M. Hockey Travels to Hanover to Face Dartmouth

Harvard men's hockey skates cautiously into New Hampshire tonight, hoping to regain control on the heels of a hectic week on the ice.

The Crimson (10-10-1, 9-5-1 ECAC) needs a win against Dartmouth (9-10-2, 6-6-2), a team playing some of its best hockey of the season.

It's been a long week for Harvard. After an easy win over conference foe Colgate last Friday, the Crimson dropped its next two games. A Saturday night loss to ECAC rival Cornell dislodged Harvard from the top of the ECAC for the first time in a month, and the Crimson came out flat in a 4-1 Beanpot loss to No. 2 Boston College.

The tough schedule has no doubt taken something out of a Crimson squad nearing the end of a long season.

"We had a long break, then 3 games in 4 nights (including Beanpot), which was a bit much, and probably took its toll on us physically," said co-captain Steve Moore. "But the schedule is the schedule, and we just have to deal with it."

The last time the schedule dealt the Crimson as many losses in a week was at the end of December, and three of those losses came against nationally ranked opponents. The Crimson bounced back with a stellar January, losing only one game to Yale.

Harvard will need a similar turn of events coming down the home stretch of the ECAC season. It is currently tied for second with defending conference champion St. Lawrence. The Saints have a game in hand on the Crimson and also trail the Big Red by one point.

The Saints play Princeton tonight, while the Big Red takes on RPI. The weekend will thus be an important one for the Crimson, as each contest will shape the leader board.

Harvard, however, is focused entirely on the Big Green. Dartmouth has lost its last two, on the tail end of a home-and-home against capital region opponents RPI and Union. Before the

setbacks, the Big Green posted two wins at home, and was able to beat Cornell convincingly, 4-1.

Harvard was able to dismantle the Big Green's attack earlier in the season, as freshmen stepped up in the Crimson's 5-2 victory. Moore, however, is cautious not to read too much into that game.

"Dartmouth has been doing a lot better lately," Moore said. "They are a good team and have beaten some good teams this year. We will have to be on top of our game to come out with a

win."

The Crimson looked anything but that during its loss to BC on the ice at the Fleet Center. The precise and speedy attack of the Eagles wore down a tired Harvard team. Moore said the

Crimson turned in a "poor performance," and will look to regain some momentum at Dartmouth.

The Big Green, despite its recent skid, has played well. It has significantly reduced the number of power play opportunities for opponents, while consistently enjoying the advantage

in shots.

While the Dominic Moore-Tim Pettit-Brett Nowak line has been playing well and creating chances in the offensive zone, Harvard is unquestionably a better team on the power play. Its special teams is easily better than Dartmouth's, who allowed three power play goals to RPI in last Friday's loss.

Although the Crimson is not looking past the key Dartmouth matchup, the consolation game of

the Beanpot still looms large in its mind. Harvard will look to gain some respect against Northeastern on Monday night.

The weekend could prove a valuable opportunity for Harvard to redirect itself before Lake Placid, as well as reclaim some local bragging rights.