Despite Tie, Crimson Displays Improvement Against Tigers

After getting blanked in its previous game, Harvard men’s hockey team fought hard in a back-and-forth and high-scoring overtime tie against Princeton Friday night at the Bright Hockey Center.

Though the Crimson came out sluggish at first, Harvard (4-18-1, 3-13-1 ECAC) was eventually able to battle back from three deficits to a 4-4 draw against the Tigers (14-8-2, 9-6-2).

Each period of the game featured a distinct style of play.

During the first 10 minutes of the night, Princeton outplayed the Crimson, beating Harvard to loose pucks and gaining a significant shot advantage.

The Crimson players showed physicality and delivered some jarring hits early on, but the Tigers seemed to play with more urgency and finesse.

“I think we had a game plan coming out, but we came out a little flat,” junior forward Alex Killorn said.

After a sluggish start and a late first period goal by Princeton, Harvard caught a break when sophomore forward Conor Morrison was able to chip in a shot past Tigers goalie Sean Bonar, who had slipped in the crease.

Crimson coach Ted Donato ’91 called an early timeout halfway through the first, and his team seemed reenergized after talking things over on the bench.

The second period felt like an entirely different game, as the flow of play was halted by a combined eight penalties.

“I don’t mind the aggressive penalties that are necessary, but we took a couple of penalties that left us scratching our heads,” Donato said.

Both teams were able to capitalize on 5-on-3 advantages during the period, and the second frame ended in a 3-3 tie.

“We were really focusing on getting guys to the net, so if a rebound came up, we could capitalize on that,” Killorn said. “We were getting a lot of shots on net, and we weren’t worried about pretty plays.”

The power play was a big factor throughout the game, as Harvard went 3-for-5 with a man-advantage. Princeton’s penalty kill was lackluster throughout the night, and the Crimson was able to take advantage of the weakness.

“They weren’t really pretty goals, but they all count,” Killorn added.

The third period had its own distinct feel, as both sides fought hard to get the go-ahead goal. The lack of flow in the second period was soon forgotten, and both teams moved freely up and down the ice.

The Tigers pulled ahead, 4-3, on a long wrister, but Harvard continued fighting for the equalizer.

Throughout the third period, each of the Crimson lines brought high energy, putting the puck on net 12 times.

Eventually, the persistence paid off, as forward Alex Killorn redirected a puck into the net with about five minutes remaining to tie the game at four.

Starting in net for Harvard was senior Kyle Richter, who proved to be effective, keeping the Crimson in the game when Princeton attempted to pull away. With less than a minute left, Richter made a critical game-saving stop that sent the contest into overtime.

In the extra period, both teams had a number of chances, but neither side could break through. Richter made another important save on a wraparound attempt with less than a minute remaining in the extra period.

Though the crowd was anxious for a definite outcome, they left the rink having seen one of Harvard’s most competitive ECAC matches of the season.

After the game, both Donato and forward Killorn mentioned that rebounds were something that the team has focused on in practice.

“It’s not just the number of shots,” Donato said. “It’s really being able to get second and third opportunities and getting some of the goals in the dirty areas, the areas that are tough to play in around the net.”

This emphasis on second chance opportunities allowed Harvard to stay competitive against one of the better teams in the conference.

“I thought our guys really battled,” Donato said. “We feel like we are a team that has improved tremendously over the last couple months.”