CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Harvard women's ice hockey is set to play a split series this week, heading to Schenectady, N.Y. to battle the Union Garnet Chargers on Wednesday (Jan. 31) before returning to the Bright-Landry Hockey Center on Saturday (Feb. 3). The Crimson will complete its longest road stretch of the season against the Garnet Chargers before hosting the Big Green in its first home game since Jan. 16. 

The Crimson hope to correct a two-game losing skid when it takes on the ninth and tenth place Union and Dartmouth squads. Harvard and its two opponents are currently locked in a standings race. Each team is looking to pick up valuable points this week in an attempt to secure a home game in the first round of the ECAC playoffs. With two wins on the weekend Harvard could catapult itself into ninth place in the standings, putting it No in line for a home playoff game. 

Scouting The Competition

• The Garnet Chargers enter the contest in the midst of a five-game losing skid dating back to Jan. 6. Union was shut out on the road at Clarkson and St. Lawrence before losing a 2-4 matchup to Dartmouth and a 0-1 contest against RPI. Union took the first game of the series against Harvard this season, just its fourth win in the all-time series. 
• Dartmouth also got the best of the Crimson in its first matchup this year, defeating Harvard 4-2 in its season-opening contest. The Big Green is coming off a tough three-game stretch in which it dropped matchups to RPI, No. 6 Cornell and No. 4 Colgate on the road. Dartmouth was outscored 24-1 in those contests and now sits in 10th place in the ECAC standings with 10 points. 
• Both teams have had penalty issues, ranking in the top-20 in the nation in penalty minutes so far in the 2023-24 season. 

Bouncing Back

• The Crimson will look to rebound this weekend after a pair of losses to ranked ECAC foes last week. The Crimson have recorded all four of its wins while coming off a loss this season. The team will also play its first Wednesday game of the year against Union on Jan. 31 before it takes on Dartmouth on Saturday (Feb. 3), looking to snap its Saturday woes. 
• Harvard will look to correct an eight-game losing skid in Saturday contests when the Big Green comes to town on the 3rd. 

Undefeated at the Garden

• Harvard women's hockey had its name etched in history this past Tuesday after registering the first collegiate women's hockey victory at the TD Garden. After forcing the game into overtime, Harvard defeated the No. 13 Boston College Eagles in a shootout. It was the first time the program competed in a shootout since the 2011 season. 
• Emily Davidson had another stellar outing between the pipes, making 39 saves while allowing just two goals and stopping all four shots she faced in the shootout. Eva Dorr scored the team's first goal at the Garden and Sophie Ensley netted the team's first short-handed goal of the season. Gabi Davidson Adams was the hero at the end of it all, scoring the only goal in the shootout to lead the team to the victory. 

Davidson Gets the Win in Her Collegiate Debut

• Emily Davidson made the most of her opportunity after getting the nod for her first collegiate start against RPI last weekend. The sophomore netminder led the team to a much-needed victory against the Engineers, making 24 saves - including two on the powerplay - while allowing only one goal in a battle with the ECAC foe. 
• Davidson joined good company after getting a win in her first collegiate start, joining the likes of Alex Pellicci, Lindsay Reed '22, Becky Dutton '22 and others. 

Ensley Finding her Stride

• Sophomore forward, Sophie Ensley has been one of the team's best offensive players this month, scoring two goals in the Crimson's three games last week. Ensley potted both her goals on breakaways against ranked opponents. First, Ensley threaded a wrist shot over the goalie's shoulder against No. 13 Boston College at the T.D. Garden.
• The Sudbury, Mass. native then scored a great second effort goal against the No. 6 Cornell Big Red to solidify the best offensive stretch of her young career.
• Ensley has posted a career high six points this season with three goal and three assists, ranking T-4 on the squad. 

Led By Lapp

• Gwyn Lapp has emerged as the team's primary scoring threat in her breakout sophomore season. The Massachusetts native posted a six-goal-in-seven-game stretch earlier this season and leads the team with eight goals and 12 points on the year. 
• Lapp was especially terrific in the win over Sacred Heart, notching her first career multi-goal game against the Pioneers. The Phillips Academy Andover product has cemented her spot in the top-six for the Crimson and leads the powerplay charge with three goals this season. 
• Lapp's offensive surge has put her in the team lead with 6 goals and 12 points. 

Point Leaders Against Union and Dartmouth 

• Active Crimson skaters have had a history of success against these two ECAC foes. Eight players have recorded a point against Union while 10 have found their way onto the scoresheet against Dartmouth. The 10 skaters with points is the most against a single opponent currently for Harvard. 

• vs. Union
• E. Bayard - 1p, 1g, 0a
• M. Biotti - 1p, 0g, 1a
• Z. Boosamra - 1p, 0g, 1a
• G. Davidson Adams - 2p, 1g, 1a
• E. Dorr - 1p, 0g, 1a
• S. Ensley - 1p, 0g, 1a
• S. Hollands - 2p, 2g, 0a
• J. MacDonald - 1p, 0g, 1a

• Vs. Dartmouth 
• E. Bayard - 1p, 1g, 0a
• M. Biotti - 4p, 0g, 4a
• Z. Boosamra - 1p, 0g, 1a
• H. Chorske - 2p, 1g, 1a
• K. Crawford - 2p, 1g, 1a
• G. Davidson Adams - 2p, 1g, 1a
• E. Dorr - 1p, 0g, 1a
• S. Ensley - 2p, 0g, 2a
• S. Hollands - 2p, 1g, 1a
• P. Lester - 2p, 1g, 1a

Lester Goes Viral

• Junior forward, Paige Lester, made waves across College hockey social media this weekend, scoring a diving goal after a nifty series of dekes around RPI defenders. In the four days since her goal, the clip has received over 250 thousand views across all platforms and has been reposted by some of the biggest names in the space. 
• It was Lester's first goal since rejoining the team after missing all of the first semester. 

Pellicci Writes Her Name in the Record Book

• Junior goaltender, Alex Pellicci, made her way into the record books with her 52-save shutout against St. Lawrence (Dec. 1). Pellicci logged the most saves for a Harvard goalie in a shutout effort in program history and the fourth-most saves in a game all-time. 
• Pellicci now has seven of the 18 highest-save total games in HH history. Her career high save total of 54 against Yale (Oct. 28, 2022) stands third all-time in the record book. 
• Pellicci was lights out in the last outing against the Huskies, allowing just one goal (a redirect in front) on 40 Northeastern shots. 

Blocking Shots

• Harvard women's hockey has shown a relentless intensity in the defensive zone over the past several weeks, indicated by the team's willingness to step in front of the puck. The Crimson has blocked 108 shots in its past six games, including a program record 30 blocked shots in its matchup against RPI (Jan. 19). Junior blue-liner, Jenna MacDonald also made history - while helping the team make history - by blocking eight shots in the matchup. 
• MacDonald's career-high block total was the second most in program history and the most since Josephine Pucci '15 blocked nine in the 2014-15 season against then No. 1 Boston College. 
• Mia Biotti and Maria Pape have been fearless in their defensive zone this season, blocking a team high 45 and 44 shots this season. 
• The totals are tied for second and fourth in the ECAC and tied for the 18th and 22nd most in the nation. 

Puck on Net

• Harvard logged a season-best 49 shots on goal in the Beanpot Consolation matchup at the Garden. Maria Pape led the team with seven shots on goal while Mia Biotti and Gwyn Lapp each fired six shots on net.