Not-So Ancient Eight

Team chemistry is important—one might say essential—to playing good hockey.

And this year, for eight of the 20 players on the Harvard women’s hockey team, building that chemistry has been an early and fruitful process.

While settling into their first year of college life, this group of promising freshmen is also looking forward eagerly to finding their place on a team that has had so much success in recent years.

They look on, wondering how it will feel when the day finally comes for them to take the ice.

“As good as some of our freshmen are, it’s always a transition for them,” Harvard coach Katey Stone said. “There is a lot of teaching. You really have to go back to the basics when you have that many freshmen. How they will fit in we are still working out. Some kids will get a lot of opportunities—it’s just a matter of how well they execute.”

The newcomers are ready to play, and the veterans will try to make them feel as comfortable as possible. And yet there will be a closeness among the freshmen that the veterans can emphasize with from their experiences in year’s past.

SARAH WILSON

Known for her great shot and explosive game, Wilson has shown bursts of speed on the ice that might be prove to be a key addition to the team’s offense.

“Sarah Wilson’s really quick,” Stone said. “She has great hands.”

“I’ll work for the team and do whatever they tell me to do,” Wilson said.

In Harvard’s opening contest against Robert Morris, she netted two goals in a 7-0 romp.

Unsurprisingly, Wilson admitted that her teammates have provided her with plenty of support and encouragement.

“We all love each other,” she said of her teammates. “I feel like I’ve known all of them all of my life.”

LAUREN HERRINGTON

The big defenseman from New Hampshire, who is used to wearing bulky equipment and playing hockey with the guys in high school, will try to establish a strong presence in the Crimson’s defensive end.

“There weren’t enough girls playing hockey for the games to be consistently competitive,” Herrington said.

The transition to college hockey has been relatively smooth for Herrington, who noted the extensive workouts the team has had in the preseason.

“It’s awesome to have such a big class [of freshman players],” she said. “I think the other teams in the league might underestimate us.”

“[Coach Stone] told us that some days you’re going to be tired, some days you’re going to be stressed out, but there’s no excuse for not being the best you can be in every way,” Herrington added.

In order to play the best she can, Herrington now wears smaller equipment, unlike in her high school days, to increase her mobility on the ice.

NORA SLUZAS

Known for her physical and aggressive game, and a solid stay-at-home defense, Sluzas noted that the game at the college level is much faster than in high school.

“Everyone here was a star in high school,” she said. “I’ve been used to being able to do it all. Now, we have to learn to pick ourselves up [when things don’t go our way].”

Sluzas knows there are big shoes to fill this year, but she also realizes that this shouldn’t be a reason for lesser expectations. For her, the dedication and commitment expected of a player is greater than ever before.

“[Stone] is a very serious coach,” Sluzas said. “She’ll come up to you to tell you, you need to do this or do that. You’ll get praise here and there, but [the coaches] expect you to do what you have to do. They also expect you to be able to take criticisms.”

“Nora is really strong, really quick,” Stone said. “She recovers really well. She reads the game, thinks the game well.”

KATI VAUGHN

The other new defenseman on the team felt the “impact” of college hockey earlier than most of her teammates.

“During the first scrimmage against Dartmouth, I had a concussion,” Vaughn said. “It was like, ‘Hi! Welcome to college hockey.’”

Despite that incident, Vaughn was ready for opening day, and gave a lot of credit to the upperclassmen in helping her prepare for the game.

“Before the season, we had captain practices,” Vaughn said. “They were unofficial. [The upperclassmen] taught us how to do certain drills.”

As the only lefty among the newcomers, Vaughn believes there is an advantage to be had.

“As a lefty, you can get the shot off faster when you’re on the right side of the ice,” she explained.

“Hopefully we’ll use her size well,” Stone said of Vaughn. “She likes to be offensive; we might have to curtail that a little bit right off the bat.”

KIRSTEN KESTER

There are sacrifices that have to be made when one plays college hockey, but Kester feels that her relationship with her teammates makes things much easier.

“We end up eating a lot of meals together,” she said. “We’re a huge group.”

“I have less time to do work, but it’s what you choose to do with the time you have,” she added.

For Kester, who described herself as a “consistent, dependable player,” the team’s potential on the ice has never been clearer.

“As a freshman, I don’t know the team any other way,” Kester said. “I only see the potential that we have...[The coach] has very high standards for our team, just like what we have for ourselves.”

“She is really hard-working,” Stone said of Kester. “She’s getting better every day. [She’s] another smart player.”

JENNY BRINE

Brine played all kinds of sports in high school, and now she only has to focus on one sport and one team. So for her, college might actually be a relaxing change.

“I played golf, soccer, cross-country, softball, track, badminton, and, of course, hockey,” she said.

Brine, who described herself as a “heads-up, hard-on-the-puck kind of player,” is known for her ability to see the ice well and set up plays for her teammates.

“[Stone] has been very positive,” Brine said. “My first impression was that she was intimidating. But she always pulls you aside to tell you what you’re doing wrong. Like, move my feet faster, pass harder, shoot on the fly.”

JODI KRAKOWER

Krakower, known for her playmaking abilities, has been impressed by how quickly the team has come together.

“We do a lot of team bonding outside of the rink as well as inside,” she said.

Krakower also noted how the freshmen and the upperclassmen have come together on the ice.

“The coach relays her expectations through the seniors,” she said. “The team pumps itself up as much as the coach does. [The coaches] know we can play at this level. They believe in us probably more than we do ourselves.”

Among her main attributes, Krakower listed creativity in the offensive zone, patience, and being able to find the open player.

“[I’m] looking for [Krakower] to continue to gain strength and speed and make an impact,” Stone said.

BRITTANY MARTIN

Like Herrington, Martin also used to play with the guys in high school, and she feels that the two games have their notable disparities.

“The guys’ game is a little more physical, but the girls’ have more finesse,” she said.

Martin will play as the third goaltender for the Crimson, backing up senior Ali Boe and junior Emily Vitt.

“She’s a good goaltender and she’s tough,” Stone said. “She’s very vocal back there, plays her angles well and competes, and so it’ll be interesting to see. She knows the position really well so it’s a nice addition to our program.”

Although goaltender might be a lonelier position than the others, Martin has quickly established a close bond with the rest of her freshman teammates.

“The camaraderie of the team is much greater [than what I expected],” she said. “It’s made us close very quickly.”

—Staff writer Tony D. Qian can be reached at tonyqian@fas.harvard.edu.