For a team that has been doubted since the beginning, the women’s hockey squad feels proud and accomplished of the automatic berth it received for the NCAA tournament. Though it may seem an unexpected feat for a team that hasn’t even made the top four of the ECAC in the past, the women on the roster knew better.

“We’re really proud of ourselves as a team, but deep down we knew we were better since the beginning of the season,” said sophomore forward Catherine White, currently ranked sixth in the nation in terms of assists, as she commented on the No. 7 poll standing the Red received. “So we worked hard in every game and it paid off.”

Cornell travels to Cambridge, Mass., tonight to take on fourth-seeded Harvard in the first round of the tournament. Going into the game, the Red is not pleased with the circumstances under which it has to play the Crimson, but it is excited nonetheless.

“We’re super pumped about going into the game tomorrow because Harvard has always been a team that we’ve despised, and we also kind of feel like they got in [the tournament],” White said.

Unlike Cornell, Harvard did not win the ECAC title –– in fact, it lost in the semifinals of the tournament to Clarkson –– but the Red still has to travel to the Charles River to take on the Crimson because Harvard was ranked higher.

“We just feel like there’s a lot of payback coming their way,” White said.

In previous matchups with Harvard this season, Cornell has gone 1-0-1 –– a record it hopes to improve on. In order to do so, the team will continue to play up its strengths from this season, and focus on the small details of the game.V for vendetta: Sophomore forward Chelsea Karpeno (26) looks to build upon her two-point night in last weekend’s ECAC Championship game victory over Clarkson. - By: Alina Liu

“Coming off of the last two games so close, we’re now focused and ready to go,” said senior forward Melanie Jue.

Indeed, the Red’s last two ECAC games against RPI and Clarkson saw results of 5-4 and 4-3, respectively.

With such a little recuperation period between the win over Clarkson and tonight’s game, Cornell looks to play aggressively and hard. The team aims to focus on more forechecks and shots on goal, as well as continue to uphold a good standard of defense.

“Tomorrow’s game is going to be pretty defensive-minded. We’ve prided ourselves on defense all year long and Harvard is also really good with defense so they’ll be good. Both teams are going to come out hard and strong so the defense has to be ready for the attack,” Jue said.

 The team also goes in with the mentality that strong defensive work will lead to great offensive play, and this will continue to work vice versa, so once one positive play is catalyzed the Red hopes that the same effect will extend all throughout the team.

“We’re all really excited. It’s taken us a long time to get to this point, what we’re working for all season –– it’s always nice to be able to reach your goals and at the same time we have other goals in mind,” Jue said. “The season has been good so far and hopefully we’ll be able to keep it going.”

In the intense matchup tonight, the Red hopes for success against its biggest Ivy foe –– success that will go a long way towards ensuring Cornell’s first-ever appearance in the Frozen Four.