Harvard Restrained in Penalty-Filled Battle

Harvard head coach Ted Donato ’91 has been preaching discipline and self-control to his players throughout the season, and on Saturday night against No. 16 Quinnipiac at Bright Hockey center, his advice proved crucial in a 4-1 win for the Crimson men.

In a game that easily could have devolved into an extended fistfight, Harvard’s players matched the Bobcats’ aggression, but avoided needless penalties in a spectacular display of high-scoring offense and stifling defense.

“The gloves came up high a few times but we talked about it last night after the game when we took a lot of penalties that we have to be more disciplined, and tonight our guys did a good job of staying out of the box,” co-captain Mike Taylor said.

Despite early scuffling that led to matching penalties on sophomore Doug Rogers and Quinnipiac’s Chris Myers for roughing, the Crimson (11-11-3, 9-7-2 ECAC) kept its cool and turned the Bobcats’ (17-9-4, 9-5-4 ECAC) frustration into key scoring chances.

Harvard benefited from six power-play opportunities, including three in the first period, and although it could only convert on one, it set the tone early for a dominant performance. The crucial penalty came at 10:50 in the first period, when Quinnipiac’s Dan Travis drew a five-minute major for a hit from behind and was ejected for game misconduct.

The offense pressured Bobcat goalie Bud Fisher relentlessly, but it seemed at first as though the Crimson would come up empty-handed. Freshman Michael Biega redirected a pass in front of the crease between Fisher’s legs, only to watch the puck glance of the post. Minutes later, freshman Matt McCollem had a wraparound attempt from the right denied and smothered by the Bobcats’ netminder. But McCollem got revenge seconds later as he received the puck on the ensuing face off and ripped a shot above Fisher’s left shoulder to give Harvard a 1-0 advantage at 14:23. Juniors Brian McCafferty and Jimmy Fraser set up the scoring chance.

Once the puck sailed past Fisher and settled into the back of the net, everything just seemed to click for the Crimson.

For the remainder of the period, the Bobcats were unable to clear the puck from their zone and Harvard converted on an even strength opportunity less than three minutes after their first score. Senior Dave Watters secured a pass from McCafferty on the right and zipped it across the crease to uncovered freshman Pier-Olivier Michaud. Fisher, who had sealed off the left side of the goal against a potential Watters shot, exposed a gap on his glove side and allowed Michaud to bury his first collegiate goal. At 17:04, Harvard enjoyed a commanding 2-0 lead and an unforgettable moment for the freshman from Quebec.

Michaud refused to take much credit for the goal.

“I was just in the right place at the right moment,” Michaud said.

But as soon as the milestone was announced over the PA, the crowd saluted the rookie with thunderous applause.

As the second period opened, the Bobcats clearly wanted to start fresh and assert themselves on the ice. The visitors’ aggression did allow the Crimson an early power play opportunity, but Quinnipiac’s goalie held tough, and it was the Bobcats who earned one of their few promising opportunities with a shorthanded breakaway. Fraser had to commit a holding penalty on Quinnipiac’s Brandon Wong at 4:42 to prevent a solid shot, and the Bobcats had momentum heading into a powerplay of their own. It was at this point, though, that Harvard’s defense, and particularly sophomore goalie Kyle Richter, proved its strength. Defenseman Jack Christian contributed with a particularly athletic block, as the defense stifled three shots and Richter managed 14 saves to preserve the shutout. The visitors’ mounting frustration was quite clear, as little shoves or scuffles seemed to follow every stoppage in play, but the Crimson rose above the temptation to fight and gladly accepted the Bobcats’ extra penalties. However, it was not a referee’s call that led to Harvard’s next goal, but an even strength effort again from Michaud. In a set-up very similar to his first goal, the freshman collected a pass from the left to the right, this time from defenseman Ian Tallett, and ripped a shot from the point past Fisher with 2:43 remaining in the period.

The significance of Michaud’s first and second goals did not escape his teammates, and the Harvard players on the ice mobbed the freshman in a congratulatory hug.

With a comfortable three-goal lead, the Crimson seemed content to contain the Bobcats and let their strong defense control the tempo in the final period. To Quinnipiac’s credit, the team continued to fight, sending 16 more shots at Richter to try to close the deficit. More significantly, Quinnipiac head coach Rand Pecknold pulled his goalie with more than 12 minutes remaining during a four-on-four in a drastic effort to spark a comeback.

The move did not go as planned, though, as Rogers capitalized on an assist from Taylor and sent the puck into the empty net to extend the lead to 4-0 at 8:01 and record his fourth goal in two days.

The Bobcats’ did get on the board soon after, as an interference call on Christian led to a 4-on-3 at 8:45. Quinnipiac’s Ben Nelson put his 11th goal of the season past Richter ten seconds later, but the game remained well in hand.

Perhaps the only disappointment of the game came with six seconds remaining, with Harvard on its final power play. Michaud again received the puck on the right and had an excellent look to deliver a hat-trick, but Fisher reacted more quickly this time, denying the freshman his third goal.

Even though Michaud came up short on this final effort, Donato acknowledged his key contribution.

“We’re getting some goals from… other sources,” Donato said. “And to get offense up and down our lineup lifts everybody up.”