Icemen Whitewash Union

SCHENECTADY, N.Y.--From the beginning of the season, the Harvard men's hockey team knew that it was young and that inexperience would be a huge issue in this campaign. Now, it looks like the team is growing up.

Last night at Union, Harvard (5-5-2, 4-4-2 ECAC) played one of its smoothest games of the year, soundly defeating the Skating Dutchmen (5-6-1, 2-4-1) by a 3-0 count.

And with three wins in its last four games, one can honestly argue now that the sloppy, rough play of the past has been matured away.

Harvard sure didn't wait long to score its first goal. In yet another sign that the recent power-play surge is for real--the Crimson broke an 0-for-54 string last weekend with three power-play goals--freshman Matt Scorsune took a pass from sophomore Clayton Rodgers at the blue line, and calmly slapped it low and to the left of Union goalie Trevor Koenig.

The goal came only 1:28 into the game and five seconds into the power-play.

After that, however, the Skating Dutchmen were on the attack for much of the first period, staying inside the Crimson end and forcing Harvard freshman goalie J.R. Prestifilippo to pounce on a few loose pucks.

Midway through the first period, Union's Chris Ford had two point-blank shot shot on Prestifilippo, but the Harvard goalie blocked one with his chest and caught the other in his glove.

And on the second of Union's three power plays in the period, center Mark Szucs, open at the top of the crease, faked to Prestifilippo's right and wrapped a shot to the other side, but the puck went wide.

Harvard, meanwhile, had only a few short opportunities after Scorsune's goal. Sophomore Rob Millar's breakaway shot to Koenig's five-hole was saved easily, while Harvard's second power-play of the period produced nothing.

In the second period, however, the Crimson's offense got back on track again.

Junior Henry Higdon came close to scoring the team's second goal when he skated laterally across the goalmouth and tried to punch the puck in, but to no avail.

About 20 seconds later, he was more successful, when his close-in shot dribbled behind Koenig, setting up an easy goal for Rodgers, making the score 2-0 in favor of Harvard.

Then, on the next face-off, freshman Brett Chodorow skated straight towards Koenig before a pair of Dutchmen defenders checked him off target.

The tone had been set. Harvard, which had so much trouble scoring goals earlier in the season, was now the one making the key plays.

Union, on the other hand, had chances to tie the game in the first period but didn't come through.

"They got a couple of chances in the beginning, but the defense didn't let any rebounds get in," Prestifilippo said. "They made my job a lot easier."

All of this was made more impressive by the fact that two Harvard players did not make the trip to Union.

Captain Ashlin Halfnight was still feeling the effects of a inury sustained during the win over Clarkson on Sunday (senior Joe Craigen was named interim captain), while backup goaltender Peter Zakowich didn't make the trip for unknown reasons.

Late in the second period, the final nail in the coffin was driven deep by Higdon, collecting his third point of the day (he captured the assist on the first Harvard goal, winning the face-off).

Skating in from the right side of the goalface, he drove home a pass from sophomore Criag MacDonald only 53 seconds before the second intermission.

The goal and two assists made yesterday a breakout day for Higdon, who missed the first three games of the season due to injury and had not scored all year. Four times last season he had three-point games.

Prestifilippo also had his best game of the year, earning his first career shutout. The 3-0 win was also Harvard's largest victory margin of the season.

Harvard gets a week off before its next games, which are December 20 and 21 at Minnesota-Duluth. Harvard  3 Union  0

HARVARD, 3-0 at Schenectady, N.Y. Harvard  1  2  0  --  3 Union  0  0  0  --  0

First Period

Har--Scorsune 2 (Rodgers, Higdon) 1:28. (PPG)

Second Period

Har--Rodgers 1 (Higdon, Hyland) 3:19.

Har--Higdon 1 (MacDonald, Millar) 19:07. (PPG)

Third Period

No Goals Scored.

Saves: Har--Prestifilippo 5-11-5 21; Uni--Koenig 5-11-8 24.

Power Play: Har--2/4; Uni--0/7.

Attendance: 1302

HARVARD, 3-0 at Schenectady, N.Y. Harvard  1  2  0  --  3 Union  0  0  0  --  0

First Period

Har--Scorsune 2 (Rodgers, Higdon) 1:28. (PPG)

Second Period

Har--Rodgers 1 (Higdon, Hyland) 3:19.

Har--Higdon 1 (MacDonald, Millar) 19:07. (PPG)

Third Period

No Goals Scored.

Saves: Har--Prestifilippo 5-11-5 21; Uni--Koenig 5-11-8 24.

Power Play: Har--2/4; Uni--0/7.

Attendance: 1302

First Period

Har--Scorsune 2 (Rodgers, Higdon) 1:28. (PPG)

Second Period

Har--Rodgers 1 (Higdon, Hyland) 3:19.

Har--Higdon 1 (MacDonald, Millar) 19:07. (PPG)

Third Period

No Goals Scored.

Saves: Har--Prestifilippo 5-11-5 21; Uni--Koenig 5-11-8 24.

Power Play: Har--2/4; Uni--0/7.

Attendance: 1302