Late Goal Helps Union to Victory

In its third game in four days, Harvard (3-15-0, 2-11-0 ECAC) gave No. 10 Union all it could handle.

But a goal with less than three minutes remaining in the third period clinched a 2-1 win for the Dutchmen (16-7-3, 8-3-1) at Messa Rink in Schenectady, NY.

“There are no moral victories,” co-captain Chris Huxley said. “A loss is a loss. But I feel like this weekend we did take a step forward. We improved on a lot of things.”

Other players did not return repeated requests for comment.

Despite firing 34 shots in the first two periods on Saturday, Union could not get past senior goaltender Ryan Carroll, making his fifth start of the season. Carroll made 40 saves on the night and helped Harvard enter the third period with a 1-0 lead.

In the first period, the Crimson got on the board with a power-play goal by senior Michael Biega at the 17:34 mark. The forward knocked in a one-timer through traffic off assists from sophomores Danny Biega and Conor Morrison. The tally occurred during the transition from a 5-on-3 to a 5-on-4 Harvard advantage.

The Crimson will look for more power-play success, as it currently sits at a 12.9 percent conversion rate—one of the nation’s lowest marks. Harvard went 1-4 on the power play on Saturday.

“The main thing [on the power play] is execution,” Huxley said. “You just got to execute passes and move the puck quick.”

The second period ended up being a defensive battle. Union, which, according to U.S. Hockey Online, leads the nation with a 2.04 goals against mark, stifled Harvard’s attack, but was unable to even the score at one.

Carroll, the third Crimson goalie to start in the past three games, made a number of important stops in the second period and benefited from a goal-saving play by junior Rence Coassin, who blocked a Union attempt into an open net.

The Dutchmen controlled the shooting in the period, outpacing Harvard, 19-9.

In the third period, Union mounted a comeback with Jeremy Welsh scoring the tying goal 6:48 into the period. Welsh collected a loose puck in the Harvard zone and sent it past Carroll’s glove with a backhander.

With less than three minutes left in the game, Mat Bodie registered the game-winning score.

The play began when Carroll came out of the crease to defend a Union attack. Dutchman Wayne Simpson sent a shot on net, which missed, but Bodie converted with a tip-in.

The Crimson pulled Carroll and had a 6-on-4 opportunity as the game came to a close, but Harvard could not get past Union goalie Keith Kinkaid, who had 25 saves on the night.

The Crimson continued its strong play on the penalty kill against the Dutchmen. Union, leading the nation with a 29.57 percent power-play conversion rate, went 0-for-5 with a man-advantage.

Over the past three games. Harvard has killed all 12 opponent power plays.

With the win, the Dutchmen improved its impressive home record to 10-1-1.

The victory also puts Union in second place in the ECAC, behind Yale, the nation’s top-ranked team.

Harvard currently sits 11 out of 12 in the league standings. The loss marks the first time that the Crimson has been swept by Union in the regular season.

—Staff writer Jake I. Fisher can be reached at jifisher@fas.harvard.edu.