Game 1:  Northeastern 9 - Boston University 0
 
Tuesday evening at Harvard's Bright Hockey Center the ECAC League leading
Northeastern Huskies bombed the BU Terriers club side 9-0.  Basically, NU
put on a passing clinic.  The patterns the players were able to generate
tended to show the evolving Husky attack.  Stacey Kielman was the
strongest BU defender and was able to fend off some of the numerous NU
forays.  The line of Kasey Lalime, Shana Osler and #12 (Lori Lemonnier?)
play well together.  They back-checked effectively and generate some
counterattacks.  Given all the advantages the Boston University team
doesn't have, they put up a good fight.
 
Game 2:  Harvard 6 - Boston College 4
 
The second match found the host Harvard Crimson just getting by the Eagles
of Boston College 6-4.  Harvard could have put this game away early, but
we almost had a replay of the Men's Beanpot contest the night before.
 
There was no scoring in a rather slow opening period.  The Crimson put on
some pressure and the BC power play was looking dangerous.  In the second,
Harvard started to go up the gut.  Kiirsten Suurkask (Angie Francisco,
Claudia Asano) scored a power play goal at the start of the period to give
the Crimson the lead when she redirected a point shot.  Francisco
(Suurkask) made it 2-0 on a shorthanded play when she finished a lovely
left wing break by drilling her chance under the goalie's pads.  It looked
like Harvard was about to walk away with the game.  Instead, BC's Kathleen
Savino (Jennifer Buckley, Genevieve Missirlian) brought the Eagles back
with a nice 1-2 play on a power play.  Erin Magee (Missirlian) would tie
the contest at two when she produced a huge solo end to end effort.
Suurkask (Francisco) regained the lead for Harvard when she banged in the
perfectly timed shorthanded setup from Francisco.  Tara Dunn gave the
Crimson a two goal cushion when she pulled off a spin-o-rama move during a
penalty kill.  Dunn whirled and twirled and concluded her brilliant effort
by banking her own rebound off the far post.  Lovely goal!
 
As the final interval started, it again looked like Harvard was in charge.
Instead the Crimson hit auto-destruct by taking a series of ugly
penalties.  Carroll McCaffrey's (Magee, Missirlian) power play point shot
found net at the far low post to make it 4-3.  Asano (Suurkask, Dunn)
re-established a two goal lead with a power play blast from the point.
Missirlian (McCaffrey, Magee) made it 5-4 when she knocked in a nice setup
at the back door, on a power play.  The closing minutes were pretty
tight as the Eagles tried to tie it up.  Harvard got an empty net goal to
gain victory when Suurkask (Francisco) drilled the puck in after Francisco
had intercepted a BC outlet pass.
 
Boston College is a very patient team.  They waited and took the chances
that came their way.  The BC woman of the match was defender Magee.  An
excellent skater, Magee was a force on the Eagle blue line.  She made some
nice soft passes, but in general, could be a more effective player if she
learned to use her mates more.  McCaffrey was the other BC defender that
stood out.  She keeps it simple and moves the puck.  Up front, Gena Nolin
and Lisa Molvar put together some very good looking breakout plays.
Missirlian was BC's best attacker with her energetic style.  Fresher
Buckley has some lovely touches and twists.  She anticipates the action
extremely well.
 
Harvard looked like a team thinking about the Beanpot final, instead of
the game at hand.  They developed some awfully nice speed up the ice, but
often lacked the passing and attacking space needed to make the most of
the situation.  The defense was led by Kyle Walsh.  Her spirit and fast
reactions stopped many a play.  Elizabeth Ganzenmuller laid off some
excellent dishes.  Her playmaking created numerous chances.  Fresher Dunn
seemed to be testing the pipes before her brilliant goal.  I think she is
a key player for the Crimson because her movement opens the attack up to
all kinds of interesting possibilities.  The woman of the match was
fantastic fresher Francisco.  Her penalty killing, line play and power
play skills are all superb.  What ties it all together for Francisco is
her wonderful mobility.  She is Harvard's catalyst.  Overall, Harvard has
a tough trip to Providence this weekend with some important points before
next Tuesday's date with Northeastern in the Beanpot final.
 
 
 
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 good shooting
 hungerf
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