Harvard 2025-26: Year Three

[Skate79]

The Beanpot OT was the most exciting finish I've seen in a while. Tuffy deserved both awards just for her play tonight let alone last week! Bertagna's look each time delivering the award was priceless too. He was as excited as everyone else. This may end up as the highlight of another rebuilding year but perhaps this is a sign of what might be possible with a few more good recruits in the future.

I thought I had seen it all in the Beanpot tournament. Then comes Monday night and a historic end with a penalty shot goal. I didn't realize that McSweeney had a choice: the penalty shot or a two-minute power play. She had tremendous confidence in choosing the former, and she cashed in. Good for her. She'll remember this for the rest of her life.

Disappointed in Tara Watchorn, the BU coach. She threw her team and Tuffy under the bus with her comments about not being able to cash in on their chances. Hey, coach, it happens. Harvard lost an ECAC semifinal to RPI in 2009 when the Engineers' goalie stood on her head, making 52 saves. Total lack of class from Watchorn, but what else do you expect from BU? Let 'em stew about it over the summer. Nobody on the Crimson side bellyached about losing in Belfast. She needs to grow up.

I'd give Tuffy the weekend off. She has seen a lot of pucks this month, and it's time to give her a break. At least against SLU. Izzy Whynot should be able to shut the door on the Saints.

 

[Watson Rink]

Skate79 said: "Disappointed in Tara Watchorn, the BU coach. She threw her team and Tuffy under the bus with her comments about not being able to cash in on their chances. Hey, coach, it happens. Harvard lost an ECAC semifinal to RPI in 2009 when the Engineers' goalie stood on her head, making 52 saves. Total lack of class from Watchorn, but what else do you expect from BU? Let 'em stew about it over the summer. Nobody on the Crimson side bellyached about losing in Belfast. She needs to grow up."

To echo your comment, Watchorn's nonsense about the penalty being up for doubt is egregious disinformation. The slow-motion replay shows that the BU player came from an angle squarely behind McMcDavid, not even an inch toward the side. The NCAA's rules allow lifting the stick if it occurs down near the blade, but her stick was up on McGloriouse's hand, for heaven's sake; and a penalty shot is to be awarded if the puckhandler is materially impeded from taking a decent shot, and the BU player sent her crashing into the net.

Admittedly the three Terriers on the ice probably shouldn't have all been within two feet of Harvard's goal line at the same time, especially if too slow to catch up to somebody lugging the puck over 150 feet, but if I were one of them I'd lose respect for a coach who publicly humiliates me for not caching in from right on the doorstep (I'd already be sad enough about it already) and be ashamed of a coach who promulgates a blatant falsehood about the nature of the physical contact in question and/or defends a dirty and dangerous play.

BTW, the rulebook provides that a minor infraction results in the choice of a penalty shot or a 4-on-3, and a major results in both consequences.

 

[Skate79]

Last night's game against the Saints felt like a loss. And I'm not referring to the shootout. Harvard allowed SLU to hang around much too long, and all it took was one shot to even the game. Mind you, it was a great shot - looked like Tuffy thought it was going to hit her in the mask, so she sort of ducked, and it went over her shoulder, top shelf.

What bothered me about this game was how Harvard ran around and was continually caught out of position. Case in point. SLU in the third period had a two-on-two rush that became a 2-on-1 when the SLU forward got body position on Annie Sun because Sun was caught flatfooted. Tuffy had to make a tough stop that should never have happened.

And would it kill the forwards to crash the net once in a while? McSweeney and Sproule do it regularly, but the rest seem to want to hang around the boards or behind the net. You can't score goals from there.

Harvard desperately needs a coach who can set up an offensive system that creates chances off the rush and forces the other team to defend its netfront. The Crimson make it too easy for the opposition to turn around and head towards the Harvard end.