First Win of the Year Remains Elusive as Crimson Ties with Brown

After falling twice on the road last weekend, the men’s hockey team (4-10-3, 4-5-3 ECAC) walked onto the ice at Bright Hockey Center on Friday night still craving its first victory of 2009. Brown (1-9-4, 1-4-4) left the Crimson still hungry, however, by evening the score 1-1 with five minutes to go and holding on through an intense overtime to force a tie.

Although Harvard pelted the Bears with 51 shots on goal, Brown goaltender Daniel Rosen held strong and earned a .980 save percentage through 65 minutes of play.

Penalties ultimately proved to be the Crimson’s downfall; Harvard was forced to contend with four Brown power plays during the third period, fending off the first three before coughing up the tying goal after the final penalty. The Bears lead the ECAC in converting power plays, scoring a goal in one out of every five opportunities.

“When you [face] a team with a good power play and give them four chances in the third period alone and overtime, you’re really playing Russian roulette,” Harvard coach Ted Donato ’91 said.

Working off an interference call against junior Ian Tallett at 14:55 in the third, Brown swarmed around the Crimson goal and pushed the puck in amidst a barrage of shots to lift the score to 1-1.

“There were some screens,” freshman goaltender Matt Hoyle said. “It shot through and I never saw it. Just got unlucky.”

Aside from the one that got away, Hoyle made 28 saves on the night.

With only five minutes to recover the lead, the Crimson regrouped and attempted to rack up another tally after a Brown penalty. Despite numerous scoring opportunities, no one could provide the answer for Harvard and the score remained tied as the penalty box doors opened.

During the final minute of regulation time, the Crimson assembled an offensive front that made Rosen work double time. Firing shots off left and right, Harvard desperately tried to put one past the Bears defense, but the squad again failed to regain the lead.

“There were quite a few rebounds that looked like we were in a great position to take advantage of,” Donato said.

As the clock ticked down from five minutes, Harvard started overtime by counting down from two minutes after yet another penalty called against the Crimson, this one on freshman Alex Killorn. Relying on stout defensive play, Harvard escaped the power play situation and received one final opportunity to end the game in its favor. Two Brown penalties primed the Crimson with a highly favorable five-on-three setup.

With 22.1 seconds to go, Harvard took aim at the Brown goal and made its final attempts but ultimately could not convert in the limited time.

Although play certainly escalated as the game drew to a close, it took some time for the game to develop.

After the first 20 minutes, no team had clearly taken control. the Crimson led Brown in shots on goal 16-11, but the Bears successfully staved off two intense Harvard assaults in power play situations.

Rosen saved shots from all distances, including a series of close-up potshots from freshman Daniel Moriarty during the second power play.

But Rosen could not keep the defensive pace for long, as another Crimson power play would soon prove. With 18:20 to go in the second and with a five-on-four advantage, senior Steve Rolecek drove the puck up on the left and let it loose from the center of the faceoff ring. Rosen swatted unsuccessfully and the puck found the back of the net, granting Harvard a 1-0 lead.

The Crimson also flexed its defensive muscle throughout the second, depriving the Bears of scoring opportunities, stopping breakaways short and keeping freshman goalie Matt Hoyle’s workload to a minimum. The Bears managed only four shots on goal in the second.

“We need to bring the same intensity [Saturday],” Hoyle said, referring to Saturday’s matchup against Yale.

—Staff writer Emmett Kistler can be reached at ekistler@fas.harvard.edu.