Notebook: Men's Hockey Continues Shorthanded Success, Nabs First Regular-Season Game at the Whale in 12 Years

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — The Harvard men’s hockey team spoiled the mood in Ingalls Rink on Friday night, as the Crimson’s 4-2 victory hushed a loud and emotional crowd here to celebrate Yale’s Alumni and Senior Weekend. A slew of penalties and net-front collisions escalated things early in the second period, warranting scuffles and animosity after almost every whistle until the final horn.

With the win, Harvard (19-5-2, 13-4-2 ECAC) improved upon its NCAA-best win percentage, advancing to .769 at the Bulldogs’ (10-11-5, 6-9-4) expense. This marks the seventh straight win for the Crimson and its ninth consecutive match without a loss.

BACK ON TOP

In the past five days, the Harvard men’s hockey team has reacquainted itself with a few long-sought titles. After bringing home its first Beanpot championship in 24 years on Monday, the Crimson clinched the outright Ivy League crown on Friday, a feat last accomplished in the 2005-2006 season.

“It’s obviously been really great to be rewarded for a lot of hard work that goes beyond the start of the season,” senior forward Tyler Moy said. “We want to be a championship team, and to be able to close out those important games is huge for us.”

Despite the Ivy League not officially recognizing a ‘conference’ champion until the 1956-1957 season, Harvard sits atop its league for the 23rd time in program history and the third time in Donato’s tenure as coach. The Crimson did enjoy an Ivy championship last season but reluctantly shared it with Yale after the Bulldogs emerged victorious from the two sides’ annual meeting at Ingalls Rink and won out the rest of the way.

Friday night’s clinching victory marks the first back-to-back titles for Harvard since 1993-1994. The team, while relishing the accomplishment, turns its focus to future games—ones that carry ECAC and NCAA implications.

“This has been a very focused group,” Donato noted. “The senior leadership has been outstanding and I think they had the group really dialed in…. We’re happy to be able to leave here with our two points.”

Donato, the only Harvard bench boss to appear in the NCAA tournament in both of his first two campaigns, won his first Ivy title in just his second year at the helm of the Crimson.

“So far, two trophies are awesome, but we’re definitely not done yet, not even close,” acknowledged freshman blue-liner John Marino, whose goal against the Bulldogs was especially sweet since he was originally set to play hockey at Yale before recommitting to Harvard.

THE BIG SHORTIES

With 14:33 remaining in the second period, a shorthanded goal courtesy of senior forward Luke Esposito gave the Crimson a two-goal lead and, in the process, sole possession of the NCAA lead in man-down tallies. Harvard now sets the pace for all Division I schools with 10 shorthanded strikes and far exceeds Yale’s mark of one on the year.

“I thought our penalty kill was excellent. I thought our defensemen in particular were very good,” Donato said. “We played with a lot of energy on the penalty kill, blocked some shots when we needed to…. It’s the time of year when special teams are really important.”

The Crimson scored in all scenarios on Friday night, bulging twine at even strength, on the power play, and while killing a penalty. Sophomore forward Ryan Donato leads his team with three goals while outnumbered, with five more Harvard forwards joining the shorty club this season. Co-captain Alexander Kerfoot almost celebrated his second man-down snipe of the year before his goal at the 10:22 mark of the middle frame was waved off for goalie interference.

“We’ve been trying to pressure down the ice when we can,” Ted Donato acknowledged. “We’re trying to force teams into making mistakes instead of sitting back and letting them dictate the play.”

Friday’s showdown marked the third game this month in which the Crimson has capitalized on the opposition’s lackadaisical power-play performance. Junior forward Jake Horton and Esposito, a repeat offender, did the damage in these contests.

“When we get [the puck], guys are trying to make plays,” said Ted Donato, praising his team’s effort and killer instinct shorthanded. “We have some guys who can get around the ice.”

As if a goal—almost a pair of goals—wasn’t enough, the Harvard penalty kill unit remained perfect on the night, stifling all six of the Bulldogs’ extra-man opportunities. Despite Yale’s dry spell on the power play, the Bulldogs, like their rival Crimson, did find the back of the net while shorthanded, thanks to a superlative snipe from sophomore forward Andrew Gaus.

THE WHITE WHALE

The last time Harvard stole a regular-season victory from Yale at Ingalls Rink, famously nicknamed “The Whale,” was January of 2005. Harvard had just two overall wins in New Haven since that victory 12 seasons ago in Donato’s first year as bench boss, with both coming in the 2015 campaign to clinch a best-of-three ECAC quarterfinal series for the Crimson.

“Every year is a new year,” Moy remarked. “I think our team was prepared coming into this, and we know [the Whale] is a tough place to play in with the fans and everything, but I don’t think we had any doubt in our minds coming in.”

These two historic rivals first met on the ice in New York City in 1900. This inaugural clash ended with Yale celebrating, but since then, the 253 matchups in eight different cities have been kinder to the Crimson. After Friday night’s win, the series record now favors Harvard by a tally of 143-90-21.

“[The Bulldogs] are really tough here, especially against us,” Donato admitted. “They just don’t give you much, and they really test your willingness…to take chances.”

Now having broken an ugly streak of 11 straight winless regular-season appearances at the Whale, the Crimson will have a chance to start a streak of its own next season. With the ECAC tournament approaching, however, the possibility of another Harvard-Yale clash this season still remains. But if the two sides were to meet in March, it wouldn’t be in New Haven.

—Staff writer Spencer R. Morris can be reached at spencer.morris@thecrimson.com.