Icemen Tally Five in First, Hold Off RPI Charge, 7-4

TROY, N.Y.-- Over the first half of the last season, mired in its eight-game winless streak, the Harvard hockey team often followed a rather frustrating routine: It would outmatch the opposing team through the opening period, but then fall into a chores of what became known as "The Second Period Blues," and go on to lose the contest.

Against Renssalaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) here at Houston Field House Saturday night, the Crimson looked like it might be playing the same old song.

Bounce

After skating and shooting the Engineers right out of their tiny (smallest in the ECAC) rink in period one and taking a 5-1 lead into the first intermission. Harvard fell out of its wheeling and dealing, skate-the-puck-down-their-throats style and let RPI bounce back into a game it never belonged in.

By the 4:23 mark of the third period, the Engineers had cut the Crimson lead to 6-4, and threatened for more.

Only Harvard's third-period penalty-killing (including 18 seconds of three-on-five), some great saves by freshman goaltender Grant Blair (making his varsity debut a busy one with 44 stops), and a gorgeous sweeping one-hander by Greg Britz at 12:13 of the final stanza got the Crimson out of town with a 7-4 victory.

The win raises the Crimson's record to 2-0 ECAC (2-0 overall), while the Engineers even their record at 1-1 (4-3 overall).

"You're right, we did lose our composure at the end of the second period," said a relieved Harvard Coach Bill Cleary after the game. "We were running around we were running around like chickens with our heads cut off.

"But the thing that pleased me was that we didn't lose our composure [in the third period], "Cleary added. "That's the sign of a mature team."

In the first period, it didn't take long to see which team was the Larry Holmes and which was the Tex Cobb.

Though the Engineers opened the scoring at 2:51 when a Mike Dark slapshot deflected off Blair's pads and into the net, from then on it was all Harvard.

At 6:15, Mark Fusco unleashed a wobbly slapshot from the right point that Britz knocked, out of the air in front of the net and linemate Tony Visone slammed home to even the score at one.

Almost seven minutes later, with Crimson forward Bobby Starbuck serving a two-minute penalty. Harvard got its third short handed goal of the still-young season.

Defenseman Neil Sheehy broke in along the right boards and shot from the circle area RPI goaltender Scott Saari came up with the initial pad save, but when the puck deflected wide left. Sheehy swooped around the back of the net and poked the puck into the left side. The goal was also Sheehy's third, and gave Harvard a 2-1 lead at 12:54.

And then the Brothers Fusco took over.

After RPI suffered two penalties within six seconds, the Crimson had a five on-three situation. Just nine seconds after play resumed. Mark Fusco (two goals, three assists) hit on a boomer from the point to extend Harvard's lead to 3-1 at 13:22.

Mark scored again at 17:30 on a nifty move that split the Engineer defense and ended with a little wrist shot between Saari's legs, and then Scott Fusco (two goals, one assist) had his turn.

The younger Fusco closed the scoring in the first period by taking a long, cross-ice, blueline to-blueline pass from Sheehy and beating Saari to the upper right corner at 18:20.

Harvard got its second power play goal, and its biggest lead (6-1) of the game at 5:34 of the second, when Scott took a pass from Mark and slapped the puck off a defenseman and by the screened Saari.

RPI started its comeback shortly thereafter, but Britz's goal, and 35 saves from Blair over the final "two periods, sent the Crimson back to Cambridge with a victory.

THE NOTEBOOK: The three stars of the game, as selected by the attending media: Mark Fusco, Scott Fusco, Scott Saari... The last held the Crimson scoreless for 26:19 between the second Scott Fusco tally and the Britz goal... Harvard Sports information Director Jim Greenidge, who spent 10 years in the same position at RPI before taking over at Harvard this summer, was greeted warmly by many old friends, including four who hung a banner from the fieldhouse rafters proclaiming. "HiJim, Welcome Back. We Miss You." Greenidge gloated over Harvard's win, of course... In the third period, when RPI was still making a comeback. Blair got pulled out of the net during a flurry in front. No need to worry, however, as Scott Fusco stepped in and actually made a save. At Troy, N.Y. Harvard  (2-0)  5  1  1  7 RPI  (4-3)  1  2  1  4

Scoring R Mike Dark (Bestle, Neinhurs) 2:51, H. Tony Visone (Britz, M Fusco) 6:15, H. Neil Sheetly (unassisted) 12:54, H. Mark Fusco (S. Fusco, Turner) 13: 22; H. M Fusco (Chaimers, Burks) 17:30, H. Scott Fusco (G. Oison, Sheey) 18:20, H. S Fusco (M Fusco, Code) 5:34; R. DeBrase (Collins, Shumaku) 13:52; R. Servinis (Dallman) 17:20; R. Sadeghpour (Magnuson, Friday) 4:23; H. Greg Britz (Code, M Fusco) 12:13.

Saves H. Grant Blair, 44; R. Scott Saari, 30 Attendence: 3000.

Scoring R Mike Dark (Bestle, Neinhurs) 2:51, H. Tony Visone (Britz, M Fusco) 6:15, H. Neil Sheetly (unassisted) 12:54, H. Mark Fusco (S. Fusco, Turner) 13: 22; H. M Fusco (Chaimers, Burks) 17:30, H. Scott Fusco (G. Oison, Sheey) 18:20, H. S Fusco (M Fusco, Code) 5:34; R. DeBrase (Collins, Shumaku) 13:52; R. Servinis (Dallman) 17:20; R. Sadeghpour (Magnuson, Friday) 4:23; H. Greg Britz (Code, M Fusco) 12:13.

Saves H. Grant Blair, 44; R. Scott Saari, 30 Attendence: 3000.