Harvard University's women's hockey team scored two goals in the final seven minutes of the game, including an empty net goal, to pull away late in a 3-0 win over St. Lawrence University in the final game of the regular season for both teams at Bright-Landry Hockey Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts on Saturday afternoon.

With the loss, the Saints finish the regular season 13-14-7, 8-10-4 in ECAC Hockey. Harvard improved to 16-12-1, 15-6-1. St. Lawrence will be the No. 8 seed in the ECAC Hockey tournament and will face top-seeded Cornell next weekend in a bestt-of-three quarterfinal series at Lynah Rink in Ithaca, New York.

"I was real happy with our effort today," said St. Lawrence head coach Chris Wells '92. "We just weren't able to execute in key situations. Jaimie Rainville did a nice job in net keeping us in the game as well. The margin for winning and losing is so close in our league and tonight was no different. Now it's time for the best part of the season!"



Early in the first period, Anna Segedi had a great scoring chance for the Saints as she picked up a rebound after a shot by Julia Gosling and flipped it over Harvard goaltender Beth Larcom but hit the crossbar.

Gosling had another great chance with the Saints skating shorthanded later in the first, but Larcom made a pad save on the backhanded bid.

Kristin Della Rovere gave Harvard a 1-0 lead with a power play goal 12 minutes into the first period. Della-Rovere led a 2-on-1 rush up the left side and fired a shot on Rainville, who made a pad save, but Della-Rovere picked up the rebound and was able to flip it inside the far post.

Brittney Gout had another golden opportunity to score for the Saints, as a rebound off a pad save sat right in the crease, but Larcom once again was able to keep St. Lawrence off the scoreboard.

Kayla Vespa had a good scoring chance in the early minutes of the second period, firing a shot through a screen that Larcom saved, then picking up the rebound and almost tucking the puck inside the right post but Larcom was able to get her leg pad out in time to redirect the puck into the corner.

About halfway through the second period, Maggie McLaughlin launched a slap shot from just inside the blue line that beat Larcom but clanged off the right post.

Rainville kept the Saints in the game with 25 saves through two periods, including a stop on Della-Rovere on a breakaway halfway through the third period.

The Saints, however, were unable to get one past Larcom, and Ali Peper increased the Harvard lead to 2-0 with seven minutes remaining in the third period, wiring a wrist shot from the high slot into the top right corner of the net. Brooke Jovanovich added an empty-net goal with 1:32 to play to close out the scoring.

Rainville made 33 saves for the Saints, while Larcom stopped 25 shots before being relieved by Harvard senior Emily Yue, who played the final 16 seconds of the game.

The Saints will face Cornell in game one of the ECAC Hockey quarterfinals on Friday, February 28, with game two set for 3 p.m. on Saturday, February 29. Game three, if necessary, will be played on Sunday, March 1, at 3 p.m.