Providence Blasts Icewomen in ECACS, 9-1

When Davy Crockett and the hundred-odd defenders of the Alamo lined up against Santa Ana and his 5,000 hired guns, the outcome was pretty much guaranteed: Davy got slaughtered.

When the Marines went into Granada to "save" those four medical students, the outcome was pretty much guaranteed: the students were rescued.

When the eighth-seeded Harvard women's hockey team took the ice against top-seeded Providence at the Schneider Arena in Providence, R.I. last night in the first round of the ECAC playoffs, the outcome was pretty much guaranteed: Providence walloped the Crimson, 9-1.

"They're a very talented team," junior Captain Joey Alissi said.

Friar junior Stephanie O'Sullivan scored six goals and added an assist as Providence rained 52 shots on sophomore netminder Erin Villiotte. Harvard took just 17 shots and scored its only goal on a junior Francie Walton slapshot from the point at the 9:54 mark of the third period.

Walton's goal brought the score to 7-1, Providence. The bus was pretty warm by the game's end.

"We knew we were the underdog, but we wanted to give them a good game," Walton said. "Our first period was horrendous, though. They're definitely an awesome team, but we wanted to come out strong and we didn't. I don't know if we weren't warmed up or what."

Providence's talent was only part of the equation, however. While Providence is one of the top teams in the country and led by one of the most talented players in the country (Cammi Granato, subject of a recent profile in Sports Illustrated), the main problem was the event itself: the ECAC tournament.

The winner of the tournament is the de facto national champion--a prize Granato and her team want very badly and no team that only dresses 12 skaters is going to be anything more than a speed bump on the road to glory.

"During the season, we can catch some people off guard," Alissi said. "But in the tournament, Providence takes it very seriously. They came out fired up. We put on some pressure, but the puck didn't go our way."

Providence--powered by two O'Sullivan goals--rocketed to a four-goal lead in the opening stanza and O'Sullivan added two more in the second period. Harvard regrouped forced the flow of the game back to center ice, but it was too little, too late.

"We played period by period," Walton said. "In the second and third periods we started to put some stuff together, but the puck missed the net by inches. The score was not indicative of the flow of the game."

Alissi also emphasized the disparity between the score and the play.

"They didn't completely dominate us," Alissi said. "The game wasn't that one-sided."

When Providence and Harvard played in December, the Friars scored two goals in the third period to eke out a 2-1 win. PROVIDENCE, 9-1 at Schneider Arena Harvard  0  0  1  --  1 Providence  4  2  3  --  9

First Period

Prov--O'Sullivan (Manning, Johansson), 2:14.

Prov--Grana'o (Bailey), 6:06

Prov--O'Sullivan (Granato, Manning), 9:58.

Prov--Manning (Johansson, O'Sullivan), 12:25.

Second Period

Prov--O'Sullivan (Granato), 4:33.

Prov--O'Sullivan (Bailey, Granato), 16:23 (PP).

Third Period

Har--Walton, 1:28.

Prov--Brophy, 9:54.

Prov--O'Sullivan (Bailey, Granato), 11:04 (SH).

Prov--O'Sullivan (Granato, Mills)

Saves: Har--Villotte 11-18 14-43. Prov--Sioan 4-8, 0-12, Martinello 0-0-4-4.

First Period

Prov--O'Sullivan (Manning, Johansson), 2:14.

Prov--Grana'o (Bailey), 6:06

Prov--O'Sullivan (Granato, Manning), 9:58.

Prov--Manning (Johansson, O'Sullivan), 12:25.

Second Period

Prov--O'Sullivan (Granato), 4:33.

Prov--O'Sullivan (Bailey, Granato), 16:23 (PP).

Third Period

Har--Walton, 1:28.

Prov--Brophy, 9:54.

Prov--O'Sullivan (Bailey, Granato), 11:04 (SH).

Prov--O'Sullivan (Granato, Mills)

Saves: Har--Villotte 11-18 14-43. Prov--Sioan 4-8, 0-12, Martinello 0-0-4-4.