Icewomen Shoot for the Beans -- Again

They weren't supposed to win it two years ago, but they did. They weren't supposed to win it again last year, but they did.

And tonight at 9 p.m. at Northeastern's Matthews Arena, the women of the Harvard ice hockey team will try for the third straight year to do it--to wrest the Beanpot from a bigger, stronger, faster and more skilled Northeastern team.

The Huskies are better than ever this year, 13-2 with both losses coming at the hands of the University of New Hampshier, last year's national champions. The Huntington Ave. Hounds, further, are ranked fourth in the country.

Harvard also has its best team ever but for the Crimson best ever is three games over .500, 9-6-1. The Crimson also played its best regular season game against N. U. in recent memory earlier this year, dropping a 4-2 decision in Matthews. And if the opening round of the Beanpot is any measure, which it may not be. Harvard is not hopelessly outmatched.

In the opening round last Tuesday, the Crimson slipped by winless Boston University. 10-0, and Northeastern earned an equally exciting 14-0 victory over just-as winless Boston College.

And in the consolation tonight at 7 p.m. B. C. and B.U. will battle for third place and victory number one.

After the Ice Follies, though, Harvard and Northeastern will get down to business. And make no mistake, the Huskies have a score to settle. In each of the last two years a certain Fitchburg. Mass. Native sporting crimson has denied Northeastern the Beanpot that it so desperately wants.

In leading the icewomen to a 2-1 victory last year and a 3-2, five-vertime triumph in 1982, "the Beanpot Kid" Tate has two tournament awards and has made the big difference in the big game.

"We should win it," says Huskie Coach Don MacLeod. He pauses to qualify. "If Cheryl Tate's on one of her wicked highs..."

"Our goalie's just as skilled," MacLeod continues. "But no one can get up like Cheryl."

But the icewomen need more than just a great game from the Beanpot Kid to beat the Huskies. Harvard Coach John Dooley will have to get a lot of production out of his first line of Kathy Carroll (17 goals, 22 assists, 39 points), Co-Captain Diane Hurley (18-12-30) and Kelly Landry (13-11-24) to overcome the squad's lack of depth.

Harvard has three four-year defensemen who have been playing well all year, despite constant double shifting, and the team counts defense as its big strength. Deb Taft (4-4-8), Megan Berthold (2-6-8) and Sue Newell (4-15-19) have all been performing well of late. Particularly on offense, the seniors should provide the Crimson with some scoring spark as well as their usually fine blue-line play.

Northeastern will rely on its outstanding defensive corps, which features standouts like freshman Stephanie Kelly and sophomore Sharon Stidsen. On the red line, the Huskies rely on Caroline Sullivan (16-10-26) and Jill Toney (8-15-23), but the key for Northeastern is its big, strong blue-liners.

But for the last two years, big and strong haven't been good enough. A bunch of small, scrappy hockey players from north of the Charles have come down and shown enough heart to claim the Beanpot on nothing but desire.