Goaltender Stands Out

BOSTON—Harvard men’s hockey coach Mark Mazzoleni said his team “didn’t bring its game” against BU until the third period.

At best, Mazzoleni was only partially right. That the Crimson remained close deep into the final period can be attributed almost solely to the stellar play of sophomore goaltender Dov Grumet-Morris.

Grumet-Morris stopped 29 shots on the night, stoning multiple Terrier breakaways and wide-open chances. He allowed just two goals, both coming on shots or deflections from point-blank range.

The sophomore was at his best in the second period, when he did not allow a goal despite relentless BU pressure. The Terriers pinned Harvard in its own zone for nearly the entire frame, and only several spectacular saves by Grumet-Morris kept the sluggish Crimson close.

“The second period is as good a period as we played in a long long time,” said BU coach Jack Parker.

Grumet-Morris rebounded from a nightmarish performance last year against BU, when the Terriers tore through him for eight goals in a lopsided win last November. The goalie has made gigantic strides since the inconsistent start to his college career and has turned in several straight quality games this season.

“Dov’s a very, very good major college goaltender,” Mazzoleni said. “He has an opportunity to be special.”

Nonconference Non-Production

Life outside the ECAC has not been kind to the Crimson—last night’s loss makes Harvard a dismal 4-17-1 in out-of-league games under Mazzoleni. Most of those losses have come against highly-ranked competition, but the Crimson has yet to make a successful statement on the national level.

“[Nonconference games are] very important, not only for our program, but for our league,” Mazzoleni said. “I can’t say we’re getting close yet.”

Nonconference success is especially important for Harvard this season. If the Crimson is to meet its goal of translating last year’s playoff run into a successful and consistent regular season, it will need to win some of its non-league contests.

Harvard will have several more chances to score the big-time nonconference victory. The Crimson hosts top-ranked BC on Dec. 11 and then plays No. 4 Maine on the road the following Sunday. The team will get a second chance at the Boston-area schools in February’s Beanpot.

Yet without a quality nonconference win, Harvard has little chance of earning an at-large berth to the NCAA tournament.

Home for the Holidays

Harvard finally returns to Bright Hockey Center after five straight road games this weekend, when it hosts RPI and Union in ECAC action. League games on Thanksgiving weekend are a rarity for the Crimson, which will most likely play in front of a sparse home crowd.

Neither opponent matches up well talent-wise with Harvard. RPI—tied for last in the ECAC—lost its two best players from the previous season, and the Skating Dutchmen have relied on their scrappiness rather than raw talent.

The Crimson has handled other less-quality opponents easily this year, winning its five games by a combined 17 goals. But Harvard generally gained control of those games by the second period. If it waits until the final 20 minutes to find a rhythm, as it did last night, the Crimson might find itself on the short end of an upset.

Staff writer Elijah M. Alper can be reached at alper@fas.harvard.edu.