In Ivy League standings, Dartmouth sits in a three-way tie with Princeton and Harvard after the crucial drubbing of Harvard at home.
Jenna Cunningham '10 had two goals for the Big Green in the victory, while co-captain Sarah Newnam '09 tallied three assists in the win.
Newnam said after the game that this victory was especially significant because the team defeated one of its biggest rivals.
"Nothing feels better than beating Harvard, let alone beating them at their home rink," she said. "For a whole 60 minutes, we pushed the pace of the game and worked together as a team, not as individuals, which paid off huge dividends by the end of the game. This win puts us in a great position in the Ivies and in the ECAC."
Co-captain Shannon Bowman '09 echoed those sentiments, adding that she hopes the momentum from the win will continue through the team's two conference games this weekend.
"It was a huge win for us in so many ways. After a tough weekend at home, only getting one point against Qunnipiac and Princeton, we needed to really come together, and I think that the win against Harvard says a lot about the identity of our team this year," she said. "It was also the seniors' first win at Bright Center, which made it even more memorable. We are now looking to carry the energy into this weekend with two big Ivy games against Yale and Brown."
Harvard started the game strong, as the Crimson threatened to score on several opportunities in the opening 10 minutes of the game. Dartmouth was called for a penalty just over four minutes into play, with Maggie Kennedy '09 spending two minutes in the sin bin for slashing.
A minute into the power play, Harvard's Sarah Wilson threatened to score on a long pass to the left post, but Dartmouth goalie Carli Clemis '09 kept the puck out with a sprawling save across the crease. Clemis would again deny Wilson just a few minutes later, as the Big Green goalkeeper beat away the Harvard attack.
With eight minutes left in the first period, Harvard's Kate Buesser was sent to the penalty box for hooking. Dartmouth took advantage of the extra player, and Cunningham scored at 13:19 in the first period.
Newnam and Bowman '09 were awarded the assists on the score, as Dartmouth took a 1-0 lead over the Crimson. The goal was Cunningham's sixth of the season.
Dartmouth would score again less than five minutes later, as Alyssa Boehm '11 hammered a goal past Harvard goalie Britanny Martin at 17:58. A shot from Newman hit the crossbar and bounced straight up into the air, and Boehm backhanded the puck into the goal on its way down.
The goal was Boehm's second of the season. Newnam tallied her second assist of the evening on the score.
Although the score didn't show it, Harvard outshot the Big Green 15-10 in the first period.
Dartmouth kept up the pressure on Crimson in the second period, outshooting Harvard 16-8. The barrage paid off again a little over 12 minutes into the second period, as Cunningham tallied her second goal of the night to put Dartmouth ahead, 3-0.
Harvard had an opportunity to score halfway through the third period, as the Crimson's Wilson found herself wide open and crashing the net. Wilson got a pass from the back boards, but Clemis made another great save to preserve the shutout.
Newnam praised Clemis' efforts between the pipes.
"In net, Carli played a great game and shut down their offense, denying every shot that came her way," Newnam said.
Cunningham stated that confident playing and teamwork played a major role in the Big Green's success on the ice.
"It was a big team win," she said. "The team played great. We kept pushing the pace throughout the game, which made it difficult for Harvard to gain any momentum."
The last time Dartmouth shut out Harvard at home was in 1994, when the Big Green defeated the Crimson 2-0.
The 31-save performance earned Clemis her fourth shutout of the season. Dartmouth has also shut out Quinnipiac University, Boston College and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute this year.
Dartmouth returns to action this weekend, traveling to Yale (7-7-0, 3-4-0 ECAC Hockey) Friday night before facing off with Brown (3-10-1, 2-5-0 ECAC Hockey) Saturday in Providence, R.I. Both games are scheduled to start at 7:00 p.m.
