CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Harvard women's hockey will return to the Bright-Landry Hockey Center this weekend with a pair of contests against conference foes, No. 4/5 Colgate and No. 9/9 Cornell. The Crimson (1-3-2, 1-3-2 ECAC) will take on the Raiders (11-1-0, 2-1-0 ECAC) on Friday night at 6 pm before battling the Big Red (5-1-0, 3-1-0 ECAC) on Saturday afternoon.
WHAT TO KNOW
Context of the Contest
The Harvard Crimson returns to the Bright-Landry Hockey Center for a pair of games against Colgate and Cornell this weekend. Both opponents come into Harvard's home rink ranked inside the National top 10.
The Crimson will first take the ice against the Colgate Raiders on Friday Night. Harvard is looking to snap a two-game losing skid to the Raiders when the two sides meet on the ice.Kristin Della Rovere has recorded a point in all but one game she has played against the Raiders as a member of the Crimson.
The team will then take on the Cornell Big Red on Saturday in the second game of the weekend. Harvard swept Cornell last season and will now look ot make it three straight wins over the Ivy League rival. The Crimson earned three points in last weekend's games at Union and RPI after both games extended into overtime and ended in ties.
Scouting The Competition
Both Colgate and Cornell figure to be strong opponents as they come in ranked as the No. 4 and No. 9 teams in the nation, respectively. Colgate stormed onto the scene in 2022-23, winning 10 straight games to begin the season. The Raiders are also outscoring opponents 43-11 in 12 games this year. Danielle Serdachny and Kristýna Kaltounková pace the team offensively with 22 and 18 points, respectively.
Cornell has had similar success to begin the season, posting a 5-1 record in its first three weekends of play. The Big Red has shown off its high powered offense that it has used to score seven or more goals in three games so far this season. Gillis Frechette and Izzy Daniel lead the team with 15 and 13 points, respectively while Deanna Fraser leads the goaltending effort with a 2.19 GAA and a .902 save percentage
Turning Defense Into Offense
Harvard's PK made the most of a tough situation last weekend, scoring shorthanded goals in back-to-back games for the first time since the 2010-11 season. Anne Bloomer tallied the shorty against Union, while Paige Lester scored the SH goal against RPI. The team killed off seven of eight opponent powerplays this weekend to improve its PK percentage to .812.
Lighting the Lamp
Gabi Davidson Adams has burst onto the scene for the Crimson, scoring three goals over the past four games including in both games this weekend. The sophomore is currentyl second on the team in goals behind senior captain, Anne Bloomer, who has tallied four goals this year. Bloomer also leads the team in shots (36) and rating (+5). Her shots per game mark of 6.00 is the best in the conference
Dominant on Draws
First-line center, Kristin Della Rovere, has been dominating in the faceoff circle so far this season, posting 115 wins against 57 losses so far this season. Her .669 winning percentage is good for third-best in the country amongst qualified centers. Despite playing only six games, Della Rovere is still ranked within the top 20 with her faceoff wins total.
As a team, Harvard ranks fourth in the nation and second in the ECAC with a .576 winning percentage.
Taking One for the Team
Defender Jenna MacDonald leads the team in blocked shots this season with 15 through the teams first four games. That total currently is good for seventh in the ECAC and T-63 in the nation despite playing less games.
First-Years are Firing
First-year defenders Jade Arnone and Kate Kasica both dished out assists over the weekend. It was Arnone's second of the season and Kasica's first career point. The first-year class has accounted for four points so far on the season.
The sophomore and senior classes are tied for the lead with 12 points apiece this season
100 Game Club
Senior captains Anne Bloomer, Kristin Della Rovere and Kyra Willoughby all joined the 100 game club after reaching the milestone in the last three games. Courtney Hyland (66 games played) will be next to break the milestone for the Crimson.
UP NEXT
Harvard will hit the road next weekend to open up its nonconference schedule against No. 7/7 Minnesota Duluth. The Crimson and the Bulldigs will square off in a two-game series next Friday and Saturday, November 18-19.
