The Harvard women’s ice hockey team is set to face Princeton in the ECAC Championship quarterfinals this weekend. The best-of-three series will be held at Hobey Baker Rink in New Jersey from February 27 to March 1, with all games starting at 3:00 PM and streamed live on ESPN+. Harvard, seeded eighth with a record of 15-13-3 (8-11-3 ECAC), will compete against second-seeded Princeton, who hold a 21-8-0 (16-6-0 ECAC) record.
Harvard advanced to the quarterfinals after defeating St. Lawrence in overtime during the opening round, marking its first playoff win since 2022 and its first advancement in the tournament since 2020. Kaley MacDonald scored the game-winner in overtime. “It was Harvard’s sixth win in crunch time (last five minutes of the third period or overtime) this season and sent Harvard into the quarterfinals,” according to team information.
This matchup renews an Ivy League rivalry; Harvard aims to avenge its loss to Princeton in the 2022 quarterfinals, when the Tigers won two out of three games. The teams split their regular-season meetings this year, each winning on home ice.
In terms of historical performance, Harvard has a strong record in the ECAC Women’s Hockey Championship, holding a 51-31 all-time mark and seven tournament titles, most recently in 2015 when Laura Bellamy was an assistant coach. This appearance marks Harvard’s first time back in the quarterfinal round since 2023.
Against Princeton specifically, Harvard has won seven out of nine previous championship meetings but lost their last postseason series. The Crimson lead the overall series with a 52-43-7 record but have gone 2-7-1 against Princeton over their last ten encounters.
Ten current Crimson skaters have recorded points against Princeton, with Brooke Manning and Gwyn Lapp leading at three points each. Goaltender Ainsley Tuffy has started three times against Princeton with a .933 save percentage and a goals-against average of 2.39.
Recent individual performances include Morgan McGathey’s four points over her last four games and Ella Lucia’s multi-point effort against St. Lawrence. The team is also undefeated when Annie Sun records a point.
Goaltender Ainsley Tuffy leads NCAA Division I women’s hockey with a .951 save percentage across 18 games this season and has allowed two or fewer goals in most starts.
The team’s offensive output has increased significantly compared to last season; eight skaters are now in double figures for points compared to just two last year. Underclassmen have contributed more than half of Harvard’s total scoring output this season—104 points—which is among the highest percentages in their conference.
Head coach Laura Bellamy has overseen one of the largest single-season turnarounds nationally, with Harvard recording thirteen more wins than last season—a jump that leads NCAA women’s hockey programs this year.
First-year player Morgan McGathey leads the team with fifteen points and ten goals and was named to the ECAC All-Rookie team—the first such honor for a Crimson player since 2022. Carla McSweeney has also been key in clutch moments, scoring multiple game-winning goals including an overtime penalty shot against Boston University during the Beanpot tournament.
Defensively, Harvard ranks third in blocked shots within their conference and currently stands as having one of NCAA’s top scoring defenses—allowing only about two goals per game across thirty-one matches played so far this season.
Several players have earned weekly honors from ECAC during this campaign: “Kaley MacDonald recently earned her first weekly honor after being named the ECAC Defender of the Week (Feb. 24). MacDonald earned the award after notching two points and scoring the game-winning goal in the ECAC Opening Round against St. Lawrence.” Additionally, Ainsley Tuffy was named MAC Goaltending ECAC Goalie of the Week on Feb.10 as well as Beanpot MVP and Bertagna Award winner for her performances during that tournament run: “Harvard’s standout sophomore goaltender, Ainsley Tuffy, made history at the Beanpot on Tuesday (Jan.20), becoming just the second player ever to win both awards after making eighty-six saves and allowing just two goals.”
Laura Bellamy became “the only person to ever win [the Beanpot] as a player, assistant coach and head coach.”
Looking ahead, if victorious over Princeton, Harvard would advance to Lake Placid for semifinal play scheduled March 6–7; ultimately vying for an automatic berth into this year’s NCAA Tournament beginning March 13–14 at campus sites.
