M. Hockey Hopes To Finally Advance

The third time was supposed to be the charm. And, for a short while, it was.

With Harvard up 4-1 entering the third period of last year’s regional semifinal, two years of heartache were 20 minutes from erasure. The 4-3 overtime heartbreaker at Maine’s hands in 2002; the 6-4 third-period meltdown against Boston University 12 months later; a season that had failed to live up to its sky-high expectations prior to an unexpected miracle run to the ECAC title—all of it would be forgotten if the Crimson could only hold on.

Maine, the No. 1 team in the country entering the day, was on the ropes. Jimmy Howard, statistically the best goaltender in the country and the Black Bears’ ace in the hole, had been driven from between the pipes after arguably his worst showing of the season.

Redemption was within reach. At last, Harvard would shake the proverbial monkey from its back.

Then, The Collapse. Four unanswered goals in 15:50. Hopes dashed, season over.

“The last couple years have just been frustrating,” assistant captain Ryan Lannon said. “I’ve never wanted to make excuses, say the puck wasn’t bouncing our way. We just weren’t able to put teams away when we had the chance.”

But the Crimson squad that will take to the ice tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. at the Mullins Center in Amherst against New Hampshire is markedly different from its predecessors that fell in each of the last three regional semifinals.

Unlike its antecedents, which struggled mightily against top-tier non-conference opponents, Harvard has more than held its own against tournament-bound challengers from Hockey East, besting both Boston University and Maine already this year, while splitting a pair with Boston College.

Against those three programs alone, the Crimson posted a 1-11-1 record in Mazzoleni’s final three seasons at the helm, including each of its first-round losses in the NCAA tournament.

“Our first couple of years, I think we were just happy to be there,” Harvard captain Noah Welch said. “We weren’t that confident to be honest with you. And this year we’re a lot more confident.”

The Crimson has good reason to be. In addition to its in-season success against quality opponents and its familiarity with the tournament—Harvard is one of just five programs to receive a bid each of the past four seasons, along with UNH, Maine, Minnesota, and Michigan—its defense and goaltending are stronger now than at any point in each of the last three seasons, despite hiccups in the ECAC tournament last weekend.

On average, the Crimson allows just 1.85 goals a game, third-best in the country, down significantly from the 2.61 surrendered per contest last season. And Dov Grumet-Morris, who has an unseemly 5.00 goals-against average in the NCAA tournament, has made the leap from talented but at times streaky backstop to consistently stellar and nationally recognized netminder.

Those upgrades will be particularly important against the potent Wildcats, who score upwards of four goals per game and field two explosive top lines.

“It’s definitely different,” Welch said. “Hopefully UNH won’t score five. They’re an offensive team, but if we just play our team defense I don’t think there’s any way they can get that many goals. It’s just not going to happen with us.”

Nor would one expect it to. After all, Harvard has coughed up more than four goals just twice this season, both times under decidedly unique circumstances and most recently in a 6-4 loss to Merrimack in Minneapolis, during which the majority of the Crimson’s skaters were more than mildly ill. Otherwise, it’s been nearly uninterrupted smooth sailing since mid-November.

“With the season we’ve had this year,” Lannon said, “we expected to be here. Now we expect to win, too.”

Three years of heartache are 60 minutes from erasure. Harvard had just better hope the fourth time is the charm.

NOTE: Tomorrow’s regional semifinal contest in Amherst will be broadcast nationally on ESPN-U and Altitude at 3:30 p.m., with regional coverage provided by CN8 in Massachusetts, Cox New England, and Metro Sports Network in Kansas City.

—Staff writer Timothy J. McGinn can be reached at mcginn@fas.harvard.edu.