PREVIEW: Rivals To Face Off in Rematch of Tournament

The Harvard women’s hockey team faced off and defeated Clarkson and St. Lawrence in do-or-die games last March en route to a NCAA tournament berth.

This weekend, the No. 6 Crimson (2-0-0, 2-0-0 ECAC) hits the road for the rematches while still trying to get game-ready.

Last year, Harvard entered the ECAC Hockey League Championship seeded fourth.

Matched against the fifth-seeded Clarkson in the quarterfinals, the three-game series came down to a decisive third and final game.

After a 1-1 tie at the end of regulation, Crimson forward Jennifer Sifers scored her second goal of the game in double overtime for a 2-1 victory.

In the semifinals, the Crimson took on St. Lawrence, the tournament’s top seed and then the second-ranked team in the country.

Led by 40 saves from goalkeeper Ali Boe ’06—and two assists from Sifers—Harvard triumphed 3-1 to move into the final against Brown.

In the championship game, the Crimson downed Brown 4-3.

Tonight, Harvard will take on Clarkson’s Golden Knights in New York (3-3-2, 1-2-1) without Boe but with Sifers back to lead the team as a senior co-captain.

The Golden Knights, while not among the country’s 10 ranked teams, received the 11th-most votes in the latest ranking poll.

Tomorrow, the Crimson will play No. 5 St. Lawrence (7-1-0, 3-1-0).

Another question that will be answered this weekend is whether 2006 Canadian Olympian Sarah Vaillancourt can keep up her sparkling play against stronger opponents.

Vaillancourt has racked up seven goals in two victories over RPI and Union—but the upcoming games are unlikely to be similar routs.

With Clarkson and St. Lawrence eagerly seeking revenge on Harvard, rematches scheduled again later this season, and encounters between the teams likely in the 2007 ECAC Championship, all three rivals will be eager to make a statement this weekend.