Rookie left wing Jennifer Botterill figured in all of Harvard's scoring, notching a natural hat trick and adding two assists, while linemates A.J. Mleczko and Tammy Shewchuk added a total of six points.

Botterill, who notched her fourth hat trick of the year, refused to take too much of the credit for the win. "I think the whole team stepped up," she said. "That's part of [the first line's] role [to score], but the rest of the team is there working, too....Everyone can contribute."

"Before it started," said Harvard coach Katey Stone, asked if she felt nervous about the matchup. "I think you really want to come out and get going. It's a wonderful event, but the kids are here to play hockey."

Harvard didn't get off to its strongest start, as the opening minutes featured several shots on goal but fewer quality scoring chances, until the midway point of the period, when Botterill broke in on the right side, split two defenders and juked Brown netminder Ali Brewer, who had come well out of net to cut down the angle, leaving Botterill the entire net to shoot at. Her 34th goal of the year, and a 1-0 Harvard lead at 9:11, were the results.

Assists on the play went to co-captain and Kazmaier Award finalist Mleczko and right wing Shewchuk, who together with Botterill make up the nation's top line. The trio are first, second and third, respectively, among all players in Division I scoring.

The remainder of the first period was fairly quiet, but the second was a different matter entirely. Harvard continued to control the flow in the first few minutes, until a hooking penalty against co-captain Claudia Asano gave Brown its second power play of the contest. No scoring would result, but the shift in momentum seemed to give the Bears new life.

At 6:59, Brown evened it up on a cycling play. Captain Carly Regnier, along the near boards, sent the puck out to Tamra Jones at the blue line. Jones cycled to her defensive partner, Tara Mounsey, whose rocket of a one-timer beat Crimson goalie Crystal Springer cleanly to her left.

Harvard struck back immediately with Botterill's second goal of the game. Less than a minute after Mounsey's score, the puck was dumped behind the Brown net, where Mleczko picked it up, paused and centered to Botterill, who put it away to Brewer's right at 7:55.

Brown again knotted it up at the 14-minute mark. With junior center Ali Kenney battling Harvard blueliner Angela Ruggiero for the puck behind Springer, right wing Emily Sigman swept out of nowhere, stole the puck and wrapped around the right side of the net. Her stuff attempt slipped beneath Springer's leg, tying the score at two.

With play see-sawing back and forth, the Crimson suddenly showed why they've lost one game all season. A turnover in the Bear zone -- a steal by Botterill, really -- gave Mleczko and Botterill a two-on-one, which Botterill converted off a nice feed from Mleczko to turn the hat trick, giving Harvard the 3-2 lead.

"She was phenomenal tonight," said Mleczko of Botterill.

Harvard then netted the backbreaker with less than a second left in the period. With Jones in the box for a checking violation at 19:46, the Bears won the faceoff, but a failed clearing attempt met Botterill's stick at the top of the right circle. She f ed the puck down to sophomore Angie Francisco, whose backhander hopped over Jones' stick and then past Brewer with two-tenths of a second showing on the scoreboard.

Mleczko then put the game away for Harvard, notching her 37th goal of the year at 2:46 of the third period. Shewchuk, skating behind the Brown net, hit Botterill, who circled out front and passed the puck through Mounsey's legs to Mleczko. Her one-timer scored five-hole, giving the Crimson a three-goal lead.

The goal left Mleczko just three points off the all-time single-season scoring record, but she professed not to be concerned about individual standards.

"I'd much rather win a championship for Harvard. We've never even been here," she said.

Mounsey brought Brown within two again at 14:53, netting her second marker of the game and 34th of the year on a breakaway. But the most consequential play of the game's waning moments came with three minutes to go, when Springer, attempting to play the puck behind her net, moved to her left and was flattened from behind by Regnier.

With Springer down, play proceeded for several seconds until Harvard was able to clear, but Springer spent several minutes on the ice in obvious pain before being escorted off by the Crimson trainers. An immediate diagnosis was not available, but the inj ury appeared to be to Springer's left shoulder or collarbone -- the same collarbone she broke in practice Jan. 15, which caused her to miss six weeks of play.

Springer, who stopped 19 of 22 shots for the game, was replaced in net by backup Alison Kuusisto, who was not called upon to make a save. Brewer, a Kazmaier Award finalist who came into the contest with a 1.19 goals-against average and a .944 save percen tage (both good for second in the nation), made 39 saves on 44 shots for Brown as Harvard outshot the Bears 28-6 over the game's last 30 minutes.

Harvard (35-1) will play the winner of the second semifinal, between New Hampshire and Minnesota, in the championship game Saturday at 7 p.m. CT. Brown (20-6-4) takes on the other semifinal loser in the consolation at 4 p.m.