Crimson Upsets No. 20 Bobcats

Quinnipiac may have boasted the ECAC’s best record heading into Friday night’s contest at the Bright Hockey Center, but it was the Harvard men’s hockey team who played like contenders.

The last-place Crimson (3-7-0, 2-6-0 ECAC) combined efficient passing, a solid physical game, and some skillful stickhandling to upset the No. 20 Bobcats (7-4-2, 4-2-1) by a score of 4-2 and snap a three-game losing streak.

“Harvard definitely was prepared to play tonight,” Quinnipiac coach Rand Pecknold said. “Their back was against the wall, they’ve been struggling a bit with their record, but they’re a very good hockey team...they were definitely the better team and deserved to win.”

After scoring a combined four goals during the opening period, the two teams remained quiet through most of the second frame. With the period winding down, Harvard finally broke through, scoring what would prove to be the game-winner on an elegantly executed offensive charge.

Junio forward Mike Taylor took the puck down the right side of the Bobcats’ zone, maneuvering through two defenders to wind up near the right post. Rather than taking a shot, however, he passed the puck back to freshman blueliner Alex Biega, who was waiting in the slot to send it through Quinnipiac goalie Bud Fisher for a 3-2 lead.

“I think [Taylor] deked out two guys, he really did a great job,” said Biega, who also contributed two assists. “I was calling for the puck, and he just gave me a great pass, and I just slid it in the five-hole.”

Harvard had dug itself into an early hole, allowing the Bobcats to build a 2-0 lead during the game’s opening 10 minutes. Quinnipiac’s Mark Agnew opened the scoring at 7:44, beating Crimson netminder Justin Tobe to the right side after receiving a cross from teammate Dan LeFort.

The Bobcats made it a two-goal deficit just three minutes later. After a scramble in front of the Harvard net, Quinnipiac kicked the puck out to Matt Sorteberg, who launched a shot from the top of the right faceoff circle to expand the lead to 2-0.

“Unfortunately, as much as you try to protect against it, there’s obviously a little ‘here we go again’ [mentality] that settles in,” said Crimson coach Ted Donato ’91, referring to some of the Harvard’s previous difficulties in recovering from early deficits.

Harvard, however, was able to respond quickly to the early Bobcat offense, tying the score before the frame ended.

Taylor got the Crimson on the board at 14:15, banking the puck into the left corner of the net from inside the right faceoff circle to cut the Quinnipiac lead to 2-1.

“Going down 2-0 there, unfortunately for us, has been too often an occurrence,” Donato said, “so it as nice that we battled back.”

Two Bobcat penalties in the period’s 15th minute gave the Harvard 1:40 of 5-on-3 play, giving the Crimson the opening it needed to tie the score. When freshman Doug Rogers’ shot from the top of the zone was deflected by Fisher, junior Jon Pelle was able to net the rebound, knotting the score at 2.

As the third period opened, the Crimson played with renewed intensity as it attempted to protect its slim lead 3-2, keeping the Quinnipiac forwards in check with some heavy hitting on the defensive end.

“I think some of the desperation that we’ve been looking for showed up in the second half of the game, blocking shots and getting pucks out,” Donato said.

“Quite frankly, we haven’t been able to overcome [penalties] early in the season...and signs of good teams are when you can overcome a mistake,” he added.

The Bobcats’ best opportunity to tie the score came in the game’s final minutes, when rookie Harvard defender Jack Christian was whistled for contact to the head at 17:39.

Quinnipiac promptly pulled Fisher, extending its advantage to two extra skaters.

The Crimson’s penalty kill, however, rose to the challenge, preventing the Bobcats from mounting any serious threats.

“I thought our guys did a great job blocking shots and taking away passing lanes,” said Donato of the penalty kill.

Once the power play ended, the momentum immediately swung back in Harvard’s direction.

Junior Tyler Magura, stepping in for Christian, came streaking off the bench and slammed into a Quinnipiac shooter at the blue line, separating him from the puck.

Sophomore Jimmy Fraser was able to take it the other way, scoring an easy empty-net insurance goal to put the game out of reach and guarantee the Crimson its second league win.

“When you lose some games, I think mentally you become a little fragile,” Donato said. “So a game like tonight can go a long way to boosting the confidence and getting us back heading in the right direction.”

—Staff writer Daniel J. Rubin-Wills can be reached at drubin@fas.harvard.edu.