CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – No. 20 Harvard men's ice hockey (8-5-1, 6-3-1 ECAC Hockey) will play its first ECAC Hockey weekend series in nearly a month and a half, as St. Lawrence (5-11-4, 3-5-2 ECAC Hockey) and Clarkson (11-7-3, 6-2-2 ECAC Hockey) come to Bright-Landry Hockey Center for a pair of games this weekend (Jan. 21-22). St. Lawrence has dropped its last three games, but earned a point the last time the two teams met (Harvard shootout win on Nov. 13). Clarkson swept Rensselaer and Union last weekend, scoring a combined 13 goals in the two wins. The Golden Knights defeated Harvard, 6-2, on Nov. 12, in the North Country.
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St. Lawrence Game Stream:
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Clarkson Game Stream:
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Social Media:
@HarvardMHockey | #GoCrimson | #OneCrimson
What to Know
• Last Friday (Jan. 14), in a tightly played contest, No. 2/2 Quinnipiac shut out No. 18 Harvard, 3-0, at Frank Perrotti Jr. Arena. Junior goaltender
Mitchell Gibson made 17 saves for Harvard, which saw its three-game winning streak snapped. First-year forward
Matthew Coronato led Harvard with three shots on goal. Junior defenseman
Ryan Siedem had four blocked shots for the Crimson.
• Harvard's early season success can be attributed to a potent offensive attack (13th in NCAA, 3.43 goals per game) and a solid defensive corps (14th in NCAA, 2.36 goals allowed per game). Harvard has allowed more than 3 goals in a game just once all season, while scoring 4 or more goals in a game on seven occasions this season (7-0-0).
• Harvard has scored first in nine of 14 contests this year (6-2-1 in those games) and is outscoring teams 20-6 in the first period of games this season.
• Junior captain
Nick Abruzzese is the nation's best point producer, averaging 1.50 points per game (1st in NCAA) with 21 points (5-16-21) in 14 games. Abruzzese has recorded a team best seven multiple-point efforts so far this season, most recently with three points (goal, two assists) in a Jan. 8 win over Union. A native of Slate Hill, NY, Abruzzese had a prolific first-year season for Harvard in 2019-20. He earned CCM/AHCA Hockey Second Team All-America honors. He led all NCAA first-years in scoring with 44 points and was named the ECAC Hockey and Ivy League Rookie of the Year, First Team All-ECAC Hockey and First Team All-Ivy.
• St. Lawrence is led up front by senior forward Kaden Pickering, who has notched 10 points (five goals, five assists) in 19 games. The Saints have struggled to score goals, averaging 1.85 per game (55th, NCAA), and most recently shut out by RPI on Jan. 17. The Saints are 7.7% on the year on the man advantage, while posting an 82.0% rate on the penalty kill (28th, NCAA). Preseason All-ECAC Hockey selection Emil Zetterquist has started 17 of 20 games in net.
• Clarkson has been one of the better defensive teams in the nation in the first half, allowing just 2.23 goals per game (11th, NCAA) and posting a 88.2% rate on the penalty kill (9th, NCAA). Sophomore forward Alex Campbell (10-10-20) leads the team in scoring, while graduate student Zach Tsekos (10-8-18) is also a threat. Sophomore goaltender Ethan Hader has started 21 of 22 games in net and has put up impressive numbers (10-7-4, 2.13 GAA, .920 Save%).
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 will play Rensselaer next Tuesday (Jan. 25, 7 p.m.) at Bright-Landry Hockey Center.
