Women's Hockey Squad Brings Home All the Beans

February 11, 1999

SEARCH THE GAZETTE

HARVARD GAZETTE ARCHIVES

There was no stopping the red hot Crimson skaters as the Harvard women's hockey team routed Boston College 9-0 in the Beanpot final on Tuesday, Feb 9. The number one ranked Crimson now boasts a 20-1-0 record and a 17-game winning streak. As 400-plus fans looked on at Matthews Arena, Boston College goalie Christy Nentwig was deluged with on-target shots from Crimson sticks, 23 in the first period alone. Amazingly, the score at the end of the period was only 1-0. With another 24 shots on goal in the second period, Harvard increased its lead to 5-0.

A.J. Mleczko '99, Harvard's own Olympic gold medalist and the nation's leading scorer, had a hat trick before the second period was over. In the third, Jennifer Botterill '02 scored two, while co-captain Claudia Asano '99 and freshman Christa Brown had one each (Brown's first for the Crimson). It was Botterill who broke the tie in the first round of the Tournament against the Huskies in overtime, putting that game on ice 7-6.

The Crimson's fifth Beanpot turned out to be freshman goalie Alison Kuusisto's first shutout, with 19 saves. Kuusisto was summoned to net-minding duties in the first Beanpot game when junior starter Crystal Springer was forced out of action with a broken collarbone.

The Beanpot victory came on the heels of a key win over U.N.H. two days earlier, with which the Crimson kept hold of their first place ranking. On Saturday, Feb. 13, the team is scheduled to face the only squad that's beaten them all year, the number two ranked Brown.