David De RemerWednesday night we bade farewell to 2003, which proved to be yet another tremendous year of growth for Division I women’s college hockey. It was a year full of landmark events — the first-ever sellout crowd for the NCAA championship game, the inaugural championships for women’s Hockey East and College Hockey America, and the first … Read more
When Minnesota-Duluth coach Shannon Miller met with Harvard’s Katey Stone prior to the NCAA final last March, she said, “Let’s put on a show.” Almost nine months later, it’s time for an encore. This No. 3 Harvard vs. No. 4 Minnesota-Duluth series on Friday and Saturday won’t be mistaken for March’s double overtime 4-3 UMD … Read more
On Tuesday, there would be no letdown for No. 3 Harvard against New Hampshire with an NCAA championship rematch against No. 4 Minnesota-Duluth on the horizon. In a dominant 4-0 victory, the Crimson (11-0) controlled play from the start and never looked back. Harvard co-captains Lauren McAuliffe and Angela Ruggiero each had a goal and … Read more
December may only have just begun, but the series that are going to make or break teams in March are already beginning. It’s not a subject that too many players or coaches like to think about, but such is the reality of a sport with only four NCAA tournament berths. In the WCHA, No. 5 … Read more
Wins are not coming easily this season for No. 3 Harvard, but they do keep on coming. For the second time in three days, Harvard found itself tied 1-1 with a Hockey East power. Sunday it was No. 8 UNH, and this time it was No. 10 Providence. And just like on Sunday, the team … Read more
This time Harvard’s practice in defensive zone paid off. The No. 3 Crimson (7-0) took until late into the third period to get their second goal, but thanks to a defensive effort that limited New Hampshire to just eight shots in the last two periods, the No. 8 Wildcats (6-4-2) had just had one goal … Read more
With a 2-0 lead in the second period Saturday night following a 6-2 win the night before, Minnesota-Duluth seemed headed for a two-game sweep of Dartmouth. Then in the words of Duluth coach Shannon Miller, her team just checked out. The No. 2 Big Green (8-1) scored three goals in the final seven minutes of … Read more
When Dartmouth’s Cherie Piper emerged from the penalty box after a 10-minute misconduct penalty, the game she had left was gone forever. Everything had been going according to plan for Dartmouth in the opening minutes against No. 4 UMD. The No. 2 Big Green had the 1-0 lead in front of 1,250 fans and the … Read more
The last time Dartmouth and Minnesota-Duluth dropped the puck, over 4,800 packed the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center to see UMD begin its run for a third straight Frozen Four title. The intensity of the building that night was unprecedented for a women’s college game, and it set the stage for a grander atmosphere in … Read more
On the strength of two power-play goals set up by captain Kristen Thomas and a 27-save shutout from freshman Melissa Bourdon, New Hampshire won its second straight over Northeastern at Matthews Arena by a 5-0 margin on Saturday afternoon. The Huskies (6-3-2, 0-2-1 Hockey East) could not get by Bourdon despite having the better play … Read more
When last week’s column led off by saying “The Four Nations Cup’s disruption of the college hockey season is now past,” it was only referring to scheduling and the presence of bodies at games. It was not referring to the physical state of those bodies and whether the equipment for those bodies would come back … Read more
By Sunday the effects of jet lag had started to wear off for No. 1 Minnesota, so Natalie Darwitz turned on the jets right away. Darwitz skated right past the Brown defense just 47 seconds into Sunday’s game, and scored the first of eight consecutive goals in an 8-1 Minnesota win over the Bears (1-3). … Read more
For a Minnesota team with four U.S. national team players still recuperating from a week-long international tournament and extended travel, it was time for some younger Gophers to pick up the slack at Brown on Saturday. Freshmen Andrea Nichols and Becky Wacker, the two Gopher linemates of U.S. Olympian Krissy Wendell, set each other up … Read more
The Four Nations Cup’s disruption of the college hockey season is now past. Even though the international tournament ended on Sunday, its impact still extended to the showdown between No. 3 Harvard and No. 6 Providence on Tuesday night. U.S. national team members Julie Chu and Angela Ruggiero, albeit jet-lagged, returned from Sweden in plenty … Read more
No. 3 Harvard was up against adversity in Tuesday night’s game against No. 6 Providence given its inexperience and Olympians Julie Chu and Angela Ruggiero’s lasting jet lag from the Four Nations Cup. But in a tough physical, defensive battle, the Crimson (3-0) were able to cash in their chances, and Providence could not. Junior … Read more
Several New Hampshire players felt that Friday night’s 2-1 overtime defeat to St. Lawrence was the most devastating of their careers. They made sure they didn’t feel that way again on Sunday. The No. 9 Wildcats (3-2-1) bounced back to defeat the No. 5 Saints (4-3-1) Sunday by a 6-3 margin on the strength of … Read more
No Kingsbury, no problem this time for St. Lawrence. Well, it did take until the final 8.6 seconds of overtime for the No. 5 Saints (4-2-1) to put away No. 9 New Hampshire (2-2-1). But they’ll take the win, even though it wasn’t pretty. Senior Ricki-Lee Doyle netted the game-winner for St. Lawrence when linemate … Read more
We’re in the midst of Four Nations Cup week, the time every year when the best women’s hockey talents from Canada, U.S., Sweden and Finland depart to play for their national teams, leaving several college programs shorthanded. Some affected colleges were able to schedule around the Cup (No. 1 Minnesota, No. 4 Minnesota-Duluth). Others happen … Read more
No. 2 Dartmouth struggled to get its offense going early Friday night against No. 5 Providence, but when Friar penalties provided a jump start, the Big Green scored goals in bunches. Dartmouth (1-0) scored three goals in three minutes during the second period to break a scoreless tie and four goals in three minutes in … Read more
Two-time Kazmaier finalist Chanda Gunn wasn’t pleased with her performance last season, when her team hit bottom. But this year, her aim is true.