The No. 2 Harvard women's hockey team took its first step towards another conference championship on Saturday. But it was just a baby step.

The Crimson (21-4-3, 17-4-3 ECAC), the No. 2 seed in the ECAC Tournament, rolled past No. 7 seed St. Lawrence (18-15-1, 11-12-1) in Saturday's quarterfinal at Bright Hockey Center, 7-3. Harvard dominated the first period, outshooting the Saints, 16-5, which was more than enough for the victory.

"At the start of the game, our kids were excited, full of energy and well-prepared," said Harvard Coach Katey Stone. "You have to take advantage of that and put people on their heels."

Jumping out to a big lead provides many luxuries. Sophomore center Jen Botterill's second goal of the game put Harvard ahead 5-0 just 44 seconds into the second period. That forced the Saints to play with desperation and try to force turnovers and shots in transition.

The Crimson, meanwhile, could play at a normal pace on both ends of the ice. St. Lawrence did manage a few late goals, but Harvard's lead was never threatened.

"A quick start like that allows me to just relax and play and I don't have to worry about making any mistakes in the crease," said senior goaltender Crystal Springer, who made 29 saves in her final game at Bright. "It was definitely good to win, but hopefully there are four more wins left in our season."

To get the four wins separating Harvard from another national championship, however, the Crimson will need more than just a fast start.

Harvard has advanced to the ECAC semifinals next Saturday at Brown's Meehan Auditorium, where the competition will be much fiercer than it was in the first round. The three other teams still alive in the conference tournament--No. 1 seed Brown (22-3-3, 19-2-3), No. 3 seed Dartmouth (19-10-0, 17-7-0) and No. 5 seed Northeastern (22-8-3, 15-6-3)--have all either beaten or tied the Crimson this season.