Icemen Stun UNH Wildcats, 4-1

DURHAM, N.H.--It may be a little too early to start calculating playoff matchups, but one thing is official. The Harvard hockey team has become a phenomenon.

Last Wednesday, the Crimson turned in a stirring overtime win over normally awe-inspiring Boston University. And last night, the icemen shocked the University of New Hampshire (UNH) Wildcats, the defending ECAC champions, with a 4-1 victory before 3194 at cavernous Snively Arena.

And they made it look easy.

Obstacle

The icemen forechecked, they back-checked, they hustled. And when the lapses came, sophomore goalie Wade Lau was an immovable object between the pipes. Inartistically but effectively, Lau stopped all but one of the 46 shots the Wildcats sent in his direction.

After falling behind, 1-0, Harvard retaliated with two goals in each of the last two periods to leave the Wildcats and their rabid fans surprised, bewildered and frustrated.

Wild

In the first period, Lau and tough checking from both squads kept the contest scoreless. Although the Crimson matched UNH check for check, the Wildcats outshot Harvard, 16-6.

But after repeatedly frustrating Wildcats forays in the first 20 minutes, Lau had no chance when UNH broke the deadlock and went out in front at 2:14 of the second session.

The goal, like most, resulted from an error. An errant Crimson clearing pass ended up on the stick of UNH defenseman Sean Cody, who was positioned just inside the blue line. Coady promptly rapped a shot in Lau's general direction and the puck skewed off Wildcats Dan Forget and into the far corner of the Crimson net.

Slap Back

But Harvard, hoping to bask once more in the glow of an upset victory in enemy territory, struck back less than two minutes later with a finely manicured short-handed goal.

Rob Burns had just been called for charging when the hustling Tom Murray latched onto the puck deep in the UNH zone. He played catch with defenseman Mitch Olson at the point, then spotted Dave Brook all alone in the slot. The sophomore center calmly banked in a shot off the far post for his first goal of the season.

Nine minutes later, Bob McDonald made it 2-1 when he converted a Greg Olson centering pass from behind the net.

Exit Only

With Harvard's confidence peaking, the icemen took control in the third period, allowing UNH to penetrate the Crimson zone only to be turned back time after time.

Early in the final period, right wing Derek Malmquist added some insurance when he knocked in a rebound under UNH goaltender Greg Moffett to make it 3-1. McDonald set up the freshman's first career goal by maneuvering past a pair of UNH defensemen down the right board.

If any doubts remained, freshmen phenom Greg Olson dispelled them when he backhanded a loose puck past Moffett at 6:35 in the final stanza. Lau & Co. added insult to injury by denying two UNH power plays as the clock would down.

In the din of an ecstatic Crimson locker room, an anonymous shout said it all: "We can beat anyone!" Then coach Billy Cleary stood up and added, "All you boys get some rest and do some studying." Harvard 4, University of New Hampshire 1, at Durham, N.H. Scoring Harvard  0  2  2--4 UNH  0  1  0--1 Saves Wade Lau (H)  14  8  17--39 Greg Moffett (UNH)  6  9  5--20

First Period

No scoring

Second period

1. UNH--Dan Forget (Sean Coady) 2:14 2 H--Dave Burke (Tom Murray, Much Olson 3:54) 3 H--Bob McDonald (Greg Olson, Dave Connors) 14:53.

Third period

4 H--Derek Malmquist (McDonald, Connors) 2:44:5 H--G Olson (Rick Benson, Jim Turner) 6:35.

Attendance 3194

First Period

No scoring

Second period

1. UNH--Dan Forget (Sean Coady) 2:14 2 H--Dave Burke (Tom Murray, Much Olson 3:54) 3 H--Bob McDonald (Greg Olson, Dave Connors) 14:53.

Third period

4 H--Derek Malmquist (McDonald, Connors) 2:44:5 H--G Olson (Rick Benson, Jim Turner) 6:35.

Attendance 3194