Not Badgered Into Coming to Harvard

Peter Ciavaglia could have played for the University of Wisconsin, which he calls "a great hockey atmosphere."

He could have played in an arena that holds 8644 spectators. He could have lived in a hockey-crazed town, eating pucks for breakfast and playing in a lot of hockey games. An average of 40 to 45 hockey games per year.

Peter Ciavaglia could have been a Wisconsin Badger.

But Ciavaglia, like several other players who decided to ship off to Harvard, did not think with only his skates. And when he visited Cambridge, he knew Harvard was exactly what he was looking for.

"I stayed with Jerry Pawloski and had a great time," Ciavaglia recalls of his recruiting trip. "I met some guys and they seemed like a good group. They were close together and that's what I was looking for. They worked and played hockey and were successful at both."

Harvard's academic credentials certainly aided the freshman's decision. As for hockey, Ciavaglia knew the Crimson program was one of the best in the nation. But it also favored his style of play.

"I like it because they give you free reign to do what you want," the native of Synder, N.Y. says. "We have certain jobs to do but they encourage you to be creative and that's part of my game. I'm not a big, strong player. I'm more of a finesse-style player trying to create things."

That finesse style has tied him with Captain Steve Armstrong for the Crimson's scoring lead. The freshman center has banged in 7 goals and dished out 19 assists.

Slide Breaker

In early January, his goal in Troy, N.Y., against RPI halted Harvard's three-game losing streak and propelled the Crimson into a five-game winning streak. His two-goal performance last week against St. Lawrence helped give the Crimson its third-straight ECAC regular season title.

But it shouldn't come as a surprise. Ciavaglia has always been used to winning and scoring the big goals.

Ever since his pee-wee team won the national title when he was 12 years old, Ciavaglia has been a winner. He attended high school at Nichols where he became a local Gordie Howe during his senior year.

"Nichols is one of the top high schools in the area," Ciavaglia says. "We played in a Canadian league and lot of Divison I players are from that area. Over my three years, we won something like 97 games, had four losses and three ties."

Sharpshooter

Tony Henja, who now plays for RPI, played for Nichols during Ciavaglia's junior year. Henja broke all the school's scoring records that year. But before the school could etch Henja's marks into the record books, Ciavaglia set all-new scoring records during his senior year. He scored 53 goals that season.

Peter Ciavaglia knows how to win. "I'm not used to a losing attitude," Ciavaglia says. "I'm not used to that feeling. Something inside you makes you win games."

And that winning attitude did not stay at Nichols. Ciavaglia has played in some big games for the Crimson this year. And he has performed.

Silent "E"

With the ECAC Tournament set to begin tonight, Ciavaglia admits he doesn't feel the pressure. For a player who has been winning ever since he was 12, pressure is just an eight-letter word with a silent "e" at the end.

"I'm used to pressure and I like pressure situations," Ciavaglia says. "I seem to play better in pressure situations."

Just ask the fans up in RPI. Or in St. Lawrence.

But, more importantly, Ciavaglia knows that hockey is just a game and not a way of life. That's why he picked Harvard. That's why he enjoys playing under Coach Bill Cleary and Associate Ronn Tomassoni.

"They care more about you than as just hockey players," Ciavaglia says of the Crimson coaching tandem. "In Wisconsin, hockey was the most important thing there."

But while he is in Cambridge, Pete Ciavaglia won't have to be eat pucks for breakfast every day. He probably wouldn't want to, anyway.