Women's Hockey: Orange and Black prepare for tough quarterfinal series at Harvard

The rivalry is already brewing for the women’s hockey team as it heads to Cambridge, Mass. — where it pulled off a 2-1 regular-season upset win over Harvard — to play the Crimson in the ECAC quarterfinals this weekend.

Princeton (13-12-4 overall, 11-7-4 ECAC Hockey) faces No. 4 Harvard (18-6-5, 13-6-3) in a best-of-three playoff series. The team that wins two games will advance to the ECAC semifinals, which will be played the following weekend. Harvard finished third in ECAC Hockey standings, while Princeton came in sixth.

While the Tigers were hoping for home ice this weekend, they are ready for a challenge wherever they play, especially in Boston.

“Certainly it would have been nice to play at Baker [Rink], but we’ve had success on the road, too. I don’t really consider being on the road a huge disadvantage, particularly in the Boston area where hockey is big,” senior forward Melanie Wallace said. “It will be fun to play in front of a crowd, and it would make a victory even sweeter.”

Princeton played Harvard twice during the regular season. The Tigers eked out a 2-1 win in overtime at Harvard, and in the rematch at Baker Rink, Princeton tied the Crimson 3-3 in another overtime game. If these two games are any indication, it is going to be a good matchup this weekend for Princeton, and the team is definitely ready to fight.

“It’s playoff time. We’ve worked hard all season to get to this point,” Wallace said. “If we play with heart and soul and we believe in ourselves, we’ll be victorious.”

Though the Tigers are ready to fight, there could be some disadvantages playing a team that they have already beaten once in regular season play.

“Since we have beaten Harvard in the past, I think it puts us at a disadvantage,” junior defender Sasha Sherry said. “I think revenge is more of a spark that ignites a team, and Harvard has something to prove to us.”

Sophomore forwards Paula Romanchuk and Danielle DiCesare are two high scorers to look out for on Princeton’s team this weekend.

DiCesare has contributed 11 goals and 16 assists for a total of 27 points this season. Romanchuk is second on the team with 25 points.

Harvard’s biggest scorer, forward Kate Buesser, will be someone to look out for. She totaled 35 points this season, scoring 13 goals and adding 22 assists.

The Tigers know they need to be mentally prepared for a matchup with one of their biggest rivals this weekend.

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“Our biggest challenge will be to play like our backs are against the wall from the drop of the puck. We must play with intensity and a sense of purpose,” Sherry said. “We can’t come out flat, or Harvard will jump on us and set the pace of the game.”

The Tigers have been working on this sentiment all season long, and if Princeton enters the game with conviction and hunger, the team should have nothing but success.

The Tigers feel confident in their ability to pull off the playoff upset at Harvard.

“I have confidence in my team, and all I can think about is the sweet feeling of victory. That is the motivation to do everything in our power to beat those kids,” Sherry said. “We really do dislike their team, so come game time everyone will be fired up to stick it to them.”

The first two games of the series will be tonight and Saturday, with a third game scheduled for Sunday if necessary.