Crimson Dominates Big Green To Open Season at Bright

It’s an unfamiliar statistic for the Harvard men’s hockey team, this 1-0-0 record to start the season. The Crimson had lost or tied its last four season openers before defeating Dartmouth 6-2 Saturday in the Bright Center, snapping a first-game winless losing streak that started in 2001.

“The past two years I’ve been here, we’ve always had a slow start,” said junior center forward Kevin Du. “Just to get the win, especially against a great team like Dartmouth, does a lot for our confidence.”

OVER DU

Junior center Kevin Du netted four points Saturday, tallying twice and dishing two assists in Harvard’s win.

Late in the second period, Du scored the go-ahead goal when freshman wing Jason Fraser threw the puck into the middle of the ice and Du out-hustled a Dartmouth defenseman in a one-on-one battle. The pivot fell to one knee in the slot but beat the Big Green goalie anyway, giving the Crimson a crucial 3-2 lead going into the third period.

“That’s a very special play,” said Harvard coach Ted Donato ’91. “There’s not a lot of guys who can make that play, and I think as a coach, you kind of shake your head and say, ‘Thank God he’s on my team.’”

A TALE OF THREE PERIODS

Despite three goals to show for it, the Crimson had few opportunities in the offensive end in the first two periods. Dartmouth outshot Harvard 14-9, and Big Green coach Bob Gaudet said he thought his team played well enough to take the lead—instead, Dartmouth trailed 3-2 after two frames.

But in the third period, the Crimson exploded for 13 shots to the Big Green’s eight, evening the game tally at 22 a piece.

Nick Coskren’s goal at 1:59 in the third period gave Harvard a comfortable 4-2 advantage and forced Dartmouth to play catch-up.

“The fourth goal goes in and they’re up by two and you have to open it up,” Gaudet said. “[They] got up on us and we had to try to open it up and it allowed them to have more breaks.”

Two of the Crmimson’s three final-frame goals came off breakaways, and the third came when Steve Mandes intercepted the puck and fired a pass to a streaking Dave Watters, who was wide open in front of the net.

POWER PLAY PROWESS

Harvard scored two power-play goals Saturday and finished the night converting 50 percent of its power-play situations.

In the second period, Dylan Reese netted the 2-2 equalizer at 8:53, just five seconds after Big Green defenseman Rob Jarvis was sent to the box for tripping. Dan Murphy added the second man-advantage goal in the third frame, a strike from the right side at 14:44.

Harvard killed all three Dartmouth power plays, allowing just four shots while shorthanded.

ALONG THE BOARDS

Coskren, a freshman, scored his first collegiate goal, and classmates Jack Christian and Fraser tallied assists in their first game in a Harvard uniform...Senior goaltender John Daigneau won his first game since January 2004, recording 20 saves on the night...Harvard avenged a 2-1, Feb. 2005 loss to Dartmouth that ruined the Crimson’s chances at an Ivy title...Due to Vermont’s departure from the ECAC and Quinnipiac’s entrance, travel partners have been shuffled and Harvard is now paired with the Big Green. The Crimson had previously traveled with Brown, and Dartmouth with Vermont.

—Staff writer Aidan E. Tait can be reached at atait@fas.harvard.edu.