The Crimson was also granted 10 power plays in all, but, in the deciding discrepancy of the game, converted for goals on three of them.
“They executed better than us on special teams,” St. Lawrence coach Paul Flanagan said. “They have a great top power play and big ice. They move the puck around well. We weren’t efficient enough on the penalty kill.”
None of these were bigger than Vaillancourt’s second of the game at 8:21 of the second period with Harvard still up by one.
Senior captain Rebecca Russell went to the box for roughing for toppling goalie Ali Boe after the whistle. On the ensuing advantage, Vaillancourt lifted the rebound of a Cahow slapshot over the downed Moffat to extend the lead to 3-1. Cahow wound up with three helpers on the evening and Chu finished with a pair.
Vaillancourt rounded out the hat trick with another power-play notch with a little over three minutes left in the period. Noticing the congestion in front of the goal mouth, Vaillancourt uncorked a hard, low slapshot that slid past a screening Chu and through Moffat’s five-hole for a stunning score.
“There were a lot of people in front of the net,” Vaillancourt said. “And you take that chance to shoot.”
For all of the success of the Harvard power play, its penalty kill was equally fierce. The Saints managed just 12 shots on its 10 power plays, and struggled to offer any pressure even during a run at 5-on-3 late in the third.
“Special teams were a huge issue in this game,” Stone said. “And we killed a lot of penalties very succinctly.”
The two goaltenders, especially the busy Moffat, had their moment to shine in the scoreless third period. The junior transfer turned away all 19 shots she saw in the final frame, including 15 on the Crimson power play, many of which came during a brief stretch of 5-on-3. Moffat racked up 36 saves in all and Boe had 16.
The Harvard defense stood firm in support of Boe. Even with senior Ashley Banfield out injured the blue liners managed to shut out the Saints for the final 39:29 of regulation.
“They stepped up great and one of best defensemen was out,” Stone said of her young defenders. “They were ready to go and they played with a lot of confidence.”
The last gasp from St. Lawrence was stifled when a would-be goal was disallowed after video review, judged not to have definitively crossed the line.
A dominant Minnesota team waits in the finals on Sunday at 4 p.m., but for now the Crimson will choose to savor this historic moment.
“It’s important to enjoy it,” Stone said. “And certainly when you win the first game you have an opportunity to enjoy it.”
—Staff writer Jonathan Lehman can be reached at jlehman@fas.harvard.edu