Crimson Fails in Beanpot for Ninth Consecutive Year

BOSTON — Those who forget the past, it is said, are doomed to repeat it. And while the Crimson may have remembered its eight consecutive Beanpot opening-round losses all too well, that didn’t prevent history from repeating itself yet again.

With the longest first-round losing streak in team history, Harvard turned to some outside help in an attempt to gain a mental edge.

“As the time ticks away [in the season], you just try to stay positive,” captain Dylan Reese said. “We worked with some psychologists in sports psychology about staying positive, and that’s the atmosphere we tried to keep on the bench.”

The attitude adjustment, however, seemed to have little effect, as the Crimson was forced to spend much of the contest playing catch-up and was not able to generate enough chances to even the score.

“I didn’t feel we were able to ever get the pressure or sustain the attack that we have in the past few games,” said Harvard coach Ted Donato ’91, later adding, “I didn’t think we played with a lot of jump.

FIGHT THE POWER

The majority of the whistles may have gone the Crimson’s way, but the resulting power plays did not, as Harvard had nothing to show for four man-advantage opportunities.

The low point came 6:22 in the second period, when the Eagles took advantage of the Crimson’s lackluster special-teams play to score a shorthanded goal. Maneuvering its way into a 2-on-1, BC’s Benn Ferriero fed winger Nathan Gerbe, who scored from the right faceoff circle to capture the lead for the Eagles.

“I overplayed the guy with the puck a little bit,” Reese said of his defense on the play, adding, “I should have stayed in the middle more.”

The rest of Harvard’s power plays were characterized by some messy puckhandling and a series of errant passes that repeatedly forced the team to reset.

“In our own zone, we really seemed to have a tough time stringing even the most basic few passes together,” Donato said. “I didn’t think it was an X’s and O’s battle…we weren’t able to execute simple plays.”

The Crimson’s best special-teams opportunity came halfway through the second period, when Kevin Du corralled a rebound near the left post with BC goalie Cory Schneider out of position and the left side of the net wide open.

A one-timer would most likely have found the back of the net, but Du required two touches to control the wobbling puck, giving Schneider time to fill the hole.

NET LOSS

Harvard’s previous contest against the Eagles, a 4-0 victory, was best known for the emergence of freshman goaltender Kyle Richter, who turned back 36 BC shots to record his first shutout.

In the rematch, however, the Eagles seemed to have found a solution for Richter, who surrendered two goals that, according to his coach, may have been preventable.

“I honestly don’t mean to demean anybody,” Donato said, “but I thought all three of the goals [for both teams] were goals that the goalies would like to have back.”

TWO-MINUTE MINORS

The victory brought BC’s Beanpot record to 62-47, and marked the 28th time that the Eagles have advanced to the tournament’s final round...BC’s Nathan Gerbe’s second-period goal during a Harvard power play was his fourth shorthanded goal of the season…the Crimson will face Northeastern in the Beanpot consolation game next Monday at 5 p.m.

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