Pictured: Kate Buesser leads Harvard in scoring with 10 goals and 26 points this season.
Photo courtesy: Gil Talbot Photography

HANOVER, N.H – Kate Buesser scored two goals and added an assist, while Randi Griffin and Liza Ryabkina each dished out two helpers to lead the seventh-ranked Harvard women's hockey team to a 4-1 victory over Dartmouth Friday afternoon at Thompson Arena. Laura Bellamy earned the win in goal, making a career-high 37 saves. Kathryn Farni and Kaitlin Spurling also found the back of the net for the Crimson.

After a scoreless first period, the Crimson earned a power play early in the second frame at 1:02, and wasted little time to capitalize on the advantage. After losing a faceoff in the Dartmouth zone, Harvard (11-5-4, 9-5-2, 4-2-2) stole the puck and set up at the perimeter. Leanna Coskren made a quick pass to Farni, who fired a shot through traffic, beating Big Green goaltender Mariel Lacina for a power-play tally at 1:18. Less than six minutes later, Dartmouth (8-12-2, 5-10-1, 3-5-0) knotted the game on a chance by Sally Komarek on an odd-skater rush at 7:05.

The Crimson regained a lead, 2-1, as Buesser knocked home a pass from Ryabkina in front of the goal at the 16:32 of the second period. Griffin earned the secondary assist on the score, finding Ryabkina down low in the left faceoff circle.

Midway through the third, Cori Bassett and Ryabkina collected assists on Buesser's second goal of the afternoon. Buesser received a pass just above the right faceoff circle and wristed a shot over Lacina's blocker, making it 3-1 at 11:09. With two minutes remaining in the game, Spurling put the game out of reach for the Crimson, notching Harvard's fourth goal of the contest, as Buesser and Griffin handed out assists.

Dartmouth outshot the Crimson, 38-28, but Harvard held the Big Green scoreless on five power plays. The Crimson will return to Bright Hockey Center Saturday to host No. 9 Providence at 4 p.m.