CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard women's hockey and St. Lawrence went toe-to-toe in a tightly contested, defense-first matchup, with neither side willing to give an inch. Strong goaltending and disciplined play in defensive zone defined the night, as the Crimson (11-10-2, 5-8-2 ECAC) and the Saints (9-15-3, 6-8-1 ECAC) skated to a hard-fought 1-1 tie after 65 minutes of action. The visiting Saints would go on to win the shootout to earn the tiebreaker but the teams split the three conference points up for grabs as the game officially goes in as a tie.
How it Happened
Fresh off a Beanpot victory, Harvard women's hockey welcomed the St. Lawrence Saints into the Bright-Landry Hockey Center for an ECAC battle. The contest was key for both sides, who are currently locked in a battle in the ECAC standings.
Strong defensive play from both sides created a slow start to contest in terms of offensive production. At the halfway point in the period, the teams combined for only six shots on goal with the goalies clearing out all those attempts. With very little space to operate, the sides went into the locker room deadlocked in a 0-0 tie. The Saints held a slight 10-7 lead in shots, after going on the powerplay late in the frame.
The Crimson killed off the remaining time on the penalty to start the second period, with starting goaltender,
Ainsley Tuffy, being called on to make just one save on the kill. The Saints strung together nine shots in a row in the following sequences, but once again Tuffy was there to shut down the Saints offense. The Crimson countered with a strong push from its top line, who went to work on the forecheck to stop a potential SLU rush.
Angelica Megdanis led the charge, taking control of the puck and working it deep into the SLU zone. The junior put a wraparound chance on target that was saved by the Saints' keeper but landed right on the stick of
Carla McSweeney. All the first year had to do was push in a shot to put the Crimson on top, 1-0. Harvard killed off another penalty and held off the Saints for the remainder of the period to carry its lead into the second intermission.
Harvard kept its foot on the gas in the third period, throwing shot after shot at the SLU goalkeeper. The Crimson put together a run of great shifts, creating a few high-danger chances in the middle of the period. The Saints were able to withstand the barrage to keep it close heading into the final minutes. SLU finally got the goal it was looking for with just under four minutes remaining to tie the score at 1-1. Each team would create one more look on net, but after 60 minutes, the score remained 1-1, sending the contest into an overtime period.
In the five-minute extra frame, the teams traded chances as each goaltender was called on to make two saves. The best look for either side came in the closing seconds, when
Ella Lucia broke free to earn a breakaway opportunity. The sophomore went for the five-hole on her shot, but the SLU keeper made the stop to end the game. After 65 minutes of hard-fought action, the teams remained tied at 1-1 and split the three conference points.
The goalies continued their strong play in the shootout, trading saves in the first two rounds. Lucia scored on her shot in the third round, but St. Lawrence was able to match with a goal to send it into another round. Harvard came up short on its fourth try and SLU converted on the other end to take the shootout victory.
Harvard Highlights
Up Next
The Crimson will be back on the ice tomorrow afternoon to take on the No. 11 Clarkson Golden Knight. Puck drop between the ECAC foes is set for 3:00 PM at the Bright-Landry Hockey Cetner with all the action streaming live on ESPN+.
