Icewomen Best Yale, 2-1, in Overtime; Yunick Goal Decisive in Dramatic Win

So much for the 1981 New Year's resolution not to wait until the last minute this semester.

Powered by a sprawling Sue Yunick tap in of a Lauren Norton slapshot with 1:26 left in the sudden death overtime period, the women's hockey team came from behind and defeated Yale, 2-1, in one of the most exciting contests this season Saturday night at the Bright Center. The victory, the Crimson's second 2-1 overtime win this season, raises the squad's record to 5-8 overall and 3-3 in the Ivy League.

With 1:54 to go in sudden death overtime and a 1-1 tie score, Sara Fischer came out of the penalty box to return Harvard to a full strength attack as center Alex Lightfoot stole the puck form a Yale defender in the corner to Mason's left, and directed it to Norton on the point.

The All-Ivy defenseman penetrated to just above the faceoff circle and unleashed a low drive which Mason managed to deflect right. But Yunick, positioned for the rebound behind the Yale defense, dove for the puck and tipped it behind Mason into the net from a seeemingly impossible angle.

"I had to dive for it," the junior winger, who has now tallied four goals, said after the game. "I was off angle and figured that was the only way."

The Crimson had to resort to last minute heroics after 45 minutes of scoreless, mediocre hockey when Yale broke the deadlock despite awakening and intensification of the Harvard attack. At the 4:35 mark of the third period, Eli center Reedie Field, with moves icewomen haven't seen since Princeton's Kelly O'Dell, took a feed at the blue line from Jamie Nicholson. Field, Yale's leading scorer, skated around the right side of the Harvard defense, deked goalie Cheryl Tate, and flipped the puck into the twines to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.

After the Crimson's top two lines failed to penetrate, the "white" line, composed entirely of first-year skaters, hemmed the Elis in their own end with outstanding forechecking, and brought the crowd to its feet. For a minute and a half, Harvard swarmed all over the Yale zone but managed only near misses by Jennifer White and Julie Starr.

With 9:43 left in the contest, sophomore center White banged home a Vicki Palmer centering pass to knot the game at one and save the Crimson from defeat. Senior Lisa Glen controlled the puck in the corner to Mason's right and fed behind the net to Palmer who directed the disk in front of the goal where White wasted no time drilling it past Mason for her second goal of the season.

"I was behind the net and just passed it out in front," Palmer, who actually skates on the "green" line, said after the game, "Whitie happened to be in the right place and put it in."

Despite the crowd's pulsing cheer of "Harvard! Harvard!," the Crimson power play failed to convert with five minutes remaining. Seconds later, Tate, who had another stellar night in the nets steering aside 17 Eli shots, denied a Field stuff to send the contest into overtime.

The icewomen decided to make their task a bit harder by committing two questionable penalties in the extra stanza. But strong penalty killing and aggressive checking allowed Yale only one shot on goal in the eight minute overtime.

THE NOTEBOOK: Harvard's three Ivy League victories is the team's most ever for a single season in the Crimson's two year varsity history. The icewomen seek their fourth consecutive Ivy triumph against a tough Dartmouth squad Wednesday afternoon in Hanover, and then return to Bright Center to host Wesleyan Saturday at 3 p.m. Leading scorer Diane Hurley sidelined with a sprained knee is doubtful for Wednesday's contest.

HARVARD 2. YALE 1 [OT]

at the Bright Center

First period--no scoring

Second period--no scoring

Third period--Y, Reedle Field 7 (Jamie Nicholson), 4:36; H--Jennifer White 2 (Lies Glen, Vicki Palmer). 10:17

Overtime period--Y, Sue Yunick 4 (Alex Light foot, Lauren Norton), 8:34 Harvard  0  0  0  1  1--2 Yale  0  0  0  1  0--1

Saves: Tate (H) 9 5 2 1--17, Mason (Y)

6 5 7 5--23 Attendance--10

Saves: Tate (H) 9 5 2 1--17, Mason (Y)

6 5 7 5--23 Attendance--10