Women’s Hockey Preps for BU in the Beanpot

The Harvard women’s hockey team (2-12-2, 1-10-1 ECAC) is set to take on No. 13 Boston University (13-6-1, 11-3-1 Hockey East) in the semifinals of the 46th Beanpot Tournament this Tuesday night as the Crimson vie for the coveted title of Beanpot Champions.

The tournament, which features local collegiate rivals — Harvard, Northeastern, Boston College, and Boston University — comes a year after the Beanpot Championship final games were played at TD Garden for the first time. The change in venues represents a growing attention towards women’s hockey on both the professional and collegiate levels.

This year, all four women’s programs will strive to fill the stands of TD Garden with boisterous fans during the championship games.

Last year, despite losing its first contest to Northeastern, the Crimson excelled under the pressure of the Garden’s bright lights in the consolation match, upsetting Boston College, ranked 13th in the nation at the time, in a thrilling shootout victory.

The team will look to re-ignite last year’s underdog magic on Tuesday, as it faces off against BU. For Harvard, this tournament, one of the most storied traditions in Boston sports, is an opportunity to demonstrate its skill against some of the best teams in the country.

Despite Harvard's hopes for the tournament, so far this season, the Crimson has struggled through its intense schedule.

Although the team has had moments of success, it has failed to tally consistent wins, earning just two victories over UConn and Yale so far. Still, both the Huskies and the Bulldogs are currently receiving votes in USA Hockey’s Top-25 poll, showcasing Harvard’s capability to play at a high level.

While the Crimson undoubtedly poses a competitive threat to its opponents, the team has found it difficult to notch winning goals, preventing it from capitalizing in close games.

Last weekend, Harvard faced a crucial two-game series against Dartmouth, a fellow ECAC team. In Friday’s game at the Bright-Landry Hockey Center, the team battled hard but fell 3-2 in overtime. Looking for redemption in Hanover the following day, the Crimson conceded another equalizing goal, allowing Dartmouth to force a double overtime. In the end, the Big Green secured the sweep.

This past Friday, Harvard played another strenuous game against the University of Maine. Although Maine is not a member of the ECAC conference, these out-of-league games are still vital for the young Crimson team, which strives to find its footing during Laura Bellamy’s second season as Head Coach.

Harvard’s Zoe Boosamra, a sophomore hailing from Montreal, gave her team an early advantage in the first period, slamming a goal into the back of the net. However, the Bears responded to the Crimson’s success quickly, notching two goals of their own before the buzzer signaled the end of the first 20 minutes of play.

Backed by the freshman Ainsley Tuffy in net, Harvard’s defense stoutly prevented Maine from scoring another goal during regulation. Tuffy made 27 saves, continuing her impressive performance during her first season in the Crimson jersey. The rookie goaltender currently boasts a .930 save percentage in net. Her success is aided by Harvard’s defensive unit, which recorded 17 total blocked shots against Maine, an effort bolstered by Kaley and Jenna MacDonald as well as Mia Biotti, all of whom prevented three each from reaching Tuffy in the net.

The defense’s strong showing ignited scoring opportunities for the Crimson’s offense. In the third period, Eva Dorr, a senior from Pittsburgh, fired a shot past Maine’s goaltender and into the back of the net. Dorr’s clutch goal tied the game. The scoreboard remained locked in a 2-2 standstill as the final buzzer rang. The Harvard team headed into its third straight overtime matchup.

Merely 32 seconds into the extra period of play, Maine’s Lily Fetch slipped the puck past the Crimson defenders, behind Tuffy, and into the goal. The Bears returned to Orono victorious, and Harvard was forced to shoulder the loss and begin preparations for the looming Beanpot Tournament.

Tuesday’s semifinal game against Boston University will be a significant challenge for the Crimson. The Terriers have already faced off against Maine three times this year, and handily beat the Bears each contest.

Yearning for a shot at the championship game, Harvard will play a quick and aggressive style of hockey in hopes of seeing success in the tournament.

Boston University, which competes in the notoriously rigorous Hockey East conference, is accustomed to facing strong opponents. The Terriers will likely look to take advantage of the Crimson’s young team by firing consistent shots on net.

In response, Harvard must play a fierce first period and notch some early goals. The Crimson’s consistent experience with overtime play ensures that the team is extremely well conditioned. Harvard should therefore set a rampant pace of play this Tuesday.

This season, the Crimson has proved its worth as a team that can play competitive hockey. Now, Harvard aims to show the city of Boston that its team can win big games.

—Staff writer Isabel Smail can be reached at isabel.smail@thecrimson.com.