JOHN HARVARD’S JOURNAL

strike me as somewhat ridiculous. My more than poultry—if the independence, point. What matters is that I’ve finally knee-jerk cynicism regarding public- the suspension of time, the break from the learned one of the more di∞cult lessons a health work may have given way to a wary pressures and decisions of schooling that I Cantabrigian can: there is more to my ed- faith in its utility, but I harbor no delu- have found in Botswana might just as eas- ucation than Harvard. sions of the impact I’ll make in just six ily have been found amid the comforts of months. I’ve had my doubts even about the West. The work Berta Greenwald Ledecky Undergradu- the transformative power of travel. I find But whether there’s more to my wan- ate Fellow Samuel Bjork ’09 is doing in Botswana myself wondering—as often at work as on derings than a few good stories and a par- is supported in part by a Carl and Lily Pforzheimer empty buses, waiting for them to fill with tially successful project is beside the Foundation Public Service Fellowship.

SPORTS Stick, Helmet, and Butterfly Protecting against the puck

ockey parents, they say, Richter ’10 has a perfect set of teeth. than the older wooden sticks, while the don’t like their kids to be- This season, Richter has had ample rea- wider variety of curves in the new sticks’ come goalies because goal- son to smile. Although individual statis- blades lets skaters cradle the puck and lift tenders wear so much costly tics change with every game, Richter their shots, if they choose, toward the Hprotective equipment. But those special ranked second in the country in goals- upper reaches of the net. helmets do save money on dental bills. against average (at 1.46 per game) and led Goaltending has also progressed. Mod- Unlike many icemen, Crimson goalie Kyle the nation with a .951 save percentage ern goalies like Richter employ the “but- after the Crimson’s first 11 con- terfly” style—dropping down onto the ice tests. He had shut out Rensselaer, with flared legs, knees drawn in tightly, Kyle Richter has a perfect set Union, and Dartmouth. Harvard using flexibility in the hips—to make of teeth—and has ranked thirteenth nationally, saves. Coaches feel the method allows a perfected the with a 6-3-2 record, at that point, goalie to get more body between puck art of defending and the performance in goal of and goal than the older “stand-up” tech- the goal. the six-foot, one-inch, 188-pound nique. (Richter, who grew up in Calgary, Richter was an important factor. is a fan of the Calgary Flames of the NHL, “I like the extent of responsibil- but also admires the butterfly moves of ity, being the one guy there to goaltender Roberto Luongo of the Van- stop a goal,” he says. “As a goalie, couver Canucks.) your mistakes get counted on the Line changes give the skating players scoreboard.” relief from their exertions every couple of But stopping opponents from minutes, but as a goalie, “You are on the scoring has become more di∞cult ice the entire time,” says Richter. in recent years. Both the National “There’s no time to relax. You’re always Hockey League (NHL) and the on your feet, and when the puck is in the NCAA have changed their rules zone, you are constantly in the crouch to promote the o≠ense by broad- position. It’s physically draining, and ening the definition of what con- equally draining mentally.” Hyper-alert- stitutes infractions such as hook- ness is essential, not only because of the ing or interference by defenders. speed of play and the velocity of shots, This means more penalties called, but to stay on top of oddities like a hence more power plays and “flutter puck”—a shot that might spin or more opportunities for goals. At tumble end-over-end through the air, the same time, technology has perhaps unexpectedly changing direc- improved hockey sticks: today’s tion when it hits the ice. more flexible graphite/composite Despite these demands, or perhaps be- sticks put more power into a shot cause of them, Richter, who first skated at

Photograph by Fred Field Crimson Queens of the Rink

The women’s hockey team ended January with a perfect 14-0 record in the ECAC, and a 17-1-0 record overall, earning them the top ranking in the nation. The icewomen have consistently frosted their opponents with devasting offensive flurries and a defense that has allowed just 0.83 goals per game. Harvard’s sole loss came against the UNH Wildcats, alma mater of veteran Crimson head coach Katey Stone, on December 14. At their next game, in early January, the icewomen knocked off Cornell, and then—in quick succession—Colgate, Boston College, St. Lawrence, and Clarkson before a two-week, exam-period layoff. Back on the ice January 27, the Crimson dispelled any speculation that their hot touch might have gone cold with a decisive 4-0 shellacking of tenth-ranked Dartmouth. Clockwise from In the net, goalminder Christina Kessler ’10 has left: sophomore proved she’s a keeper. Sidelined by injury for much of netminder Christina last season, the sophomore standout has garnered a Kessler; senior defender, tri-captain, .957 save percentage in the 17 games she has played and Olympic bronze ing Vaillancourt’s back—is tri-captain Caitlin Cahow this winter, including shutout wins against Yale, Brown, medalist Caitlin ’08 on defense; another 2006 Olympian, she skated Clarkson, Boston College, and Dartmouth, among Cahow; junior for- for the bronze-winning U.S. team. At press time, others.The Dartmouth shutout, her eighth of the sea- ward and Olympic Cahow was third nationally in power play goals gold medalist Sarah son, set a new Harvard record, and solidifed her Vaillancourt (with 8) and second in goals scored among defend- standing among the best goalies in the country. ers (with 1.06 per game). Against Boston College On the other side of the blue line, the Crimson has plentiful on January 8, the senior scored her first collegiate hat trick in a scoring power in Sarah Vaillancourt ’09, a member of the gold- 7-0 blowout.With just eight conference games left, the Crimson medal-winning Canadian women’s team at the 2006 Olympics in looked likely to lock up home-ice advantage for the ECAC Torino.Vaillancourt led the team in scoring with 11 goals. Close tournament that caps the regular season, and seemed poised for behind her in the count, with 10 pucks in the net—and watch- play on the national stage. age three, has loved being in goal since he evitably create many rebounds, and hence ward, so if he makes a ‘deke’ [decoy, a started playing there at eight. After high more chances for the attacking team to feint], you can use your momentum to go school in Calgary, he played for two years shoot, often from close range. Richter with him. By staying in front of him you for the Brooks Bandits of the Alberta pays serious attention to rebound man- cut down his angle if he shoots. Guys are Hockey League, a “Tier II” Junior “A” agement. “You want to make rebounds go getting pretty crafty with fakes. As a league in Canada. Richter laughs about to the right spot,” he explains. “That goalie, you want him to make the first the hockey world’s consensus that you means keeping the puck away from the move, to commit himself. The bottom line need to be a little crazy to play goal. “A lot center of the ice.” Ideally, a goalie will de- is patience. Reaction and patience.” of goalies are ‘di≠erent,’” he admits. “My flect a shot to his own teammate, starting Of course, the goalie has plenty of help coach in the juniors told me that I was one a transition to o≠ense. If the other team from his teammates. (Though the crowd of the most normal goalies around.” does get the puck, the goaltender tries to usually cannot hear, players do plenty of Nonetheless, he does things on the ice make sure that happens in a less danger- talking while play is in progress.) Richt- abnormally well—such as picking up the ous area, such as the corners of the rink or er’s position gives him a panoramic view trajectory of a puck when players skating behind the net. of the ice that allows him to help team- in front of the goal screen his view. “Find- Breakaways present special challenges mates by letting them know, for example, ing the puck when there’s tra∞c in front as well as opportunities for the goal- what is developing behind them. True, in is half the battle,” he says. “To control a tender’s most spectacular feats. “You the final analysis, he’s the last line of de- rebound on the ice when you can barely want to skate out of the net and attack fense, but, as he points out, “I didn’t pick see it in the first place is a real challenge.” the [oncoming] player,” Richter says. this position because it was easy.” Saves, whether with stick or body, in- “Then you move back as he comes for- craig lambert

Photographs by David Silverman/dspics.com www.gocrimson.comHarvard Magazine 71