Early Outlook on Harvard

Harvard looks poised to repeat their output from their past years. The Olympics won’t faze big powerhouse teams like Harvard, who could return as many as 17 skaters pending team selections for the Canadian and US national teams. Seven new skaters will look to keep Harvard one of the top five women’s college hockey programs in the nation.

Courtesy of goCrimson.com

Although Harvard has lost their points leader, they will be returning six of its top seven scorers next season. After coming so close to an ECAC championship, and losing to BC in the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament, next years Crimson team will be looking to build on their successes and become a greater threat to the western powerhouses. The two incoming forwards will be looked upon to make an immediate impact and help their teammates as soon as the season starts.

Courtesy of The Ivy League

Four defenseman will be coming in next season, ensuring that the Crimson defensive core stays strong. Thanks to their outstanding defense, and Emerence Machmeyer’s goaltending, the Crimson were able to earn a 24-7-3 record on the season. Harvard has no problem playing a solid defensive game and each player they have brought in will only complement what is already in place in Cambridge. There is also the addition of a goaltender to next year’s squad. She will most likely be fighting for the second spot against Molly Tissenbaum, while Maschmeyer will get most of the starts in net. She had a fantastic rookie season, earning a save percentage of .949, and is already on track to becoming one of the most powerful goalies of women’s hockey.

Katey Stone, Crimson head coach, will not be present during the upcoming season because she will be coaching the Olympic team. Maura Crowell will take her place, and has announced that recently graduated goaltender, Laura Bellamy, will be joining her on the bench. It will be interesting to see how this new Crimson team will fare for a season; but even with the Olympic losses, they are still a force to be reckoned with.

To read the release about the Crimson incoming class, click here. To read about Laura Bellamy’s appointment, click here.