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.

 

[Skate79]

Okay, time for me to swallow a big helping of humble pie. With three consecutive wins over Top Ten opponents, including today's thriller against Princeton, the Crimson are within striking distance of a home playoff date in two weeks. A ton of credit to the players to go to Lynah and beat the Big Red 3-1, and then come back from one-goal deficits against the Bobcats and Tigers this weekend. As usual, Tuffy stood on her head this weekend. Harvard is nowhere without her. She's the team's MVP. Maybe the best goalie in the nation.

Congrats to Morgan McGathey on her first two-goal game and to Ella Lucia for sniping the winner from the slot on a nice pass from Becky Hamman. The all frosh line creates a ton of havoc in the offensive zone.

SLU lost to Yale, so if Harvard can sweep Union and RPI next weekend and SLU loses to either Cornell (likely) or Colgate, the Crimson will finish 8th and host a playoff game for the first time in 4 years. Progress.

 

[thirdtime's . . .]

Okay, time for me to swallow a big helping of humble pie. With three consecutive wins over Top Ten opponents, including today's thriller against Princeton, the Crimson are within striking distance of a home playoff date in two weeks. A ton of credit to the players to go to Lynah and beat the Big Red 3-1, and then come back from one-goal deficits against the Bobcats and Tigers this weekend. As usual, Tuffy stood on her head this weekend. Harvard is nowhere without her. She's the team's MVP. Maybe the best goalie in the nation.

Congrats to Morgan McGathey on her first two-goal game and to Ella Lucia for sniping the winner from the slot on a nice pass from Becky Hamman. The all frosh line creates a ton of havoc in the offensive zone.

SLU lost to Yale, so if Harvard can sweep Union and RPI next weekend and SLU loses to either Cornell (likely) or Colgate, the Crimson will finish 8th and host a playoff game for the first time in 4 years. Progress.

Yes, but more than progress: we've become giant killers! lol Now all the defense has to do when trying to exit the zone is not pass the puck to an unsuspecting teammate four feet away, and all the forwards have to do is not whistle the puck from the neutral zone into empty space. Location, location, location. If we just stop playing hot potato we'll be less dependent on Tuffy to keep us in games and be in a better position to slay some of our lesser foes too.

If we do get home ice for the playoffs, scores of ESPN streamers will book flights to town to avoid having to listen to the the Bright Booth Boyz blather on, Ground Hog Day style, about schedules, stats and scores ---- everything except what's happening on the ice. True, the Boyz can be torn away from their droning on by a shot on goal, but that doesn't prevent them from being late to notice an actual score. And their period recaps? Two gems from recent games: "If things stay as they are, it will look just about the same," and "There were no goals to speak of this period." It's enough to make a grown man cry.

Now I'm getting off my high horse for the season. I've developed too many saddle sores.

 

[Skate79]

Yes, but more than progress: we've become giant killers! lol Now all the defense has to do when trying to exit the zone is not pass the puck to an unsuspecting teammate four feet away, and all the forwards have to do is not whistle the puck from the neutral zone into empty space. Location, location, location. If we just stop playing hot potato we'll be less dependent on Tuffy to keep us in games and be in a better position to slay some of our lesser foes too.

If we do get home ice for the playoffs, scores of ESPN streamers will book flights to town to avoid having to listen to the the Bright Booth Boyz blather on, Ground Hog Day style, about schedules, stats and scores ---- everything except what's happening on the ice. True, the Boyz can be torn away from their droning on by a shot on goal, but that doesn't prevent them from being late to notice an actual score. And their period recaps? Two gems from recent games: "If things stay as they are, it will look just about the same," and "There were no goals to speak of this period." It's enough to make a grown man cry.

Now I'm getting off my high horse for the season. I've developed too many saddle sores.

Great post. Haven't stopped laughing. True that about passing up to the forwards. They just need to make one exit pass to get it to center ice and then let the forwards carry it in via the pass or solo. Would rather see a better system developed to force the other team off their D structure.

If they win, I'm going to Bright. Forget the Boyz, I want to see the first home playoff game in four years.

 

[Skate79]

Congrats to the Lady Crimson on their first home playoff game in four years! By beating Union and with help from Colgate, the Crimson secured 8th place. Nice to finish off the season with a W in regulation - now let's advance for the first time in like forever and get another shot at Princeton.

Morgan McGathey has been on somewhat of a heater lately with the winner today in the second period. I kept going back and forth between the Colgate-SLU game and Harvard's game sweating out the final minutes. I'll bet the bus ride home was fun.

 

[Skate79]

Barnburner at Bright Landry today. For the most part, SLU carried the play and had the better chances particularly in the third period. But after Megdanis tied it with seven minutes to go (great wrist shot to the far corner), Harvard started to press the Saints and got their forecheck going (it was missing for the entire game up until that point).

Tuffy was shaky early on but settled down and played brilliantly in the third period robbing the Saints with several sparkling saves. Special teams was the difference in today's game (Harvard converted their only power play chance while killing off three Saints power plays, two in the third period). Referees missed several obvious SLU penalties including a blatant hold on McGathey and a Megdanis trip.

With seven minutes to go and right through to the game winner in OT, Harvard had the better of the play. It is still a mystery to me why the Crimson are so lackluster in their forecheck. The McGathey line is the only one that can put pressure on the opponents. This is where having an offensive minded head coach would really help this team. They have no structure offensively and they desperate need one. Along with much better puck management.

On to Princeton.