Game Recap: Harvard Women’s Ice Hockey Faces Off Against Colgate
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The Harvard women’s ice hockey team put forth a determined effort despite dropping a 5-0 decision to No. 9 Colgate on Saturday at the Bright-Landry Hockey Center. With this loss, the Crimson now holds a record of 2-2-0 overall and 0-2-0 in ECAC play, while the Raiders improve to 4-4-0 and 1-1-0 in the conference.
Coaching Insights
Following the game, Laura Bellamy, the Landry Family Head Coach for Harvard Women’s Ice Hockey, reflected on the team’s performance, stating, “There’s a lot of good takeaways in terms of how we played tonight. Our effort all the way through was strong, and we put a full 60-minute game together. We’re young and have a lot of inexperience, so we need to learn fast and we learned that this weekend.” She emphasized the importance of refining their defensive play, noting, “The quality of chances we’re giving up right now, good teams are going to capitalize on.”
Game Dynamics
Although the final score did not favor Harvard, the team controlled significant portions of the game and managed to generate 35 shots on goal. The Raiders took seven penalties, granting the Crimson several extended power-play opportunities. Gwyn Lapp and Morgan McGathey stood out offensively, each contributing six shots to Harvard’s total.
Coach Bellamy commented on the team’s shot volume, saying, “We had a really good weekend in terms of shot volume. We’re getting pucks to the net, but we want to be sharper there… getting sticks on pucks, setting better screens, and creating more backside looks.”
How the Game Unfolded
In the second match of the Crimson’s ECAC series, Colgate struck first with a deflected puck finding its way into the net early in the first period. The Crimson responded by dominating possession for much of the first period, leading 10-6 in shots at one point. Harvard’s solid defensive execution was evident as they successfully killed off their first penalty, with goaltender Emily Davidson making several critical stops.
After a series of penalties against Colgate put Harvard on the powerplay in the second period, the Crimson unleashed 10 shots, but were unable to capitalize. Colgate countered with a second goal, extending their lead to 2-0. Harvard’s penalty kill continued to shine, with Davidson making an impressive diving save during a Raider powerplay. However, despite additional goals from Colgate, Harvard pushed hard, firing 10 shots in the third period but failed to find the back of the net.
Statistical Highlights
- Gwyn Lapp and Morgan McGathey led the Crimson with six shots on goal each.
- Emily Davidson recorded 33 saves in goal.
- The Crimson blocked a total of 13 shots as a team.
- Ella Lucia had an impressive faceoff performance, going 13-3.
Next Steps
Looking ahead, Harvard will prepare for another challenging weekend as they travel to Upstate New York for two ECAC contests against Clarkson and St. Lawrence. The Crimson is set to face the Golden Knights on Friday, October 31, followed by a matchup against the Saints on Saturday, November 1. Both games will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
