Men's Hockey Routs Ferris State, 7-3, in Mariucci Classic Opener

MINNEAPOLIS—The first line for the Harvard men’s hockey team is no stranger to making headlines. And rightfully so. For the second straight season, the Crimson’s star trio of Jimmy Vesey, Kyle Criscuolo, and Alex Kerfoot has wreaked havoc on its opponents, this time entering 2016 with 41 points through 10 games.

But in Harvard’s first contest of the new year Friday evening, it was the fourth line that stole the show. Entering Friday with a combined three points, Lewis Zerter-Gossage, Jake Horton, and Devin Tringale left with 10, as all three found the back of the net in a 7-3 rout of Ferris State in the opening round of the 25th annual Mariucci Classic.

“It’s awesome,” said Tringale, the junior whose second-period goal extended the Crimson’s lead to 5-2, all but squashing any hopes of a Bulldog comeback. “We put in a lot of work. From the first line to the fourth line, I thought we all played with a lot of energy tonight, and it’s nice to get rewarded for the hard work once in a while.”

Harvard (7-1-3, 4-1-3 ECAC) manhandled FSU over the first 15 minutes of play at the University of Minnesota’s holiday tournament, outshooting the Bulldogs (8-9-4, 7-7-2 WCHA) by a 20-3 margin over that span. But after winning a power play near the end of the frame, the FSU offense finally sprung to life, generating 16 of the game’s next 21 shots, including two goals—courtesy of its own fourth line, no less—to cut the Crimson’s lead to 4-2.

Momentum continued to turn in the Bulldogs’ favor less than 30 seconds later after freshman center Trevor Recktenwald scored their second goal, as senior defenseman Desmond Bergin drew one of three penalties he amassed in the period, leaving FSU with an opportunity to climb within one.

But the Bulldogs failed to take advantage, as sophomore goaltender Merrick Madsen made two of his 34 saves in the contest on the ensuing power play to maintain his side’s two-goal edge. And with 2:30 remaining in the frame, Tringale provided the dagger, turning a Zerter-Gossage feed right above the crease into his first goal since Feb. 28, 2014.

“We’re not surprised,” said Kerfoot about the fourth line’s offensive outburst. “We see them in practice every day, and we know how good they are. Everyone in our lineup is a really good hockey player.”

Zerter-Gossage’s assist to Tringale provided the finishing touch on a career day for the rookie from Montreal. The freshman opened the scoring just over eight minutes into the contest with an impressive redirect of a Clay Anderson blue-line slapper and followed it up with a helper to Horton, who upped Harvard’s lead to 3-0 on a wrister near goaltender Charles Williams’s right post.

The Crimson exploded for a total of seven goals in the win, matching a season-high set in its season opener against Dartmouth on Halloween in Hanover. And just like in its rout of the Big Green, Harvard received its production from seven different goal-scorers.

Senior forward Jimmy Vesey scored his ninth goal of the season in the win. By Crimson Multimedia Staff

After Zerter-Gossage was Vesey, who scored his ninth of the season from the edge of the right circle 12:42 into the contest after receiving a feed through the slot from Kerfoot as the junior darted his way up the left wing.

Then 1:45 into the third period, Seb Lloyd joined Tringale and Horton as the third member of the Crimson to score his first goal of the season on Friday. Collecting a Sean Malone shot that missed wide behind the net, Lloyd beat Williams on a wrap-around to up Harvard’s lead to four.

Eight minutes later, fifth-year senior Colin Blackwell—playing in his first game since Nov. 14 after missing the Crimson’s last six contests—capped his side’s scoring with a one-timer just north of the left dot that ricocheted off the left post and in.

Harvard’s victory, paired with a 3-2 Minnesota win over UConn in the nightcap, means that the Crimson and Gophers will square off in the championship game of the Mariucci Classic tomorrow night at 8 p.m. EST (7 p.m. CST).

An arena with a capacity of 10,000 people, Mariucci remained largely empty for the majority of the bout between Harvard and FSU, who calls Grand Rapids, Mich., home. But following the final whistle, the hometown fans flooded in to see the hosts play UConn in the second game of the night.

Knowing the type of atmosphere a championship game against Minnesota has the potential to draw, Kerfoot knew exactly who he was rooting for before the Gophers even took the ice.

“I want to play Minnesota. I mean we came all the way out here. I want to play at 7:00 in front of a packed house,” Kerfoot said.

“I mean if we play UConn, that’s fine—they’re a great team,” he added. “But...it’s not every time you get to come to Minnesota to play in the finals of the Mariucci against them. That’d be pretty special.”

—Staff writer Jake Meagher can be reached at jake.meagher@thecrimson.com.