Brine, Crimson Rule on Road

The Harvard women’s hockey team may have faced some traditional division rivals this weekend, but it still found success on the road.

The Crimson (7-1-0, 7-1-0 ECAC) came back from a one-goal deficit in New Haven to beat the Bulldogs (4-5-0, 3-4-0) by a score of 5-1 on Saturday.

The previous day, Harvard routed the winless Bears (0-8-0, 0-6-0) 8-1 in Providence. But the key of that game was that it was the first collegiate start for freshman Christina Kessler, a highly touted goalie recruit who severly injured her knee this past summer.

The two victories helped the Crimson move up a spot in the national rankings to No. 7 in the nation.

HARVARD 5, YALE 1

Denise Soesilo’s first-period goal provided a glimmer of hope for Yale on Saturday. Soesilo put the Bulldogs ahead less than seven minutes into the game, but a Crimson score by junior defenseman Caitlin Cahow at the beginning of the second period tied it up at one.

“Scoring early in the second period was a great shift for us,” co-captain Julie Chu said. “Getting that goal under our belt was really key to our momentum shift.”

After Cahow’s goal, Harvard dominated the action.

Sophomore forward Jenny Brine put the Crimson up for good 4:31 into the second period with her first goal of the game. Brine later added another score and an assist.

Chu, Harvard’s captain, continued her consistent play of the fall. She tallied two assists during the game, and with just 17 seconds left in the third period put the puck past Yale goalie Shivon Zilis. Chu leads the ECAC in scoring with 21 points in only six games.

“I play on an amazing team so it’s easy to have great results,” she said. “If I didn’t have really great teammates around me, I don’t think you would see those stats.”

To go along with the Crimson’s strong play, Yale hurt its own cause, committing nine penalties. This allowed for Harvard’s two power play goals.

The Crimson also received a solid performance from sophomore goalie Brittany Martin, who made 22 saves on the day.

HARVARD 8, BROWN 1

The Crimson easily defeated the Bears on Friday in a rematch of last year’s ECAC championship game.

Brine led the way for Harvard, racking up four goals, including three straight in the second period.

“There were some great players setting me up with great passes and I was in the right place at the right time,” she said.

Brine finished the weekend with six goals and an assist.

“She was incredible,” Chu said. “We need her to take a big role on the team. We’re going to be expecting [that kind of performance] from her for the rest of the season.”

Brine’s three second quarter goals all came on the power play, an area that the Crimson excelled at, converting goals on six of its eight power play chances.

Harvard relentlessly attacked the net, rattling off 47 shots against Brown’s defense.

The win was the first of Kessler’s collegiate career. Kessler had a solid outing, saving 21 shots, and frustrated the Bears’ offense all game.

She did not allow a goal until 12:38 into the third period, when Brown’s Sasha van Muyen scored.

Sophomore forward Sarah Wilson struck first for the Crimson, putting a shot past Bears goalie Shipe O’Hara at 6:56 in the first period. It was the first of two goals on the day for Wilson.

Olympians Chu and Cahow performed well for Harvard, each adding a goal and two assists to the team’s scoring effort.

The two wins left the Crimson tied for second in the ECAC with Dartmouth (7-1-0, 7-1-0). Harvard completes its road trip next weekend. On Friday, the Crimson will take on Quinnipiac (3-6-0, 3-6-0) and then get a shot at undefeated Princeton (8-0-2. 8-0-1) in a possible battle for first place on Saturday.