Corriero Keeps W. Hockey Alive

Over and over again.

Tri-captain and winger Nicole Corriero has done everything over and over again this season for the Harvard women’s hockey team as it entered the NCAA tournament this weekend.

Saturday proved to be just the same as Corriero helped the Crimson overcome an early 2-0 hole, a 3-1 deficit and a 4-3 disadvantage with four goals to spur Harvard onto to a 5-4 triple overtime victory over visiting Mercyhurst.

With the four tallies, Corriero has now record-setting total is now 58 on the season, effectively smashing the old record of 51 with at least one game still to play.

“My goals were all the result of great shots, and I was in the right place at the right time and able to poke in the rebounds,” Corriero said. “They were the efforts of an amazing powerplay effort that I think moved the puck well all game and was really dominant. When I’m sitting at the back door, wide open, stick on the ice, and the puck comes in, I’ve got to score.”

Let’s not forget that she registered the assist on the final, game-winning tally after using her last gasp of energy to drive into the Lakers offensive zone and find an open Julie Chu in front of the net.

“[Tri-captain and junior Julie Chu] dug deep and was able to make a sick move,” Corriero said. “Thank goodness, I was wiped out in the corner and screaming my face off. I have never been happier.”

And that happiness did not just come from scoring the four goals and registering five points, all NCAA tournament single game records. In addition, Corriero would have been playing in the 2005 season’s final game as well as the last of her collegiate career had the Crimson not pulled out the victory.

“It’s playoff time, its do-or-die,” Corriero said. “Anything can happen. I was facing potentially the last game of my hockey career, and you find that inner strength within you to go fast, to go that extra bit because you don’t want it to end.”

Added on top of that pressure of possibly wearing the Harvard sweater for the last time was the memory of a double overtime defeat in the NCAA tournament just two years ago. In the championship game of 2003, the Crimson fell in the second extra frame to Duluth by a score of 4-3.

When asked if memories of that game provoked any fears during the extra time during this Saturday’s match-up, Corriero joked, “yeah, I just don’t want to lose.”

The explosion from Corrierowas not the only time this year that she carried Harvard in a big game. When the Crimson traveled to Hanover earlier this year to play Dartmouth in the two top-five squads’ first match-up of the season, she notched five goals in a 6-3 victory.

Corriero has been putting up points all season. After her five points on Saturday, Corriero is also second in the country in points per game, jumping ahead of Minnesota’s Krissy Wendell with a 2.59 average.

All that’s left to see is whether or not Corriero can help keep the momentum going for the Crimson for just two more games and a national championship.

—GABRIEL M. VELEZ