Crysti Howser ’09 would have been hands-down the biggest rookie standout of the fall season even if all she did was play out the women’s soccer season, hang up her cleats, and take a well-deserved off-season rest. The fact that she is already starting on the women’s hockey squad now just makes this young star that much more noteworthy. Howser, a center midfielder, joined the Bulldogs from her New Trier Township High School squad in Winnetka, Ill., where she led the team to consecutive No. 1 national rankings. She started scoring on Sept. 11, when she scored twice against CCSU, but this performance would open up the floodgates. She scored just minutes into overtime Oct. 1 against Harvard on a thrilling header from a Laurel Karnes ’06 pass, earning her the second of her three Ivy League Rookie of the Week honors. An anchor of the team’s Ivy League title run, she led all Elis with eight goals and was tied for first with five assists. Ending up third in the Ancient Eight with 21 points, Howser was a no-brainer for Ivy League Rookie of the Year and a finalist for SoccerBuzz Freshman of the Year.