NOTEBOOK: Mandes Spearheads Crimson's Attack

ALBANY, N.Y.—With three goals and three assists in a two-game span, Harvard men’s hockey forward Steve Mandes nearly doubled his season points total (now 13) and sparked a Crimson offense that notched 18 goals in that span.

It began with an 8-4 drubbing of Saint Lawrence that clinched the ECAC tournament quarterfinal series last Sunday, and it continued this past Friday with a 10-1 win over Dartmouth in the Pepsi Arena semifinal. In that pair of games, Harvard lit the lamp more than it had in its previous five games (17 total goals).

Known mainly for his defensive ability and his quick wheels, Mandes assisted on a shorthanded goal and then scored a 4-on-4 strike against the Saints. And in the fourth-seeded Crimson’s romp over the top-seeded Big Green, Mandes netted a shorthanded attempt of his own, another 4-on-4, and added two assists.

Donato called Mandes “one of our key guys—he kills penalties and a lot of times gets matched against a team’s top offensive line.

“It’s been a great thing to be part of,” the coach added, “to watch him progress so much as a goalscorer.”

SHARE THE WEALTH

Of the 11 Harvard skaters who notched points in Friday’s 10-goal effort over Dartmouth, seven managed multi-point efforts. Mandes led the way with his two goals and two assists, while freshman Brian McCafferty and sophomores Jon Pelle and Paul Dufault tallied three points apiece.

“It was just one those things,” said Dartmouth coach Bob Gaudet. “Sometimes the puck has eyes.”

“We gave them some really good opportunities,” he added, “and they found the back of the net.”

BETWEEN THE PIPES

Senior netminder John Daigneau’s shutout was ruined 5:41 into the third period Friday evening, when Nick Johnson took a feed just outside the crease and beat Daigneau at the left post.

But Daigneau made 34 saves in his nearly 51 minutes of play, after which Donato pulled him to prevent injury. And also, the coach added, because “sometimes when you pull a guy out, he gets an ovation, and I thought John certainly deserved an ovation by himself.”

Backup Justin Tobe made a perfect 10 stops in 9:26 of relief.

ALONG THE BOARDS

This was Harvard’s sixth consecutive trip to the ECAC tournament’s final four weekend, and the win over Dartmouth clinched the Crimson’s fifth consecutive appearance in the championship game…The Crimson power play went 2-for-5 on the night, and its penalty kill held the Big Green scoreless in four chances…Dartmouth outshot Harvard by a 45-35 margin.

—Staff writer Rebecca A. Seesel can be reached at seesel@fas.harvard.edu.