Springer Back Between the Pipes

There were countless heroes on Harvard's 1999 Women's Hockey National Championship team, but in the jumble of amazing stories from last season, Crystal Springer's shines like a diamond in the rough.

On a team that seemed to get all the lucky bounces last year, Springer seemed to get all the bad breaks.

Nevertheless, the senior goaltender managed to overcome the hard knocks thrown her way and lead Harvard into its playoff run.

On the way, Springer compiled numbers in goal that would make a sharp-shooter shake, registering a 1.32 goals-against average and a blistering hot .932 save percentage with a record of 15-1.

Springer and the rest of the Crimson were off to their best start ever. At the midpoint of the season, Harvard was 14-1 and Springer was having a career season between the pipes, arguably anchoring the greatest Crimson team to take the ice.

Then without warning, Springer's fairytale season literally shattered in front of her own eyes with one devastating blow.

A seemingly harmless shot in practice found it's way through her layers of padding and broke Springer's collar bone.

"It was the last drill of the last practice before the exam break," Springer said. "I just couldn't imagine it happening like that at all."

Luckily, the break wasn't a serious as it could have been. Springer only missed four weeks of the regular season, and returned just in time for the playoffs.

However, the injury gave Springer a new perspective, as she sat out a month of the season.

"It was good as a learning experience to relate with the player's who didn't always get a chance to play," Springer said.

Springer hadn't faced the predicament of sitting out several consecutive games before in her career, and the experience made her appreciate the opportunities she had to play even more.

"It always sucks not to play, but it bothers me to have someone say I can't play because I'm hurt," Springer said. "If coach chooses to play the other goalie because she's better, at least I'd know that sitting out was better for the team, but to sit out because your injured doesn't help anyone. It just bothers me."

However, dealing with an injury and battling back is an experience most athletes eventually have to face, and Springer says she's stronger for it.

Springer started her comeback just days before the Crimson's playoff run and she didn't have much time to prepare for postseason play.

"I was very nervous my first game back against Princeton," Springer said. "And when the game went to overtime, I was just glad that my first game back was finally over."

Despite a collarbone that hadn't completely healed, Springer led Harvard to a string of narrow victories over playoff opponents to advance to the semi-finals against Brown.

Late in that game, Springer took a hard hit from a Bears' forward and re-injured her collarbone.

"The doctor told me that if I took a hit in the wrong way there was a chance that it might break again," Springer said. "However, it was a risk that you have to play with sometimes."

Although the first injury served as a learning experience for Springer, the second break is still hard to talk about.

The Crimson went on to defeat Brown and advanced to the finals, where they claimed their first national title. However, Springer was still left wanting.

"I don't know how to describe it and what I feel I missed," Springer said. "It was just so incredibly frustrating. The finals were the day after and I couldn't do much. I was so happy for the rest of the girls, but I couldn't join in the celebration with them all bandaged up."

Springer's missed opportunity, however, has rekindled her fire for the coming season.

"I can't speak for the other girls on the team," Springer said. "I know they all want another national title just as badly as I do, but there's definitely a huge desire within me. All I want is chance. I just want a chance to play in that final game because I never got that chance last season."

Springer has worked hard all summer to come back from a season riddled with injury. However, some of her rehabilitation therapy may not fit the norm for a NCAA athlete.

Returning home to Flin Flon, Manitoba, in northern Canada, Springer worked above ground at a mine for the summer.

"After sitting at a desk all year, it's great to go back home and have someone tell you to shovel this pile here or that pile there," Springer said. "It's nice just not to have to think."

If Springer's eight-hour a day job wasn't enough, the two to three hours of lifts, sprints, and biking should have her in fine form when she returns to the Crimson's net this fall.

However, Harvard wasn't always a part of Springer's plans.

Springer started her collegiate career as a freshman at Middlebury College.

"From where I come, no one ever thinks of going to Harvard," Springer said. "It just doesn't happen, and it's something I never considered."

However, Springer was less than challenged by her competition on the ice her freshman year at Middlebury.

"I was expecting something highly competitive," Springer said. "That's why I came to the States to play hockey."

Nevertheless, Springer didn't find the caliber of hockey that was best for her at Middlebury, and halfway through her freshmen year, she was looking for a change.

"Personally, I didn't feel I was improving at Middlebury," Springer said. "It just wasn't a good fit for me, so I asked my coach to look around for teams that needed a goalie. Obviously, he wasn't overly excited, but he looked into the possibilities for me and made all the phone calls."

It just happened that Harvard was in the market for a goalie because its starter was out until December.

"The coach told me just to fill in the forms and everything will get taken care of from there," Springer said.

Since her arrival in Cambridge, Springer has made a definite impact with the Crimson, backstopping the Crimson's defense to its first national championship.

However, Springer has made an impact on more than just the hockey rink.

A three-sport athlete in high school, Springer is one of only a handful of high-profile two-sport varsity athletes at Harvard, moonlighting as a third baseman for the varsity softball team.

In fact, her injury in the Brown game wiped out her entire softball season, leaving Springer with something she hadn't had much of since arriving at Harvard--free time.

"The second break was considerably worse and I lost a whole year at softball," Springer said. "But I found other things to do. I took a fifth class, did a lot of hanging out with my friends, and did a lot of the things I'd always wanted to do at Harvard but never had the time for."

Despite the incredible misfortune to be injured twice in one season, Springer admits that she's learned a lot from the experience and is hungrier than ever for a chance to win it all.

Last season was a character-building year for Springer, and the Crimson will be sure to rely on her tested mettle next March as Harvard vies for its second consecutive national title.