Last spring, for only the third time in team history, the Harvard women's hockey team elected three captains.

The team elected two rising juniors--U.S. Olympic gold medallist and defenseman Angela Ruggerio and Canadian Olympic silver medallist and the 1999-00 ECAC Player of the Year, Jennifer Botterill.

The team's other choice was soon-to-be senior Angie Francisco.

And as a result of Francisco's leadership this fall, the team's dynamic is much different than it might have been.

The Crimson has a much smaller roster than past years, with only fifteen skaters, and some of the team's key skaters are trying to overcome injuries before the season's start. The team is also one player less than it was supposed to be.

Ruggiero opted to take the 2000-2001 school year off, in order to train with the U.S. National team as it centralizes in Lake Placid. Voted the best defenseman at the World Tournament last year, Ruggiero also intends to take off the following year to compete at the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City.

These circumstances have pushed a great deal of responsibility onto the stick of the team's lone senior captain, the 5'7 Francisco.

However, Francisco has made it a habit of overcoming obstacles and defying expectations.