Preview: Harvard Crimson at Princeton Tigers

PRINCETON, N.J. (Interstat) — A tightly contested women’s college hockey series reaches its rubber match Sunday when the Harvard Crimson visit the Princeton Tigers at Hobey Baker Memorial Rink.

The Eastern College Athletic Conference rivals split the first two games of their weekend set, with Princeton (22-9-2) earning a 1-0 shutout Friday before Harvard (15-14-4) responded with a 3-1 victory Saturday. The Sunday afternoon finale carries significant weight for postseason positioning.

The series has been defined by stellar goaltending and timely scoring. Harvard netminder Ainsley Tuffy has been a wall, stopping 80 of 82 shots over the two games, including a 41-save performance in Saturday’s win. For Princeton, dynamic forward Issy Wunder has been the offensive catalyst, scoring her team’s only goal in each contest this weekend.

The Tigers, boasting the superior overall record, have been consistently strong but have struggled to solve Tuffy at full strength. Princeton’s Friday victory came via a third-period power-play goal from Wunder. Harvard’s Saturday win showcased a more balanced attack, with Carla McSweeney posting a goal and an assist.

Recent history favors the Crimson in this specific matchup. Harvard has won three of the last four meetings between the teams, including a 3-2 overtime victory at Princeton on Feb. 7. All four games this season have been decided by two goals or fewer.

Princeton will look to leverage its home-ice advantage and higher-powered offense, which averages over three goals per game. Wunder, with four goals in her last five outings, is the focal point. Harvard’s path relies heavily on Tuffy’s continued excellence and generating secondary scoring behind McSweeney.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 4-2 Princeton victory, with its ELO rating system giving the Tigers a 78.3% probability to win. However, the recent results suggest another close, goaltender-centric battle is the more likely outcome.

Puck drop is scheduled for 3 p.m. EST Sunday.