Icewomen Trip UConn Huskies, 8-1, Glide to First Win of the Season

The Harvard women's hockey team found its scoring touch somewhere near Storrs. Connecticut, last night, erupting for eight goals en route to its first victory this season, an 8-1 shellacking of UConn.

The onslaught began when center Tania Huber banged home a centering pass from winger Dainne Hurley less than a minute into the game.

The rest of the Crimson followed Huber's lead and totally dominated the fast-paced game, keeping the puck in the Huskies' end and constantly peppering the UConn net with shots from all angles. Harvard raised its record to 1-1.

Huber, a second-semester senior, later put one in from behind the net and added another in the third period for a hat trick. Each of the Crimson's four lines scored at least once.

Five players tallied single goals: co-captain Firkins Reed. Hurley, Susan Newell, Jennifer White and Kathy Carroll.

The shots-on-goal totals were even more lopsided than in the Crimson's season opener last week, when Harvard outshot BU 40-11, only to lose, 1-0, to the Terriers. Last night, Harvard's Cheryl Tate faced only five shots in goal, while her teammates countered with 45.

Many of the Huskies played on UConn's national champion field hockey team this fall, but most didn't seem very comfortable on the ice. "Some of them could hardly skate, and they obviously hadn't practiced much together," Huber said.

Things still could have been worse for the hapless Huskies. Harvard coach John Dooley said after the game. "Their goalie made some outstanding saves--the score could have been out of sight," he added.

This win was Dooley's first as a Harvard coach. "He told us we weren't coming home if we didn't win," Huber said. "It was a big victory for him as well as the team."

Hotter

Although all of the Crimson lines skated circles around the UConn defense, the combination of Alex Lightfoot, Susan Newell and Jennifer White demonstrated vastly improved passing and offensive coordination. "Our shooting and passing skills are continually improving," Dooley said. "They're getting to know each other on the lines."