Pictured: Anna McDonald scored one of three Harvard power-play goals.
Photo courtesy: Kevin Burns

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Five different Crimson players lit the lamp, as the Harvard women's hockey team scored three power-play goals to defeat ECAC Hockey and Ivy League rival Brown, 5-1, Saturday afternoon at Meehan Auditorium. Goaltender Christina Kessler turned aside 25 shots to earn the 60th win of her career.

For the second straight road game, Harvard (5-3-1, 5-3 ECAC Hockey, 2-2 Ivy League) struck early, as Kaitlin Spurling netted her third goal of the season at 3:37 of the first period. Randi Griffin and Ashley Wheeler were credited with assists on the goal, as the Crimson grabbed a 1-0 lead. Harvard held the one-goal advantage through the first period, even though the Bears outshot the Crimson, 16-10, in the frame. Kessler stopped all 16 shots through the first 20 minutes of action.

After the Crimson successfully killed off Brown's second power play of the game in the opening minutes of the second, the Bears (1-6-3, 0-5-3, 0-3) got on the scoreboard, tying the game, 1-1, at 6:43. Erica Kromm and Jacuie Pierri set up a goal by Alena Polenska, as her shot got through the defense and into the back of the net. Later in the period, Harvard scored only three seconds into a 5-on-3 power play, as Jillian Dempsey won the faceoff and Leanna Coskren passed the puck to Cori Bassett. The senior defender ripped a shot that beat goaltender Katie Jamieson, as Harvard regained the lead, 2-1, at 10:15.

Later on in the period, the Crimson connected for the team's second power-play goal, coming on a shot by Anna McDonald at 18:28. Dempsey earned her second assist, while Josephine Pucci also had a hand in the goal, which made it a 3-1 contest in favor of Harvard. The Crimson dominated on the dot in the second period, winning 24-of-29 face-offs in the middle frame.

The Crimson notched another power-play goal in the opening minute of the third, as Coskren lit the lamp after receiving assistance from Pucci and Kate Buesser at 0:48. Harvard owned a 28-11 advantage in shots in the final two periods and finished the game an impressive 47-of-67 on faceoffs. In the last minute of regulation, Buesser netted Harvard's fifth goal, coming at 19:10. Coskren and Bassett earned assists on Buesser's goal, her fifth of the season.

The Crimson will host Dartmouth, its third Ivy League opponent in a row, Wednesday evening at Bright Hockey Center. The puck is scheduled to drop at 7 p.m.