No. 1 W. Hockey Bags Beanpot

BOSTON--As the final seconds ticked down in the No. 1 Harvard women's hockey team's 9-0 victory in last night's Beanpot final, senior forward Jen Gerometta and junior forward Sally Maloney turned to each other and hugged as tightly as they could before storming onto the ice when time expired.

Way back in November, the Crimson set some lofty goals for itself, ending with a national championship. Goal number one was the Beanpot, proving that Harvard was the best team in Boston.

Harvard (20-1-0, 16-1-1 ECAC) captured its fifth Beanpot championship last night, blanking Boston College 9-0 at Northeastern's Matthews Arena. Like so many of its games this year, the Crimson dominated from start to finish, refusing to allow the Eagles (7-15-2, 3-13-2 ECAC) to tarnish any portion of its victory.

"It's huge, that's the only way to describe it," Gerometta said. "We've last the past couple of years, to come back, Boston pride--great win."

Co-captain A.J. Mleczko, the nation's leading scorer, gave Harvard the only goal it would need as she collected the rebound of freshman forward Jennifer Botterill's shot at the left side of the net. Switching the puck to her backhand she tucked it home at 7:48 of the first period for the first goal of her eventual hat trick.

"Scoring a hat trick felt really great," Mleczko, the Beanpot MVP, said. "We've crossed some of the hurdles we wanted to cross."

Eagle junior goaltender Christy Nentwig did all she could to keep her team in the game, miraculously limiting the Crimson to just the Mleczko goal in the first period.

Nentwig put on a goaltending clinic in thefirst period, stopping a dizzying 22 Harvardshots.

Her finest came with 5:59 left in the periodwhen she robbed Mleczko with a lightning-quickglove save off a rebound shot to her left from thedoorstep.

HARVARD  9BOSTON COLLEGE  0

The Crimson shots, though just kept coming, asthe ice appeared tilted throughout the entirecontest. Harvard tacked on 24 in the second periodand 16 in the third.

"The one thing this league has is tremendousgoaltenders," said Harvard Coach Katey Stone."We're used to that and we don't give up."

Only Dominik Hasek could have continued to denyHarvard's attack. The Crimson was rewarded withtwo goals within three minutes of each other earlyin the second period to seal the game.

Sophomore Jamie Notman struck first, givingHarvard a little breathing room at 3:37. She tooka pass from Gerometta at the center point andstepped into the high slot to drill it pastNentwig.

"I was coming down into slot and I got a greatpass," Notman said. "I got lucky. My second goalagainst B.C., the second of my career.

The second came right after the puck slippedoff B.C. sophomore forward Amber Bobin's stick toshort-circuit a breakaway--the Eagles' bestoffensive flash of the period.

Botterill recovered the disc and darted throughthe neutral zone on a two-on-one with sophomoreforward Tammy Shewchuk. Botterill, who finishedthe game with a goal and three assists, trappedher defenseman up high with her pass to Shewchuk,who walked in on Nentwig and rung it top shelf.

"B.C. was laying back and not challenging us onthe breakout," Notman said. "That allowed us togive each other nice passes and make each otherlook good."

B.C. took a timeout after Shewchuk's goal, butthat did not stop the bleeding, and Mleczkocontinued to lead the way.

She redirected a Shewchuk pass at 9:10 for hersecond of the game and completed her hat trick ona three-on-two rush, catching B.C. in a linechange. Mleczko received the pass from Botterillin the slot and rifled it into the far corner at13:32 for a commanding, and familiar, 5-0 lead.

"You have to be happy for [Mleczko]," Stonesaid. "The things she has done to come back andlead this team along with [co-captain] ClaudiaAsano have been great."

The Eagles struggled to clear the defensivezone all night. Freshman goalie Alison Kuusistohad a relatively easy time turning aside all 19B.C. shots for her first career shutout.

Her only precarious moment came with 4:01 leftin the game when a rebound sat in the goal creasefor a tense moment, before she covered it up.

"Overall, we were all into [the game], wewanted it." Kuusisto said. "I just focused andplayed my game. I didn't have to make any bigsaves."

With the ultimate outcome no longer in doubt,the hitting and ruggedness intensified in thethird period. Nine minor penalties were handed outin the final frame--three times as many as thefirst two combined.

Regardless of the number of skaters each teamhad on the ice, the Crimson continued to cycle andsend shots on goal. Botterill, Asano and freshmanforward Crystal Brown each struck in the thirdperiod, with Botterill connecting twice.

Brown's redirection of freshman defensemanAngela Ruggiero's point shot with 11:55 remainingwas the first goal of her Harvard career.

After Botterill's second goal at 13:34 on anassist by Shewchuk, Nentwig was replaced byfreshman Sharon Vantuyl.

"The Beanpot championship is criticallyimportant to any Boston team," Stone said. "It'sone of our goals to be an Ivy League champion, anECAC champion and then a national champion."

The win extends Harvard's winning streak to aremarkable 17 games. It comes just two days afterthe Crimson retained its top ranking by stoppingthen-No. 2 UNH 4-2. Ironically, for all the gloryand exuberance of a Beanpot title, that may not beHarvard's most important game this week.

On Saturday, the Crimson will host the new No.2, Brown, which handed Harvard its only loss, 4-2,on Nov. 15.

"This is another step, our biggest rivalry isnow against Brown; they're the team to beat,"Gerometta said. "Once we do that we'll definitelyearn our No. 1 ranking."

All that will come in due time. For the moment,the Crimson should celebrate the victory lap ittook last night, passing around the Beanpot trophylike it was the Stanley Cup.

It should celebrate its championship, and hopethat another victory lap will come sometime inlate March.

HARVARD, 9-0 at Matthews Arena, Boston

Boston College  0  0  0  --  0Harvard  1  4  4  --  9

First Period

Har--Mleczko 1 (Botterill, Shewchuk) 7:48.

Second Period

Har--Notman 1 (Gerometta, Francisco) 3:37.

Har--Shewchuk 1 (Bottenill, Mleczko) 6:31.

Har--Mleczko 2 (Ruggiero, Shewchuk) 9:10.

Har--Mleczko 3 (Botterill) 13:32.

Third Period

Har--Brown 1 (Ruggiero) 9:05

Har--Botterill 1 (Mleczko, Shewchuk) 10:28.

Har--Asano 1 (Maloney) 12:02.

Har--Botterill 2 (Shewchuk) 13:34.

Saves: B.C.--Nentwig 22-20-10 52,Vantuyl 0-0- 2 2; Har--Kuusisto 4-6-9 19.

Power Play: B.C.--0/5; Har--0/3.

Attendance: 418CrimsonAbigail H. ZobaFACE-OFF: Co-captain A.J. MLECZKO(11) posted a hat trick and an assist in theCrimson's 9-0 blowout.

Nentwig put on a goaltending clinic in thefirst period, stopping a dizzying 22 Harvardshots.

Her finest came with 5:59 left in the periodwhen she robbed Mleczko with a lightning-quickglove save off a rebound shot to her left from thedoorstep.

HARVARD  9BOSTON COLLEGE  0

The Crimson shots, though just kept coming, asthe ice appeared tilted throughout the entirecontest. Harvard tacked on 24 in the second periodand 16 in the third.

"The one thing this league has is tremendousgoaltenders," said Harvard Coach Katey Stone."We're used to that and we don't give up."

Only Dominik Hasek could have continued to denyHarvard's attack. The Crimson was rewarded withtwo goals within three minutes of each other earlyin the second period to seal the game.

Sophomore Jamie Notman struck first, givingHarvard a little breathing room at 3:37. She tooka pass from Gerometta at the center point andstepped into the high slot to drill it pastNentwig.

"I was coming down into slot and I got a greatpass," Notman said. "I got lucky. My second goalagainst B.C., the second of my career.

The second came right after the puck slippedoff B.C. sophomore forward Amber Bobin's stick toshort-circuit a breakaway--the Eagles' bestoffensive flash of the period.

Botterill recovered the disc and darted throughthe neutral zone on a two-on-one with sophomoreforward Tammy Shewchuk. Botterill, who finishedthe game with a goal and three assists, trappedher defenseman up high with her pass to Shewchuk,who walked in on Nentwig and rung it top shelf.

"B.C. was laying back and not challenging us onthe breakout," Notman said. "That allowed us togive each other nice passes and make each otherlook good."

B.C. took a timeout after Shewchuk's goal, butthat did not stop the bleeding, and Mleczkocontinued to lead the way.

She redirected a Shewchuk pass at 9:10 for hersecond of the game and completed her hat trick ona three-on-two rush, catching B.C. in a linechange. Mleczko received the pass from Botterillin the slot and rifled it into the far corner at13:32 for a commanding, and familiar, 5-0 lead.

"You have to be happy for [Mleczko]," Stonesaid. "The things she has done to come back andlead this team along with [co-captain] ClaudiaAsano have been great."

The Eagles struggled to clear the defensivezone all night. Freshman goalie Alison Kuusistohad a relatively easy time turning aside all 19B.C. shots for her first career shutout.

Her only precarious moment came with 4:01 leftin the game when a rebound sat in the goal creasefor a tense moment, before she covered it up.

"Overall, we were all into [the game], wewanted it." Kuusisto said. "I just focused andplayed my game. I didn't have to make any bigsaves."

With the ultimate outcome no longer in doubt,the hitting and ruggedness intensified in thethird period. Nine minor penalties were handed outin the final frame--three times as many as thefirst two combined.

Regardless of the number of skaters each teamhad on the ice, the Crimson continued to cycle andsend shots on goal. Botterill, Asano and freshmanforward Crystal Brown each struck in the thirdperiod, with Botterill connecting twice.

Brown's redirection of freshman defensemanAngela Ruggiero's point shot with 11:55 remainingwas the first goal of her Harvard career.

After Botterill's second goal at 13:34 on anassist by Shewchuk, Nentwig was replaced byfreshman Sharon Vantuyl.

"The Beanpot championship is criticallyimportant to any Boston team," Stone said. "It'sone of our goals to be an Ivy League champion, anECAC champion and then a national champion."

The win extends Harvard's winning streak to aremarkable 17 games. It comes just two days afterthe Crimson retained its top ranking by stoppingthen-No. 2 UNH 4-2. Ironically, for all the gloryand exuberance of a Beanpot title, that may not beHarvard's most important game this week.

On Saturday, the Crimson will host the new No.2, Brown, which handed Harvard its only loss, 4-2,on Nov. 15.

"This is another step, our biggest rivalry isnow against Brown; they're the team to beat,"Gerometta said. "Once we do that we'll definitelyearn our No. 1 ranking."

All that will come in due time. For the moment,the Crimson should celebrate the victory lap ittook last night, passing around the Beanpot trophylike it was the Stanley Cup.

It should celebrate its championship, and hopethat another victory lap will come sometime inlate March.

HARVARD, 9-0 at Matthews Arena, Boston

Boston College  0  0  0  --  0Harvard  1  4  4  --  9

First Period

Har--Mleczko 1 (Botterill, Shewchuk) 7:48.

Second Period

Har--Notman 1 (Gerometta, Francisco) 3:37.

Har--Shewchuk 1 (Bottenill, Mleczko) 6:31.

Har--Mleczko 2 (Ruggiero, Shewchuk) 9:10.

Har--Mleczko 3 (Botterill) 13:32.

Third Period

Har--Brown 1 (Ruggiero) 9:05

Har--Botterill 1 (Mleczko, Shewchuk) 10:28.

Har--Asano 1 (Maloney) 12:02.

Har--Botterill 2 (Shewchuk) 13:34.

Saves: B.C.--Nentwig 22-20-10 52,Vantuyl 0-0- 2 2; Har--Kuusisto 4-6-9 19.

Power Play: B.C.--0/5; Har--0/3.

Attendance: 418CrimsonAbigail H. ZobaFACE-OFF: Co-captain A.J. MLECZKO(11) posted a hat trick and an assist in theCrimson's 9-0 blowout.