As a Crimson, Chute shines
Ty Rushmeyer - Lakeshore Weekly News
April 7, 2008
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Freshman Katharine Chute was in the midst of her first collegiate hockey game on Nov. 2, 2007, donning the Harvard Crimson uniform and experiencing first hand a higher level of hockey than her high school days in Minnesota.
It was a pressure-filled situation for Chute, who came to the university months earlier as one of the nation's top recruits, but she wasted no time in proving she belonged.
Chute took a pass in the third-period against Quinnipiac on the power-play and slapped in the eventual game winner.
Chute said the goal was a huge relief from the pressures of adjusting to the college game.
"There was a lot adjusting to a new style of play, a new coach, new teammates and overall a higher level of hockey," she said. "That first goal was very exciting. To get in it in the first game really took some pressure off right away."
Chute won the 2007 Ms. Hockey award, presented to the top girls' high school hockey senior in Minnesota, as a member of the Blake Bears, who captured the 2007 Class 1A state championship.
Chute, also a member of the 2003 Blake state championship team, played for five varsity seasons and racked up 110 goals and 113 assists for a career total of 223 points.
This season she made an instant impact as a freshman for the Harvard Crimson, as she played in 34 games while tallying eight goals and 10 assists. Chute, who graduated Cum Laude at Blake, was also an Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) all-academic team pick.
Chute said collegiate hockey was much different than at the high school level and added that it was difficult at times to balance athletics and academics.
"Overall everyone is a lot faster and stronger at the collegiate level. I also found out that playing with older girls helps you learn a lot more about the mental side of the game," she said. "It's always a challenge to balance athletics and academics. I think it helps to have some time dedicated to sports. It really helps to clear your mind sometimes."
Harvard (32-2-0), which won the both the ECAC regular season and tournament titles this year, was the top-seed in the women's NCAA Frozen Four Division I national championships held in Duluth but fell to No. 5 seed Wisconsin 4-1 on March 20.
Chute said the team was disappointed with the loss but pleased with the overall success of the season.
"It was great to have such a successful first season, both individually and as a team. I'm very happy with the opportunities I was given. I got to know a great group of girls," she said. "As a team the loss was disappointing but we tried to focus on fact that we had an excellent season. We were proud of how we played all year."
Chute said she plans to take a little time away from hockey before official fall practices for the Crimson begin in October.
"I'll take a couple of weeks off. For the rest of the school year, we will do some sort of team training, mostly off ice," she said. "Then for me I'll be doing summer programs back in Minnesota."
Reprinted with permission LakeShore News
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