Harvard Snaps Three-Game Skid With 5-1 Win Over Union

SCHENECTADY, N.Y.--Entering Saturday's game at Union, the Harvard men's hockey team had scored just five goals in its last three games--all of them losses. Another defeat would send it below .500 for the first time all season.

After Saturday's game, the Crimson had scored ten goals in its last four games and stood in a three-way tie for first place in the ECAC.

It's amazing how a little scoring outburst can change your disposition.

The Harvard offense finally sprung to life and buried its chances as it defeated Union (4-9-0, 3-3-0 ECAC) 5-1 to earn a split for the weekend after dropping to RPI 3-2 Friday night. The win moved Harvard (5-4-0, 5-3-0) into a first-place tie with Yale and Colgate.

"We knew [coming into Union] that we were going to have our hands full," Harvard Coach Mark Mazzoleni said. "If we have any aspirations of obtaining home ice in the playoffs, this was a big game for us,"

The Crimson answered many lingering questions about the team after turning in two dismal efforts at home against Boston University and Brown.

Harvard generated quality scoring opportunities on both nights this weekend and finally hit the back of the net against the Skating Dutchmen.

Junior winger Chris Bala--who despite his speed and puckhandling ability had just one goal entering the road trip--broke loose for a pair of goals including a nice conversion on a mini-breakaway on Union goaltender Brandon Snee.

The defense also tightened up, allowing just 24 shots against an excellent Engineer offense on Friday and 30 against Union. Most Skating Dutchmen shots came either on the power play or after the outcome was no longer in doubt.

"We only gave up two five-on-five goals all weekend," Mazzoleni said. "Off defensive turnovers we were able to generate offense in our transition game and that's something we've been harping on since Day One."

With the win, Harvard now has a little momentum heading into a break in its ECAC schedule. The Crimson has one more conference game before Christmas, Dec. 17 at Dartmouth, and doesn't gear up for another ECAC opponent until Jan. 7 when it hosts Yale.

Harvard 5, Union 1

The success of Union has been perhaps the biggest surprise of this season. The perennial ECAC doormats have clawed out a respectable .500 record--eighth in the conference.

But on Saturday, the Crimson met the Union it has come to know and count on beating.

From the opening face-off, Harvard outworked a hard-working team, and outhustled a team that only wins by pouncing on the puck before the opposition. And Snee, who is perhaps the most underrated goalie in the league, was off his game.

With the Crimson already ahead 1-0 off a wrist shot by junior winger Scott Turco that Snee badly misplayed, Bala extended the lead to 2-0 on the power play.

Taking a pass from sophomore defenseman Peter Capouch, Bala motored down the left wing to move in on Snee for a mini-breakaway. He cut across the goal mouth, faking on his forehand and sliding the puck in on the backhand.

"When Bala and [junior center] Steve Moore are only scoring one or two goals, you're gonna struggle," Mazzoleni said. "Bala picked it up and got the goals for us."

Harvard had firm control of the game at that point and junior goaltender Oliver Jonas, making just his second start of the season, had to make only five saves in the opening period.

But six minutes into the second period, referee Dan Murphy handed Union as golden a chance as any team has ever received to start a comeback and it failed to produce.

With senior winger Brett Chodorow already in the penalty box for interference, Steve Moore received a highly questionable five-minute major for kneeing Charles Simard, giving the Skating Dutchmen a five-on-three power play for a 1:07.

Five seconds after the Crimson killed the first two-man advantage, senior defenseman Mark Moore joined his brother in the sin bin for hooking, giving Union another full two minutes of a five-on three advantage.

The Skating Dutchmen, however, were indecisive with the puck, and couldn't work it down low. Harvard gave them the perimeter, and Union, looking for the perfect setup, refused to take it.

The most difficult save Jonas had to make during Union's long five-on-three time happened with two seconds left on the second two-man advantage.

Senior winger Ryan Campbell blasted a shot from below the right face-off circle, but Jonas closed the five-hole and covered the rebound.

"We just wanted shots from the perimeter, nothing down low," Jonas said. "If you give up rebounds on a five-on-three, oftentimes it's a goal."

At 14:22 of the second, freshman center Dominic Moore atoned for his older brothers' sins by putting the game away for Harvard.

Corralling the puck behind the net to Snee's left, he faked skating all the way around the goal and pulled up short for a quick wraparound. Snee fell down on the deke and the puck hit the back of the net for a 3-0 lead.

"Up until the time we took the penalties we had the momentum," Mazzoleni said. "That could've changed the whole complexion of the game."

Junior winger Harry Schwefel extended Harvard's lead to 4-0 at 2:23 of the third period.

To his credit, Union Coach Kevin Sneddon '92 wouldn't let his team pack it in and pulled Snee with about five minutes remaining.

The ploy netted the Skating Dutchmen's only goal, a well-screened blast from the center point by Jason Ralph that went over Jonas' shoulder.

But the goal did little to tarnish a strong 30-save performance for Jonas.

"Our schedule more than anything has dictated I hadn't gone to a rotation," Mazzoleni said. "We have tremendous confidence in [Jonas] and I know he's going to be our goaltender next year."

Bala finished the scoring at 17:17 of the third on assists from Chodorow and Dominic Moore.

RPI 3, Harvard 2

Friday Harvard made its first visit to the site where it last played under former coach Ronn Tomassoni.

The memories of last year's playoffs were all too real.

RPI again managed to take advantage of the few mistakes Harvard made and goaltender Joel Laing denied most of Harvard's prime scoring chances as the Engineers won 3-2 at the Houston Field House.

"I guess you can say it was just like last year," Bala said.

Harvard stormed out of the gates and sent 15 shots on Laing in an action-packed first period, but neither team could break the ice until Engineer winger Andrew McPherson struck at 8:41 of the second.

McPherson took a pass from Brian Pothier at the center of the Crimson blueline, surprising the two Harvard defenders napping at the ends of the line. He quickly turned and broke in on senior goaltender J.R. Prestifilippo, who stopped the initial shot, but couldn't stop McPherson from banging in the rebound.

RPI expanded its lead on a pretty goal five minutes into the third. Pothier took the puck in the slot and waited for a diving Capouch to slide by him. He cut across to his left and buried the shot five-hole.

"We played a good offensive team," Mazzoleni said. "We gave them very few scoring opportunities, took away their chances...but that's the way hockey goes sometimes."

Harvard captain Trevor Allman sliced the RPI lead in half at 7:36, catching Laing napping on a simple shovel shot from the left boards.

Fourteen seconds later, Harvard had an opportunity to seize the momentum and tie the score with the man advantage. But a struggling Crimson power play could not generate a quality scoring chance.

Including Bala's breakaway goal against Union, Harvard is two for its last 20 on the power play.

"The power play is just not clicking right now," freshman defenseman Aaron Kim said. "We needed it to get us some goals."

Engineer winger Doug Shepherd tallied an empty net goal at 19:32 to make the game 3-1.

Kim scored his first career goal on a blast from the right point with 10 seconds remaining in the game to produce the final score.

Notes

Bala's two-goal outburst against Union was his first multi-goal game since March 6, 1998 against Vermont when he struck for four goals in the first period in a 7-6 win for the Crimson.

RPI Coach Dan Fridgen won his 100th game Friday night.

Spotted in the stands were former Philadelphia Flyers goalie Ron Hextall, now scouting for them along with former Philly Coach Paul Holmgren.