867-5309: Presto Misses Final Trick

BOSTON--As the Harvard men's hockey team enters the home stretch of its 1999-2000 season, senior netminder J.R. Prestifilippo has earned himself a spot as one of the better goaltenders in the ECAC.

Unfortunately, his career records of 0-5 in both the Beanpot tournament and against cross-town rival Boston University, have not been among his finer moments. The record includes a 4-0 defeat to No. 3 B.U. last night.

But it's certainly not for lack of trying.

Realizing that he had one final chance to down the Terriers and claim bragging rights in the Beantown battle, Prestifilippo turned in an outstanding individual performance.

"Prestifilippo played very well and has done an exceptional job this year," Harvard Coach Mark Mazzoleni said. "He was the reason we were close, and allowed us to stay in the game."

Earning the reputation as a big-game goalie, Prestifilippo has risen to the occasion countless times throughout his career.

But against B.U., one of the nation's premiere college squads, stopping 30 quality shots was simply not enough to end the Terriers' hunt for their sixth consecutive Beanpot championship.

A typically poor Crimson defense was unable to stave off a relentless B.U. offense and the Terriers came gunning for Prestifilippo early in the first period.

Beginning at 4:20, winger Jack Baker, who notched his first career hat trick last night, launched a 30 second attack on Prestifilippo with a tough shot from the slot.

When the whistle was blown at 4:49, the shot chart already displayed 7-1, Terriers.

And at 6:39, an impressive B.U. power play, currently at 30.8%, penetrated Harvard's only strong penalty kill of the night, giving Prestifilippo early warning of what was to come.

Sophomore defenseman Peter Capouch dove to deflect the puck, but the ricochet gave Terrier winger John Sabo a second chance to put B.U. on the board. "Presto" made a fantastic save with his right pad.

The Crimson would not fare so well during the Terriers' second odd-man advantage. B.U. defenseman Freddy Meyer pulled Prestifilippo off-center long enough to slide a pass to Baker on the other side.

With no way for Prestifilippo to recover to make the save, Baker tallied the first of four goals.

In similar fashion, a combination of defensive breakdown and a poorly executed penalty kill was responsible for a 3-0 Terrier lead late in the final stanza.

It was a tough loss for this year's outgoing seniors, who hoped to make one final run at the coveted Beanpot title, an honor that has eluded the Crimson since 1993.

A win had the added bonus of assisting Prestifilippo in his quest for a win in the tournament. But it was not enough to light a fire under the Crimson last night.

"Those are the little things that are the added incentives for us. You want to do it not only to win," Harvard captain Trevor Allman said. "Unfortunately, that is the downside of our career and his as well."

Setting aside a bout of mononucleosis his sophomore year and a collarbone injury that sidelined him during last season's ECAC quarterfinals against RPI, Prestifilippo's career achievements are quite admirable.

Securing the starting job in the preseason, Prestifilippo's outstanding first year between the pipes earned him ECAC Rookie of the Year honors in the 1996-97 season.

Since then, Prestifilippo has repeatedly defended his reputation one of the top netminders in the league. He led a sweep of Colgate at home in the 1997-98 ECAC quarterfinals.

Despite his success in and out of the conference, B.U. and the Beanpot have eluded him.

In 1997, a demoralizing 7-1loss to the Terriers in the first round introduced Prestifilippo to what Mazzoleni dubbed "the premiere collegiate tournament of the country."

One year later, Prestifilippo's fantastic performance against his nemesis could not atone for a 2-1 loss in the championship game. And in 1999, a 4-3 heartbreaker in overtime against Northeastern completed the trilogy.

The disappointing loss last night was likely his final chance to bring his team some bragging rights in Boston. Junior Oli Jonas will probably start in the consolation match against Northeastern, as he did last year.

It's a shame that the rest of the Crimson was never able to bring its starting goalie the win he deserved. But he still has a month and a half to find a fitting cap on an otherwise stellar collegiate career.