CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – No. 19 Harvard men's ice hockey (6-4-1, 5-2-1 ECAC Hockey) opens 2022 with a return to non-conference play, as the Crimson hosts Connecticut (8-6-0, 5-4-0 Hockey East) on Sunday (Jan. 2, 7 pm, ESPN+) at Bright-Landry Hockey Center in the first ever meeting between the two programs in men's ice hockey. UConn elevated its program to the Division I level in 1998. Both teams are coming off long layoffs - UConn has not played since Nov. 27 (W, 6-1 vs. Colgate), while Harvard has not played since Dec. 4 (W, 5-3 vs. Yale).
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What to Know
• On Dec. 4, first-year forward
Matthew Coronato scored twice, and junior captain
Nick Abruzzese added a goal and two assists to lead Harvard to a 5-3 win at Yale. Sophomore goaltender
Derek Mullahy made 20 saves to earn the win in net. After an early goal by Yale, Harvard exploded for a four-goal first period, ending a two-game scoring drought and marking the team's best opening period since Oct. 30 against Bentley. Senior captain
Casey Dornbach (goal, assist) and sophomore forward
Sean Farrell (goal, assist) also had multiple point nights.
• Through 11 games, junior captain
Nick Abruzzese leads the team in scoring with 15 points (three goals, 12 assists). He has recorded five multiple-point efforts so far this season, most recently with three points (goal, two assists) at Yale.
• Harvard added 14 first-years and sophomores after a year away from competition, a group that includes seven NHL draft picks. Within that group are Harvard's top three goal scorers this season in
Alex Laferriere (7-3-10),
Sean Farrell (6-8-14), and
Matthew Coronato (6-6-12), forwards
Zakary Karpa (11 GP, 1-1-2) and
Alex Gaffney (9 GP, goal), four regular defensemen in
Ian Moore (3 assists, +7),
Jack Bar (10 GP, two assists),
Kyle Aucoin (11 GP), and
John Fusco (8 GP, goal) and goaltender
Derek Mullahy (3-0-0, 2.10, .913).
• UConn is one of the top defensive teams in the nation, allowing just 2.50 goals per game (17th, NCAA). Former Union College standout Darion Hanson has started all 14 games in net for UConn, and he is tied for 15th in the nation with a .923 save percentage. Up front, the Huskies are led by Ryan Tverberg, a Toronto Maple Leafs draft pick who is tops on the team in scoring with 16 points (nine goals, seven assists). Marc Gatcomb (5-7-12) and Jachym Kondelik (3-9-12) have also had strong seasons to date.
• Harvard has scored first in seven of 11 contests this year and is outscoring teams 15-4 in the first period of games this season.
• Harvard is off to a great start on home ice, at 4-1-0 in its first five games at Bright-Landry Hockey Center. Harvard is averaging four goals per game at home, outscoring teams 20-9.
At the Helm
Following success as a player, Harvard head coach Ted Donato has compiled a long list of accomplishments as head coach of the Crimson. The former Harvard captain has guided Harvard to four ECAC Hockey titles and three Ivy League championships, claimed six NCAA Tournament berths, coached 13 All-Americans and 17 National Hockey Leaguers. Donato, who won an NCAA Championship as a Harvard player in 1989 and enjoyed a 13-year NHL career, has represented Team USA at the World Junior Championships, multiple World Championships, and was the leading scorer of the 1992 Olympic Team in Albertville, France.
Up Next
Harvard returns to ECAC Hockey play next weekend (Jan. 7-8) with games against RPI and Union at Bright-Landry Hockey Center.
