Icewomen Top Wesleyan, Look to Beanpot Tonight

The Harvard women's hockey team celebrated Valentine's Day in fine form, making like Cupid and shooting its heart out en route to its fifth victory in the last six outings, an 11-3 shellacking of a hapless Wesleyan squad Saturday afternoon at the Bright Center.

Led by co-captains Lauren Norton and Firkins Reed, who tallied a hat trick and a pair of goals respectively, the Crimson coasted to its record seventh victory of the season against eight losses.

Despite showering Wesleyan netminder Lawren Soule with a get-out-your-calculator total of 23 shots in the opening stanza, the icewomen held only a slim 3-2 lead when first period buzzer sounded. Not until Norton took a feed from Vicki Palmer (who contributed a goal and three assists), eluded three Cardinal defenders, and rifled a low drive through Soule's pads at 9:49 of the second period, did Harvard show its stuff.

Can't Step Talking

In the ensuing six-minute flurry, which kept announcer Lloyd Perimutter on his toes, the icewomen rippled the twines four more times to break the game wide open. Yet you can be sure that some of the moves that worked Saturday just won't foot Boston College tonight.

The Eagles comes into the third annual women's Beanpot at the Boston Arena (game time: 8 p.m.; student tickets: $1) with a solid 11-6 ledger including an impressive 2-1 triumph over Northeastern two weeks ago. Back in December, Kate O'leary's skaters upended Harvard, 3-1, behind acrobatic goalie Peggy Cameron's 27 saves.

Cameron, whose 2.41 goals allowed pergame average is one of the lowest in the league, makes B.C. a threat in any game, particularly the emotion-filled Beanpot. But Cameron and the Eagles are beatable, having dropped four of their last seven, most recently a 7-0 trouncing at Northeastern last Tuesday.

If goaltending is the key to this year's tournament, the Crimson mentor Rita Harder has an ace up her sleeve, freshman sensation Cheryl Tate. Despite never playing ice hockey before this year, Tate boasts a 2.68 goals allowed average and has been virtually unbeatable of late, with a torrid 1.49 GAA since exams.

As to the Harvard scoring punch, the icewomen have benefitted from finally incorporating the points in the attack.

The increased production was evident Saturday: Norton's trick and Julie Starr's goal and two assists.

Look also for the defensemen, particularly Norton and speedster Deb Taft, to lead the rush out of the Crimson zone.

That's Entertainment

As for what might possibly happen...HARVARD-B.C.: At Sunday night's Beanpot dinner, O'Leary said, "When I played as a senior in the first Beanpot, B.C. lost in the finals, 4-1; that's not going to happen this year." That's right, coach, you're not going to get there. Tate is tough and the Crimson is ready to follow the men's example. Harvard, 2-1. B.U.-NORTHEASTERN: In what Terrier coach Lee Hunsaker termed a "real dog battle," two of the nation's top squads faceoff in the second game. The Huskies are awesome at home. Northeastern, 3-2.