M. Hockey Outmans B.U., 4-3

BOSTON--The Harvard men's hockey team entered last night's game converting on 6.7% of its power play chances. Boston University stood at 25.5%. Therefore, the Crimson decided the best way to beat the Terriers was with the man advantage.

It worked.

Harvard (4-1-1, 3-1-1 ECAC) defeated B.U., 4-3, in front of a crowd of 2,093 at Walter Brown Arena. Each goal was scored with the man advantage.

"We were opportunistic tonight," Harvard Coach Mark Mazzoleni said. "A bounce here or a bounce there and this could have gone the other way. Our power play came up big for us."

Freshman forward Tyler Kolarik netted the game-winning goal for the Crimson at 8:00 of the third period. With Harvard ahead, 3-2, freshman defenseman Blair Barlow quickly shuffled the puck over to junior defenseman Graham Morrell at the right point. Morrell rushed a shot on goal that Kolarik tipped past B.U. netminder Jason Tapp.

The goal appeared to put Harvard in firm control of the game, but the Terriers (2-6-1, 1-4-1 Hockey East) continued their onslaught that extended back into the second period. The Crimson managed to hold on to victory despite getting outshot by the Terriers, 29-18, many of which were high quality chances that B.U. simply couldn't convert.

With 7:25 left in the third period, senior center Scott Perry darted in on a breakaway and faked senior goalie Oli Jonas to the ground, leaving an open goal. But as Perry cut across the goal mouth, his momentum also pushed the shot wide.

Two minutes later, the Terriers thought it had a goal, but the referee waived it off due to a hand pass in the crease.

Boston University's inability to convert its chances has been the major contributor to the Terriers' 2-6-1 overall start this year.

"We are inept, anemic at finishing our five-on-five, four-on-four chances," B.U. Coach Jack Parker said. "The players are definitely talking to themselves. If this keeps up, we are going to have to take away their belts and neckties."

Only captain Carl Corazzini could find the back of the net for the Terriers after Kolarik's mark. Harvard had taken a too many men on the ice penalty, and Corazzini made it pay with a great breakaway rush created off a neutral zone turnover. Corazzini beat Jonas at 17:51 of the third period to add some drama to the game's final minutes.

The Terriers had a couple of chances to even the score, including a shot that whizzed by Jonas as time expired. The goalie had earned his luck, however, as he turned in another outstanding performance for the Crimson. His save percentage now stands at a superb .938.

He made a spectacular stop on junior center Dan Cavanaugh in the final minute of the first period. After an initial save that pulled him way out of his crease, Cavanaugh appeared to have a clear shot at the net with the puck to Jonas' right. With Dominik Hasek-like creativity, Jonas whipped his glove hand behind him and stuffed the shot.

"I just got a little lucky on that one," Jonas said.

The Crimson power play bailed out the defense during a game in which the Terriers controlled play from essentially the second period onward. The struggling unit attempted to simplify its strategy and use its strength to crash the net and get rebounds. It worked as two of Harvard's four goals were shots that initially bounced off Tapp.

Assistant captain Chris Bala gave Harvard a 3-1 lead at 19:35 of the second period. Junior winger Jeff Stonehouse patiently took a big shot in the low slot that bounced off Tapp to the side of the net. Bala was just able to slip the puck between Tapp's pad and the post for his third goal of the season.

Freshman Tim Pettit and sophomore center Dominic Moore scored the Crimson's other goals as Harvard opened up a 2-0 lead through a period and a half of play.

"We just got bounces tonight," Mazzoleni said. "We mixed some things up on the power play and tried to create traffic in front, get some rebounds and that is how you score goals with the man advantage."

The surprise, however, was the ease with which B.U. scored with the man advantage as well. Harvard had yet to give up a power play goal entering the contest.

Cavanaugh snapped that streak as part of a two minute B.U. five-on-three advantage at 8:47 of the second. The junior also created the Terriers' other goal with excellent work behind the net to set up Brian Collins at 5:49 of the third. Collins' goal made the game, 3-2.

"We did a lot of things right tonight," Parker said. "We got three goals on their power play, and nobody had scored any on theirs yet. But four goals is the magic number in college hockey, and we let them get four."

The win extends Harvard's unbeaten streak to four games and gives it a measure of momentum heading into Saturday's showdown against No. 4 Boston College at Bright Hockey Center. An upset of the Eagles would not only cement the Crimson as a force to be reckoned with in Boston hockey, but also probably be good enough to crack the top-10 in national rankings.

"We have a much better team this year," Jonas said. "Our attitude is different, everything about us is improved. We are a more confident group."