Harvard Starts With Surprising Strength

Two Saturdays ago, McGill handed the Harvard men’s hockey team an embarrassing 4-3 exhibition loss.

But a very different Crimson squad took the Bright Center ice for this Saturday’s season opener and stunned Dartmouth, 6-2. It was Harvard’s first season-opening victory since 2000, and the Crimson took this one going away.

“We learned a lot from [the McGill game]” said junior forward Kevin Du, who spearheaded Harvard’s attack with two goals and two assists. “And we brought it into tonight’s game.”

Like a more aggressive forecheck, to be sure. An offense of lighting passes and downright hustle that only accelerated as the game wore on. And a defense that didn’t budge in front of senior goaltender John Daigneau down the stretch.

“We were all a little nervous at the start, myself included,” said Daigneau, who watched Big Green forward Eric Przepiorka bounce the puck past him 59 seconds into the first period. “That first goal didn’t help.”

But Du tied it up at 16:39 when he drove the net and deflected a Jack Christian shot past Dartmouth goalie Sean Samuel, and the first-intermission buzzer sounded on a 1-1 tie. The Crimson was still in it.

Of course, the Big Green struck just 32 seconds into that frame with another redirection, but blueliner Dylan Reese leveled the score five seconds into a Crimson power play, beating the goalie just as the penalty was announced over the Bright’s loudspeaker.

And then Du grabbed the lead for good. Rookie Jimmy Fraser fed Du in the slot, and after out-muscling his defenseman for position, Due hoisted a shot five-hole on Samuel from one knee.

Said Harvard coach Ted Donato ’91, “You kind of shake your head and say, ‘Thank God he’s on my team.’”

Despite never really establishing a discernible edge, Donato’s team held a 3-2 advantage entering the third period. But when freshman Nick Coskren netted the rebound of Paul Dufault’s point-blank attempt at 1:59, the Crimson took a two-goal advantage that spelled disaster for the Big Green.

“We have to try to get after it and be a little more aggressive,” Gaudet said, “and you have to live with that in order to try to make something happen.

“They played great in the third period and got up on us,” he added, “and we had to try to open it up, and it allowed them more breaks.”

Harvard skaters began intercepting the Big Green’s forced passes, and as time ticked away, the Crimson was able to force Dartmouth into foot races—perfect for the Harvard squad that boasts speed over size and hustle over hulk.

The Crimson scored twice more for the 6-2 win, opening up for a 13-shot third period after totaling nine in the first two frames combined. Meanwhile, Daigneau’s 20 saves earned him his first win in nearly two years.

“Dartmouth is a good team, a really good team,” the netminder said, “and for us to come out and beat them like we did, it makes a statement.”

—Staff writer Rebecca A. Seesel can be reached at seesel@fas.harvard.edu.