After losing to No. 5 Wisconsin and No. 1 Minnesota this weekend, the No. 4 Harvard women’s hockey team needs to step back and take away whatever good it can from two tough defeats.

The talk from the Harvard bench has been that the team wants to play the best teams in the country early to see where the Crimson itself stands, so let’s take a second to pause and see what it can take into next weekend’s equally important set of games against No. 3 Duluth.

Lesson No. 1: This team can play with the big girls.

Most importantly, even though Harvard was ranked No. 1 in the country entering Thanksgiving weekend last season, the highest ranked team it had faced was then-No. 6 St. Lawrence.

After this weekend, it is clear that there are five teams atop collegiate women’s hockey: Minnesota, Dartmouth, Wisconsin, Duluth and Harvard. The Crimson secured its spot amongst the other four by keeping in contact with both the Badgers and the Golden Gophers, just a few short changes of fortune or key plays away from winning either game.

No longer does Harvard or its faithful have those nagging doubts about whether this team can challenge those at the top like last year’s did. Now, it’s just a matter or how high the team will raise its level of play.

Perhaps Crimson coach Katey Stone put it best after the loss to Minnesota, saying with full confidence that, “We’re good now, but we want to be great in March.”

Lesson No. 2: Nicole Corriero cannot be stopped.

Up against two of the best defenses in the nation, including the top one in Minnesota’s unit and goalie Jody Horak, Corriero still managed to post five goals over two games.

Going into this weekend, much of the talk was about the potency of the Golden Gophers’ incredible first line including two U.S. National Team top liners. Wendell and Darwitz came through, but Corriero proved her own worth on the ice.

After scoring nine goals in her last five games entering this weekend, Corriero had cemented her place with the best of the best, but this weekend showed that she can do it against anyone at anytime.

“I don’t know how it’s happening, but [Corriero] keeps getting it done,” Stone said. “And it’s because she just keeps putting herself in a position to score goals.”

Against Minnesota, Corriero showed perfectly what her coach was describing, scoring one goal on a deflection off her skate amidst a crowd in front of the net and the other while being knocked to the ground after taking the puck right through the center of the Golden Gophers’ defense.

Although it’s early in the season, Corriero seems to be making a push to capture the Crimson’s fourth Kazmaier Award in as many years.

Lesson No. 3: Defense without Angela Ruggiero ’02-’04 is uncharted territory.