Pictured: Kessler stopped 21 shots and held Colgate scoreless on six power plays.
Photo courtesy: Gil Talbot Photography

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The No. 6 Harvard women’s ice hockey team cruised to a 5-1 victory over Colgate Saturday evening at Bright Hockey Center. Senior goaltender Christina Kessler earned her 64th career victory, moving her to first on Harvard’s all-time wins list, passing Ali Boe ’06. Kessler made 21 saves on the day as the Crimson improved to 9-4-4 overall and 7-4-2 in ECAC Hockey action.

For the second straight game, Harvard opened a 2-0 lead in the first period, as Liza Ryabkina put Harvard up, 1-0, at 15:28. Randi Griffin, playing the puck near the right side of the crease, looked toward the blue line and slid a pass to Kathryn Farni. Farni turned and moved the puck to Ryabkina, who took a quick shot on goal. Colgate goaltender Lisa Plenderleith made a save, but the shot created a long rebound, which Ryabkina grabbed. The Harvard forward circled around the net before wristing a shot that went under Plendeleith’s arm, lighting the lamp. Only 29 seconds later, Harvard, only seven ticks on the clock into a power play, grabbed a two-goal advantage, as Coskren fired a shot into the goal at 15:57, after receiving assists by Cori Bassett and Kate Buesser.

The Crimson tacked on a third goal at the 8:12 mark of the second period on a tally by Buesser, her seventh goal of the season. Kelsey Romatoski pushed ahead a pass from the neutral zone, finding the stick of Jillian Dempsey. The rookie forward carried the puck down the left boards before sending a pass in front of the Colgate goal. Buesser, skating down the right side, tipped the pass through Plenderleith, making it a 3-0 contest.

Harvard, which outshot Colgate (7-14-3, 3-6-3), 35-22, for the game, notched a pair of insurance goals in the third stanza. Katharine Chute increased the Crimson’s lead to four goals as she stuffed the puck into the net just 40 seconds into the final period. Buesser and Dempsey each tallied their second assists of the game on the play. Bassett capped off the scoring for the home team with 12:36 remaining in the contest. The goal was the senior captain’s third of the season and second in as many days.

Harvard will host Union and Rensselaer at Bright Hockey Center Jan. 22-23.