Men's Hockey Defies Odds, Expectations

Two weeks ago, I was sitting in the stands of the Bright-Landry Hockey Center, watching the Harvard men’s team host Yale. I was having a nice chat with Secretary of State John Kerry about the upcoming Iranian nuclear talks when a girl next to me asked her friend a question.

“Like, what is Harvard’s sport?”

Naturally, I felt inclined to jump in. If I had taken her question literally, I would have answered “squash” or “crew.” But I assumed from the way she asked the question she meant, “What is Harvard’s most nationally competitive revenue-generating sport?" Or, “What is Harvard’s hottest ticket?”

“Basketball,” I said. “Maybe football. So as I was saying, Jack….”

Two weeks later, I might have to amend my assessment. Right now, the Harvard men’s ice hockey team is the hottest ticket in Cambridge, and maybe the hottest team in all of men’s college hockey.

I don’t think I could have imagined writing that last sentence a month ago. Not after two historically bad campaigns in which losing and underperforming had seemed to become the status quo.

But after knocking off No. 1 Boston University and No. 4 UMass Lowell within a four day span on the road earlier this week, the No. 9/8 Crimson icemen look like proven winners. After entering the season off the national radar, Harvard received six first-place votes in the latest USCHO.com poll.

Through the first month of its 2014-2015 campaign, the team has rolled out a fast-paced, high-skill brand of hockey that has been fun to watch.

The Crimson’s first line ranks among the quickest and most potent combinations in the NCAA. Junior Jimmy Vesey, sophomore Alex Kerfoot, and junior co-captain Kyle Criscuolo have outskated every opponent they have faced this year while exhibiting a level of chemistry that Harvard has struggled to develop in recent seasons.

The talent doesn’t stop there.

On the second line, junior Brian Hart and sophomore Luke Esposito have also clicked and are on pace for career best numbers. Meanwhile, the third line, anchored by sophomore center Tyler Moy, has provided the Crimson with much-needed scoring depth.

At times, defenseman Patrick McNally has been the team’s best forward. The Canucks prospect has blitzed opposing defenses on multiple occasions with Bobby Orr-esque coast-to-coast strikes and leads all college defensemen with 1.30 points per game.

No discussion of the Crimson’s most valuable players would be complete without Steve Michalek. Through 10 starts, the junior goaltender has been a rock. His .947 save percentage is just a save or two off the national lead.

Beyond the talent, though, there’s something about this team that distinguishes it from recent seasons past. It’s an extra confidence, an extra swagger. The team’s upperclassmen are remembering what it feels like to win, and it feels good.

In overtime against BU, that swagger was on full display. With an early Vesey breakaway, it was clear right from the start of the extra frame that Harvard was not playing for the tie. Minutes later, Criscuolo netted the game winner after a dominating Crimson sequence in the Terrier zone.

This is a team that knows that it’s good, yet knows that it can improve. After each of Harvard’s last four wins, coach Ted Donato ’91 has pointed out significant stretches of play that his squad will have to address moving forward.

But that, perhaps, highlights the scariest thing about this team: its best hockey seems to be ahead of itself.

The offense is just starting to work in high-caliber junior forwards Greg Gozzo and Colin Blackwell off injured reserve. Reigning co-Ivy League Rookie of the Year Sean Malone is waiting in the wings.

The Crimson’s freshman skaters, meanwhile, are just getting acclimated to the college game. Rookie forwards Seb Lloyd and Jake Horton are poised to make big strides on the third line. Defenseman Wiley Sherman will continue to develop a skill set to complement his 6’7” frame.

Harvard hasn’t appeared in the national tournament since 2006 and hasn’t won a Beanpot since 1993. With a challenging conference schedule and a hungry BU team in the Crimson’s way, it’s far too early to tip this team as a favorite to break either of those streaks. The college hockey season is a volatile and capricious beast.

For now, though, fans can appreciate the team’s quick start. The squad’s recent play has evoked memories of a time when there was no doubt which sport was “Harvard’s sport.” Maybe by the end of the year, I’ll have a different answer for that girl’s question.

—Staff writer Michael D. Ledecky can be reached at michael.ledecky@thecrimson.com. Follow him on Twitter @MDLedecky.