MALE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Dov Grumet-Morris

In late February, prior to the ECAC playoffs, the Harvard men’s hockey team appeared to be finished. At a desperate point in its season, stuck in the midst of a four-game losing streak, the Crimson had long since fallen from atop the ECAC standings and was in danger of dropping out of the playoffs entirely. But the next night, the Crimson’s season turned around.

On the road against Union, the Crimson scored four goals and got solid goaltending, beating the Skating Dutchmen, 4-0. But the story was not the explosion from Harvard’s previously dormant offense. The story was the play of freshman goaltender Dov Grumet-Morris. His consistency became the key element in the Crimson’s run through the ECAC tournament and into the NCAA playoffs.

“I think what Dov did for us was to add consistency at a point of our season where we desperately needed it,” said Harvard Coach Mark Mazzoleni.

Grumet-Morris’ run began at the start of March in Harvard’s first round ECAC tournament series against the Brown Bears. In a 4-1 Game One win, Grumet-Morris turned back a relatively routine 22 shots. But in Game Two’s marathon double overtime affair, he stopped 31 shots, matching Brown’s Yann Danis, who stood on his head for the full 94:41.

The final two rounds of the tournament were single-elimination, leaving no margin for error. Against the second-seeded Clarkson Golden Knights, Grumet-Morris lasted the entirety of sudden death overtime, stopping 39 shots and stymieing the Golden Knights offense.

“Dov was outstanding during our playoff run,” said Crimson captain Peter Capouch. “I think his biggest game was the one against Cornell in the ECAC tournament championship game. Dov made some unbelievable saves at key points in the game. It really kept the momentum on our side.”

During that Cornell game, with the ECAC title and an NCAA playoff berth on the line, Harvard was stretched to two overtimes—its third extra session in three games. Grumet-Morris turned aside 26 shots, but more importantly, he kept the Big Red off the scoreboard for the third period and both overtimes, making the key saves when they were needed.

“In order for any team to succeed, especially in the playoffs, you need to have a goalie who steps up and plays his best when the pressure is on,” said junior forward Dominic Moore. “Dov did that for us and more this year in the playoffs. He was sensational.”

Sensational, consistent and at times sensationally consistent. Grumet-Morris was the key factor in Harvard’s NCAA appearance, turning out possibly his best game in a 4-3 tournament overtime loss to Maine. He stopped 33 shots and blanked the Black Bears in the third period as Harvard mounted a comeback, despite several Maine breakaways.

“His best game was probably either the finals of the ECAC championship, or the NCAA game versus Maine,” Moore said. “Some of his saves there were miraculous, and they certainly showed everyone what kind of ability he has, and what kind of ability he has to handle pressure.”

For the last two and a half weeks of the season, the Crimson had a chance to win at the end of every game, be it in three periods or five, all because of the sudden consistency of its sensational rookie goaltender.

Dov Grumet-Morris

Playoff Statistics

Date Game Result Opponent Saves GA Time in Net

March 8 ECAC First Round W 4-1 Brown 22 1 60:00

March 9 ECAC First Round W 2-1 (2 OT) Brown 31 1 94:41

March 15 ECAC Semifinal W 3-2 (OT) Clarkson 39 2 75:19

March 16 ECAC Championship W 4-3 (2 OT) Cornell 26 3 96:11

March 23 NCAA First Round L 4-3 (OT) Maine 33 4 62:02