CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – After a 2-0 start to the 2025-26 season, Harvard women's ice hockey will now begin its ECAC schedule with a pair of nationally ranked opponents who will make their way to the Bright-Landry Hockey Center this weekend. The Crimson (2-0-0, 0-0-0 ECAC) will first take on the reigning ECAC Tournament Champion, the Cornell Big Red (2-0-0, 0-0-0 ECAC), on Friday night before hosting the No. 9 Colgate Raiders (3-3-0, 0-0-0 ECAC) on Saturday afternoon. Looking to build on its hot start to the season, Harvard will aim to ride that momentum into a packed weekend of action at the Bright.
Game Information
Game 3 vs. Cornell – 5:00 PM, Friday, October 24 – Bright-Landry Hockey Center – NESN – One Crimson Game
Game 4 vs. Colgate – 3:00 PM, Saturday, October 25 – Bright-Landry Hockey Center – ESPN+ – Pink at the Rink (Breast Cancer Awareness Game)
What to Know
Starting Strong
Harvard women's ice hockey is off to a 2-0 start for the first time since the 2021-22 season after securing victories over Saint Michael's and New Hampshire in week one. The Crimson cruised to a 6-0 win last Friday (Oct. 17) against the Purple Knights before defeating the Wildcats on Saturday (Oct. 18), 2-1.
Scouting Cornell
The defending ECAC regular-season and tournament champions, the Cornell Big Red, jumped out to a 2-0-0 start to the season after sweeping the Boston College Eagles. The Big Red posted 4-2 and 3-0 victories to take the sweep in week one.
Cornell's wins were powered by its offensive pressure and stout defense. The Big Red averaged 43.5 shots per game while allowing just 24.5.
One of the highest-scoring teams in college hockey a year ago, the Big Red showed its firepower on opening weekend, with seven different skaters finding the back of the net in its first two games. Juniors Piper Grober and Beatrice Perron-Roy each have posted a goal and an assist and share the team lead with two points. Starting goaltender Anneleis Bergmann picked up both wins for the Big Red last weekend and holds a .959 save percentage along with a 1.00 GAA so far in 2025-26.
Scouting Colgate
The Colgate Raiders are off to a 3-3 start to their campaign and have earned wins over No. 14 Boston University and Maine. The Raiders began the year by suffering a sweep at the hands of the Ohio State Buckeyes, who outscored them 14-7 in the series. The group responded well, posting a two-game sweep of No. 14 BU while outscoring the Terriers 7-4. Last weekend against Maine, Colgate posted a 5-2 win in the first game before falling 2-1 in the second.
Junior Emma Pais leads the team offensively with 11 points (7g, 4a) in just six games. Sophomore Alexa Aubin has recorded seven assists to lead the Raiders in helpers. Three different players have spent time between the pipes for Colgate this season, but first-year Brooke Davis has emerged as the leader of the group, posting a 1-1 record, a 2.61 GAA, and a .910 save percentage in four games played, two of which were starts.
As a team, the Raiders are averaging 31.5 shots per game and scoring 3.3 goals per contest. On the defensive end, they are allowing 3.7 goals and 32.7 shots per game. The Raider penalty kill has been strong through six games, posting a .917 success rate (22-for-24) on the year.
A Goal Parade at Bright-Landry
Harvard women's hockey had six different players find the back of the net in the season opener. Brooke Manning, Keira Ley, Alex Paulsen, Angelica Megdanis, Emily Hamann, and Zoe Boosamra each scored to help the Crimson secure a 6-0 win over Saint Michael's.
It marked the most goal scorers Harvard has had in a single game since the 2018-19 season, when seven players scored against Holy Cross.
Killing Penalties
The Crimson penalty-kill unit posted a perfect mark this weekend, killing all three Wildcat chances in the game against UNH after not taking a penalty in the opener. Ainsley Tuffy made five saves on the PK to anchor the effort and give Harvard a perfect 1.000 percentage through two games.
ECAC Defender of the Week
For the first time in her young career, Keira Ley earned ECAC Defender of the Week honors. The sophomore recorded three points in the opener against Saint Michael's with a goal – the first of her career – and two assists.
Ley earned the award after a stellar performance in the Crimson's first game of the season. The sophomore blueliner got right into the mix offensively, recording an assist on Harvard's first goal of the year from Brooke Manning. Eight minutes later, Ley would put her name on the score sheet for the first time after scoring from the point. The Massachusetts native recorded her final point of the night with an assist on Angelica Megdanis' first strike of 2025-26.
Just the sixth defender since 2018 to record three or more points in a game, Ley became the first Harvard blueliner to reach the mark since Mia Biotti did so in 2022-23 against RPI. The sophomore also finished with a +5 rating on the night, the second-highest single-game plus/minus since 2018. The record, a +6 mark, was set by Dominique Petrie '22 in 2018.
Shutting Down the Net
The wins this weekend were anchored by impressive showings from Harvard's goaltending duo of Emily Davidson and Ainsley Tuffy. Davidson posted her second career shutout in the matchup against Saint Michael's by making eight saves to backstop the victory. It was her second consecutive shutout in an opening-night game after earning one a year ago against No. 8 Connecticut.
In the Saturday matchup against UNH, Tuffy was superb, allowing only one goal and making 33 saves to hold off the Wildcats in a narrow 2-1 win.
The duo helped the Crimson outscore opponents 8-1 on opening weekend, and through one week have combined for a 0.50 GAA — the best in the nation.
McClutch
In just her second career game, Harvard forward Carla McSweeney rose to the occasion to become the hero of the Crimson's win over UNH. Late in the third period with the game tied 1-1, the first-year made a tremendous play to steal the puck from a UNH defender at the blue line. After racing past the defender and gaining possession in the neutral zone, McSweeney created a breakaway opportunity and slotted a low shot through the goaltender's five-hole to put Harvard ahead 2-1.
It was the latest regulation game-winning goal for Harvard women's hockey since the 2022-23 season, when Mia Biotti '25 scored with just 30 seconds left.
Megdanis Making Moves
In just two games, junior forward Angelica Megdanis has matched her 2024-25 points total. The Connecticut native scored two goals and added two assists in the Crimson's wins this past weekend and currently leads the team with four points.
Megdanis and her linemates — Zoe Boosamra and Brooke Manning — account for half of Harvard's 16 total points through two games.
In Elite Company
First-year defender Alex Paulsen scored her first collegiate goal in her debut against Saint Michael's, joining elite company in Harvard women's hockey history. Paulsen became the first Harvard skater to score in her debut since the 2018 season, when Dominique Petrie '22 — now a PWHL star with the Minnesota Frost — accomplished the feat against Dartmouth.
A Big Win on Opening Night
With a 6-0 win over Saint Michael's, the Crimson recorded its largest opening-night victory since the 2011-12 season, a 7-1 win against St. Lawrence at Appleton Arena. The captain of that team was junior goaltender and current head coach, Laura Bellamy '13.
To find a larger opening-night win for Harvard, you'd have to go back to the 2006-07 season, when the Crimson defeated RPI 11-0 at Bright-Landry Hockey Center.
Ratings Are Up
Two Crimson skaters came out of opening weekend with +5 ratings — both recorded against Saint Michael's. Keira Ley and Alex Paulsen became the first players since 2018 to post a +5 or higher in a single game. Dominique Petrie '22 was the last player to do so that year.
Up Next
Harvard continues ECAC action next weekend with a trip to the North Country to take on Clarkson and St. Lawrence. The Crimson will first face the Golden Knights on Friday (Oct. 31, 3:00 PM) before battling the Saints on Saturday (Nov. 1, 3:00 PM). Both games will air live on ESPN+.
