, Mass.) scored
Harvard's first goal of the night, its second shorthanded effort in
as many games, to pull even with the Big Green at 1-1. Alisa Baumgartner (West Vancouver, B.C.) squared the
score at 2-2 early in the third period and Dempsey picked up her
second of the night to seal the 3-2 win for the Crimson.
The two teams met for a third time in the ECAC semifinal at
Bright, and the Big Green exacted revenge for the regular season
results. Josephine Pucci (Pearl River,
N.Y.) knotted the score at 1-1 with a goal in the first period, but
Dartmouth went onto put in three unanswered scores to claim a 4-1
win and advance to the ECAC Championship game.
Last Weekend
Harvard wrapped up a pair of season-series sweeps in its first two
home games of the 2011-12 season, taking down Clarkson, 2-1, Friday
night in a comeback win, and besting St. Lawrence, 6-1, Saturday.
The Golden Knights struck first in Friday's game, taking advantage
of a Harvard penalty for a power-play goal and a 1-0 lead in the
second period. Harvard responded with a power-play tally of its own
in the backhalf of the frame as Jillian Dempsey put home feeds from
Marissa Gedman and Gina McDonald (New
Brighton, Minn.). Just 47 seconds later, the Crimson took the lead
for good as rookie Hillary Crowe (Eden
Prairie, Minn.) muscled home the puck from close range, and Laura
Bellamy secured the 2-1 win with stellar play in goal through the
final period.
The power-play was in full force in Saturday's matchup against St.
Lawrence, as the Crimson netted three power-play scores in five
chances in a 6-1 pounding of the Saints. Harvard started the game
three-for-three with an extra skater and jumped out to a 5-0 lead
after two periods. Jillian Dempsey added an empty-net goal as the
sixth different Harvard scorer of the afternoon, helping the
Crimson wrap up the 6-1 win and the season series sweep. Harvard
finished the game eight-for-eight on the penalty
kill.
National Noise
A number of Harvard players have posted stats that rank highly on
the national scene. Jillian Dempsey is tied for 16th with three
power-play goals, but leads the nation with a 0.75 power-play goals
per game average. Marissa Gedman is tied for 10th with two
game-winning tallies and ranks fifth in scoring among defensemen
with 1.17 points per game.
Laura Bellamy's strong play has her ranked among the nations best
goalies. The junior is sixth in goals-against average at 1.50 and
seventh in save percentage with a .943 mark.
As a team, Harvard boasts the eighth-ranked scoring offense,
averaging 3.67 goals per game, while the fourth-ranked defense is
allowing just 1.50 goals per contest. The Crimson also has the
fourth-ranked power-play unit in the country, scoring on 31% of its
chances, and is ranked second in combined special teams.
Spreading The Wealth
Through six games this season, 14 of the 15 Harvard skaters that
have seen action have scored points. Ten different players have
scored goals this season, while assists have been recorded by 12
players. Hilary Hayssen (Orono, Minn.) and
Kelsey Romatoski (Woodbury, Minn.)
collected their first points of the season off assists in the 6-1
win over St. Lawrence.
Killing It
The Harvard penalty kill was dialed in against St. Lawrence Nov.
19, going a perfect 8-for-8 when the Saints had an extra skater.
The last time Harvard was perfect on the penalty kill in a game
where it had at least eight penalties was Feb. 9, 2008 in a 5-0 win
over Rensselaer. Harvard defeated the Engineers, 5-0, and killed
all eight penalties on the evening.
Thanks For Helping
Against No. 2/2 Cornell, sophomore Kalley
Armstrong (Maple, Ont.) assisted on all three of Harvard's
goals. It was the first multi-assist game of her career, and the
three points were also a career best. Armstrong leads the Crimson
with five assists on the season.
Welcome Additions
All four freshmen position players have made an impact already
this season. Through just six games, all four rookies have logged
at least one point. Hillary Crowe is pacing the class of 2015 with
four points (2g, 2a) while Samantha Reber
(Edina, Minn.) (1g, 2a) is next on the list with three points.
Sarah Edney (Mississauga, Ont.) has a pair
of goals on the season while Michelle
Picard (Taunton, Mass.) picked up an assist against Clarkson
Oct. 29.
Consistent Contributor
Jillian Dempsey has made her presence known on the ice this
season. The junior has registered at least one point in all four
games she has played. She notched a pair of goals in the season
opener against St. Lawrence and posted a goal and an assist in the
rematch against the Saints.
Crimson, White and Blue
Three current members and two formers members of the Crimson were
on the U.S. roster for the 2011 Four Nations Cup in Nykoping,
Sweden. Josephine Pucci played in her fourth tournament with the
team, having earned a spot on the roster prior to the 2010 Four
Nations Tournament. Jillian Dempsey made her second appearance with
the team after debuting at the 12 Nations Tournament this summer,
and Michelle Picard made her debut with the U.S. National
team. Veterans Julie Chu and Caitlin Cahow were also on the
roster for the 2011 Four Nations Cup.
Harvard Coach Katey Stone
Katey Stone, the Landry Family Head Coach for Harvard Women's
Hockey, is in her 18th season as Harvard's head coach, and she
holds a 361-156-31 career record, the most all-time victories
in Division I women's hockey. Stone has led Harvard to all eight of
its NCAA tournament appearances and is the head coach of the U.S.
Women's National Team.
First Things First
Over the past three seasons, Harvard is a combined 33-3-2 when
scoring first and 9-16-7 when conceding the first goal. Harvard
picked up wins against St. Lawrence and Clarkson last weekend,
scoring first against the Saints and conceding the first goal
against the Golden Knights. The Crimson was 13-1-0 last season when
netting the first goal of the game.
