NOTEBOOK: Backup Goalie Stymies Big Red

For most of the year, it’s been the worst of times for goaltender Justin Tobe. But on the closing weekend of the regular season, it was finally the best of times.

One night after holding Colgate to a single goal, the senior repeated the feat in Harvard’s game against rival Cornell. And with the Bright Hockey Center filled close to capacity on Senior Night, Tobe made 26 saves to earn a significant victory for the team.

This came from a player who hadn’t started a league game since a 3-2 victory against Dartmouth on Dec. 16.

“He’s faced a lot of adversity in his time here—not getting in the net, sharing time with hot goalies,” captain Dylan Reese said. “He played great this weekend.”

While the Crimson defense played solidly in front of Tobe, the netminder contributed a couple of flashy plays to help foil the Big Red attack.

With just under eight minutes remaining in the opening frame, Tobe dove out of his crease and poked a puck away from Cornell center Michael Kennedy.

Similarly, in the third period, Tobe thwarted a Big Red 5-on-3 scoring opportunity when he sprawled out in front of the net to stymie the streaking Topher Scott.

The goaltender’s lone blemish of the night came during that two-man advantage—a minor flaw in an otherwise standout performance.

“When your career is winding down and you know you only have a couple of games left,” Reese said, “it really brings the best out in you.”

FIVE (NOT) FOR FIGHTING

Each team was whistled for a major penalty during the game, as the two squads combined for 48 penalty minutes.

Cornell captain Byron Bitz was given five minutes and a game misconduct for hitting from behind at 12:49 of the second period. Reese converted on the power play just three minutes later, launching a shot from the blue line to beat Big Red netminder Ben Scrivens and put Harvard ahead 1-0.

The Crimson’s infraction came at the beginning of the third period. Freshman blueliner Chad Morin was whistled for head-butting at 4:10, earning a five-minute major penalty and an ejection.

“It’s not a good penalty in a one-goal game, and I know he felt badly,” said Harvard head coach Ted Donato ’91. “We’ve really got to be able to keep all our emotions in check.”

THE GAME (x 3)

After earning four points on the weekend, Harvard clinched the seventh seed in the ECAC Tournament and will host 10th-seeded Yale in a best-of-three series at Bright Hockey Center next weekend.

Though the Bulldogs finished the season with a worse league record (8-13-1) than the Crimson (10-10-2), Yale swept the season series, defeating Harvard, 5-2, at the Bright Hockey Center on Nov. 18 and 5-1 at Ingalls Rink on Feb. 16.

Moreover, this is the first time since the 2003-2004 season that the Crimson will play in the first round of the ECAC playoffs, having clinched byes the past two seasons.

But having an extra series to play didn’t slow Harvard three years ago, as the Crimson won the tournament as the sixth seed.

“We went through the same thing my freshman year,” Reese said, adding, “As long as you play well and get through the first round...the momentum actually just carries over to the second round.”

FINAL TICKS

Harvard outshot Cornell, 39-27...Senior pivot Kevin Du continued to be proficient in the faceoff circle, winning 12 of 17 draws...Sophomore Jimmy Fraser had a hand in all three Crimson goals, assisting on the first two and scoring the third.

—Staff writer Karan Lodha can be reached at klodha@fas.harvard.edu.