Hapless Union No Match For Crimson

The No. 1 Harvard women’s hockey team once again showed its might in goal, as freshman netminder Kylie Stephens recorded her first career shutout in a commanding 4-0 win over Union Friday evening at Bright Hockey Center.

In only her second appearance in goal this season, Stephens made five saves and kept the net clear during an ominous 5-on-3 Union power play to help the Crimson (21-1-0, 17-0-0 ECAC) keep its ECAC record perfect and its No. 1 ranking intact against the cellar-dwelling Dutchwomen (3-22-2, 0-15-2).

“It is a huge achievement for Kylie, especially playing here at Harvard where we really pride ourselves on goaltending ability,” co-captain Caitlin Cahow said. “She has been working so hard every day...It was really a great thrill to see her hit that today.”

Cahow, freshman Katharine Chute, junior Sarah Wilson, and junior Sarah Vaillancourt each added a goal to help Harvard to the 4-0 final count against Union—a team coached by former Harvard standout and assistant coach Claudia Asano ’99.

“I’m very proud of the great improvements her team has made,” Harvard coach Katey Stone said about Asano’s efforts in her first year as head coach of the Dutchwomen.

Friday’s contest was also special for the Crimson in that the team donned pink-colored jerseys as part of Pink at the Rink, an ECAC Hockey effort to support Coaches vs. Cancer and the American Cancer Society.

“[Claudia] coached me here for three years and was a player at Harvard on the national championship team of ’99,” Cahow said. “Her mother passed away of breast cancer a few years back, so this game has very special meaning for us.”

For Harvard, 17 players took the ice at some point during Friday’s game with eight different players contributing to the goal and assist count.

“We’ve been trying to play four lines and six defensemen as much as possible the whole year,” Stone said. “Sometimes you get more of an opportunity so that was definitely good today.”

Scoring opened just under two minutes into the game when Cahow capitalized on a power-play opportunity with an assist from junior Jenny Brine.

Minutes later, freshman Kate Buesser hit classmate Chute at mid-ice who skated up the left side of the rink and wristed the puck into the back of the net at 5:00. Chute currently has 17 points in her rookie season.

The Crimson headed to the locker room with a 3-0 cushion after Wilson netted her 11th goal of the season. Defenders Kati Vaughn and Leanna Coskren knocked the puck around at mid-ice for some time before finding Wilson by the blue-line to collect the score for Harvard.

A dangerous power-play opportunity presented itself for Union midway through the second period when Harvard was called for charging and for having too many players on the ice. However, the Dutchwomen would be denied a scoring opportunity on the 5-on-3 advantage by a Crimson defense that has allowed just nine power-play goals to the opposition all season.

The frame finished with one more Harvard goal, scored by Vaillancourt off of an assist from Chute.

The Crimson recovered the puck from Union in its own end then quickly skated it up the ice, where Vaillancourt was able to navigate through traffic for her team-high 14th goal of the season.

Union goalie Lundy Day saved all 18 of Harvard’s shots in the third period to keep the score at its final 4-0 count.

The game was the Crimson’s fourth in eight days, as early February marks Beanpot season for the team.

“It is what it is and our kids know that about coming to Harvard,” said Stone of having Beanpot games during the week and league games on the weekends. “You’ve got to play six games in two weeks and have to be resilient.”

—Staff writer Rebecca A. Compton can be reached at compton@fas.harvard.edu