Outlasting the Opposition

Going into last season, some people doubted how well the Harvard women’s ice hockey team would perform, but a Beanpot championship, an undefeated nonconference record, and a Division I coaching record proved the team could hold its own.

This year, the Crimson is looking to build and improve upon those achievements as it takes to the ice for the 2010-11 season.

“I hope [last year] motivates us,” Harvard coach Katey Stone says. “[It was] disappointing how it ended, but a lot of really positive things came out of last year.”

Even with Harvard’s impressive record (20-8-5, 13-6-3 ECAC) and home-ice advantage in the NCAA tournament, the team was unhappy about closing out the year with losses in the ECAC semifinals and the NCAA quarterfinals. A lineup riddled by injuries caused the Crimson to falter towards the end of its schedule, but Harvard has remained healthy heading into the upcoming season.

“Our success will largely be determined by being able to stay healthy,” Stone says.

One of the biggest hits to last year’s squad was when goaltender Christina Kessler ’10 had her collegiate career ended abruptly by a torn ACL midway through January. As devastating as the loss seemed, it allowed for the development of goaltender Laura Bellamy, now a sophomore slated to start in net for the Crimson this season.

“A lot of kids stepped up in situations that maybe we didn’t expect,” Stone says.

Other underclassmen that proved themselves as rookies in the 2009-10 season include sophomores Jillian Dempsey and Josephine Pucci, who will both take on larger roles this year.

Dempsey scored 11 goals as a forward for Harvard last season and was named to the ECAC All-Rookie Team and All-Ivy Second Team. Pucci, a strong presence on the defense, played with the 2010 U.S. Women’s U-22 Select Team this summer and was chosen to play in November’s Four Nations Cup.

The Crimson is also boosted by a strong class of rookies that the team hopes will be able to contribute quickly on the ice.

“They were all highly-skilled, highly-recruited players in high school, and they have a lot of size and a lot of poise with the puck,” tri-captain Kate Buesser says. “We’re just trying to get them to shift into the speed of the game, but we have a lot of confidence in them going forward.”

Buesser, fellow tri-captains Leanna Coskren and Liza Ryabkina, and the rest of the senior class also add to a strong returning lineup. Ryabkina missed the beginning of the 2010-11 campaign with a dislocated knee, but if she can stay healthy this year, she and Buesser will add energy and experience to the Harvard offense.

“[Ryabkina] is a lightning bolt on our roster,” Stone says. “She’s got a great game, and [it’s about] just keeping it simple and taking advantage of the unbelievable skills that she has and when to use them.”

Buesser is coming off of a breakout season in which she led the team with 40 points, more than double her previous career high, and was a top-three finalist for the ECAC Player of the Year award.

While the team has worked especially hard in the preseason to make everything come together, several Harvard players took initiative over the summer to prepare and train on their own.

“One of the things I think I’m most pleased about is how well our returning players came back in shape,” Stone says. “They were in great condition and really took our words to heart. [They] put a lot of responsibility on themselves to get in the best possible condition.”

With its roster ready to go, the Crimson can now focus on the finer points of play as it faces an ever-improving group of ECAC teams.

Cornell, a team that surprised everyone by winning the ECAC and making a run all the way to the national championship game in 2010, is even stronger this season with an added year’s experience for its young stars and the return of Olympic gold medalist Rebecca Johnston. But the conference has more parity than ever before, with new forces like Quinnipiac and Clarkson challenging perennial powerhouses St. Lawrence, Harvard, and Dartmouth—a team that didn’t even make the ECAC playoff cut last season.

“Every team is good, so good,” Stone says. “[You’ve] got to have structure to what you’re trying to do and be able to show up every night. If you don’t show up, you’re going to have trouble, and you’re going to get stung.”

The nonconference slate isn’t any easier for the Crimson, as it travels to Minnesota and faces a host of top local teams. But with a healthy squad of new and returning talent, Harvard is ready to take on this year’s challenging schedule of opponents.

—Staff writer Madeleine Smith can be reached at smith21@college.harvard.edu.