CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Harvard women's hockey opens up its 2023-24 season this Friday with a matchup at Thompson Arena against the Dartmouth Big Green. The Crimson and the Big Green will renew its long standing rivalry when the teams drop the puck on the new season this Friday (Oct. 13) at 6:00 PM.
GAME NOTES
Harvard comes into the contest with an active 13-game winning streak over the Big Green. The team has outscored Dartmouth 42-10 in those 13 contests. The Crimson captured a 3-0 win against it's Ivy rival for its first win a year ago and also came out victorious with a 3-2 win in overtime at Thompson Arena.
Alex Pellicci recorded her second career shutout in the first victory over Dartmouth, making 26 saves to backstop the win. Ellie Bayard scored a goal against the Big Green last season and six other Crimson skaters hold points in their careers against Dartmouth.
Harvard leads the all-time series with Dartmouth, 55-43-3 and holds a record of 10-0-0 in the last ten meetings.
- Scouting The Competition
The Dartmouth Big Green will play its second contest of the year on Friday against the Crimson and is coming off a 3-2 victory over Assumption - NCAA DI's newest program - in its season opener on Tuesday. Dartmouth fired off 43 shots in the contest against Assumption, scoring three goals off the sticks of Jenna Donahue, Cally DIxon and Izee Powell. Starting goaltender, Eleanor Rogers, sealed the win by making 25 saves on 27 shots in her first career start. The Big Green - similar to Harvard a year ago - sports one of the youngest rosters in the nation as 15 of its 23 rostered players are underclassmen. Seven sophomores and eight first-years make up the bulk of the Big Green line chart. Dartmouth went 8-21-0 and 4-18-0 in ECAC play last season while being outscored 96-56 during the campaign. Donahue hopes to fill the shoes of 2022-23 leading scorer, CC Bowlby, who departed Hanover for St. Cloud State this offseason.
- Hollands, Pellicci Elected Captains
Harvard senior forward, Shannon Hollands, and junior goaltender Alex Pellicci were elected as team captains during the offseason and will join Bellamy in leading the team to success this season. Pellicci became the first junior to assume the captain role since Kate Hallett '18 served as captain during the 2016-17 season.
- Harvard Welcomes Six in Class of 2027
Harvard women's hockey is excited to welcome six new members to the HWH family this season. This talented group will join the College's Class of 2027 and hopes to make an immediate impact on the program when it hits the ice in October.
Zoe Boosamra, Kaley MacDonald, Brooke Manning, Angelica Megdanis, Maria Pape and Annie Sun are all set to join the team this Fall after terrific high school and club careers. The Class of 2027 will be a crucial part of the young core of players who all hope to help the program rise to new heights in 2023-24.
-Starting Strong
The 2023-24 Crimson got its first taste of game action this past Friday in an exhibition tilt against McGill University of Canada. Harvard scored four goals in a 4-0 shutout of McGill, who only tallied 22 shots in the contest.
Brooke Manning, Ellie Bayard, Gwyn Lapp and Shannon Hollands tallied the goals for the Crimson while Alex Pellicci, Daisy Boynton and Emily Davidson combined for a shutout.
- Key Players Back in Crimson
Key players from last years roster will return to the Crimson lineup this season including Shannon Hollands (6g, 8a, 14p), Gabi Davidson Adams (8g, 5a, 13p) and Mia Biotti (2g, 7a, 9p). Starting goaltender Alex Pellicci - who started all but one game a season ago - will be back between the pipes to lead the goaltending efforts for the Crimson.
- Opening on the Road
History is on Harvard's side when it heads ot Dartmouth for the season opener on Friday. In its last three season openers played at Thompson Arena , Harvard is 3-0-0 and has outscored the Big Green 16-6 in those matchups.The two Ivy rivals have played the first game of the year against each other six times in their histories, with Harvard coming out victorious in five of the six contests.
- New Faces Behind the Bench
Coach Bellamy got to work right away, hiring Meredith Roth as her associate head coach. Roth joins the program for the 2023-24 season after previously serving in the same role at the College of the Holy Cross. Bellamy also added Amy Zappen earlier this offseason, who will serve as the goaltending coach for the Crimson.
