Harvard is set for a final tune-up before the 2014-15 season officially begins on Oct. 31 (Elan Kawesch)
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – With its sights set high – hoping to reach the NCAA tournament for the 11th time in school history – the No. 3/4 Harvard women's hockey team will look to set in motion the 2014-15 season on Friday with an exhibition contest versus McGill at the newly renovated Bright-Landry Hockey Center. The Crimson will host the Martlets for its preseason tune-up for the ninth year in a row.
Ivy League Digital Network
After an incredibly successful inaugural year that saw over 1,000 events streamed live, The Ivy League Digital Network has returned for 2014-15, providing fans with unprecedented coverage of the Ivy League.
Multiple subscription options are available to fans including school-specific and league-wide passes. To learn more about the Ivy League Digital Network or to sign-up today, click here.
Social Stream
Use the all new Social Stream on GoCrimson.com to stay connected with the Crimson on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube this year. The Social Stream brings the conversation from all three platforms into one convenient location, allowing fans of all Harvard Athletics teams to monitor the action in real time.
Rapid Rewind
Despite missing Katey Stone, The Landry Family Head Coach for Harvard Women's Hockey, and skaters Lyndsey Fry, Josephine Pucci and Michelle Picard, the Crimson didn't skip a beat. Under now-associate head coach Maura Crowell, Harvard compiled 23 victories, the 11th time in the last 20 years the Crimson has reached the 20-win plateau. Harvard took home sole possession of the Ivy League crown by season's end, earning the No. 2 slot in the ECAC tournament and an eventual birth in the NCAA tournament as well.
Guess Who's Back
Thanks to the Olympic year in 2013-14, Harvard had one of the shortest benches in the country with 18 total student-athletes. While the Crimson loses just two skaters to graduation, Gina McDonald (5-7—12) and Elizabeth Parker (5-9—14), Harvard boasts 16 returners from last season, including an additional four in Lyndsey Fry, Michelle Picard, Kalley Armstrong and Molly Tissenbaum.
Last season, the defense was the keystone of the team's success as Harvard ranked in the top-10 nationally in most categories. Much of the success came from the play of the Crimson netminders in Emerance Maschmeyer and Brianna Laing. Maschmeyer took the conference by storm and impressed much of the nation with her performance throughout the year. The now-junior's 1.76 goals allowed average and an astronomical 796 saves – the second most in Harvard program history – earned Maschmeyer All-America status, along with being touted a Patty Kazmaier Award Top-10 Finalist, the ECAC Goaltender of the Year and the Ivy League Player of the Year.
Goalie partner Brianna Laing made a striking debut in her own right. As a freshman, Laing stepped in when called upon, making seven starts. In eight total games played, Laing allowed just five goals (0.63 GAA) and accumulated 189 saves (.974), highlighted by four shutouts, including the ECAC quarterfinals deciding game three victory. Also returning is netminder Molly Tissenbaum, who saw 38 minutes of shutout action as a freshman in 2012-13, turning aside eight shots.
In front of the two tenders played one of the nation's stingiest defenses, led by then-juniors Marissa Gedman and Sarah Edney. The dynamic duo bolstered the Crimson blueliners last season, a unit which allowed just 1.59 goals per game and killed off 92.2-percent of the penalties they faced. With Briana Mastel, Natasha Rachlin, Robyn White and Abby Frazer still in the mix, Harvard's defense will only improve. Another crucial returner along the blue line is captain Michelle Picard, who, along with her exceptional defensive physicality and prowess, accounted for 17 points (4g, 13a) when she last hit the ice for Harvard in 2012-13.
The leading scorer from a season ago, Miye D'Oench leads the Crimson charge in the offensive zone. D'Oench's 39 points (21g, 18a) was a team-best, followed next by Hillary Crowe's 30 (16g, 14a) and Samantha Reber's 28 (8g, 20a). Together much of the season as Harvard's top line in 2013-14, D'Oench, Crowe and Reber combined for 40-percent of the Harvard offense with their 97 points together.
The Crimson forwards also display the return of Mary Parker, who tallied 13 goals and 12 assists as a center who fared well in the faceoff circle. Dylanne Crugnale (8-5—13), Sydney Daniels (8-5—13), Jessica Harvey (3-7—10) and Hannah Zarzecki were key components in the Crimson's youthful depth last season, each playing tough minutes throughout the season with positive results. With a returning core of veteran leadership, including Lyndsey Fry (16-20—36 in 2012-13) and Kalley Armstrong (11-11—22 in 2012-13), the Harvard forwards have much to look forward to.
Get to Know the New
In addition to the wealth of returners, Stone and Harvard have added six new skaters to the bench, all looking for early playing time. Five forwards, including Nikki Friesen, Karly Heffernan, Dani Krzyszczyk, Lexie Laing and Haley Mullins, along with Chelsea Ziadie on the blue line. Already with international and national experience, the group of newcomers should provide a spark and insurance at depth for the 2014-15 season. To read more about the Class of 2018, click here.
History Lesson
Harvard is set to enter its 37th season as a varsity program, and a successful one at that. After making it to the ECAC semifinals and the NCAA Tournament in 2014-15, the Crimson has racked up a 608-329-55 (.641) record, an average of 16 wins per year. The last time Harvard suffered more losses than wins was 17 years ago, coincidentally one season before the Crimson claimed the national title in 1999, a testament to the program Stone and her coaches have built over the years. Aside from its national championship, Harvard has claimed a spot in 10 NCAA Tournaments and five Frozen Fours, while bringing home six ECAC Tournament championships, 10 Ivy League titles and 13 Beanpots. With the recent addition to Maschmeyer in 2013-14, 23 Crimson skaters have earned All-America status since 1998-99.
