CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – No. 7/9 Harvard (7-1-1, 6-0-0 ECACH) returns to league play this weekend in its final series before the holiday/exam break, as it heads to central New York to take on Cornell (6-4-0, 4-2-0 ECACH) and Colgate (6-9-1, 4-2-0 ECACH) on Dec. 2-3. Harvard is off to its best start in ECAC Hockey play since the 1988-89 season, when it won its first 13 games in conference play. Harvard is seeking its first regulation win at Lynah Rink since Jan. 27, 2017. Harvard is 4-1-1 in its last six games against Colgate dating back to 2018-19. Harvard has the No. 4 scoring offense in the nation (3.78 goals/game) and the No. 5 scoring defense (2.00 goals allowed/game).

WHAT TO KNOW

• After a slow start, Cornell has won its last four games, including a 6-0 win over No. 6 Connecticut at Madison Square Garden last Saturday. Sophomore goaltender Ian Shane (5-3-0, 1.54 GAA, .933 Save%) has made three of the four starts in net in that span, including a 27-save shutout of UConn. Overall, Cornell is fourth in the nation in scoring defense (1.9 goals allowed/game), and has the seventh-best penalty killing unit (87.2%). Colgate has won its last three league contests with strong defensive play. The Raiders have a solid penalty kill (83.6%, 18th, NCAA) and allow 2.5 goals per game (19th, NCAA). Senior forward Matt Verboon has scored four goals in his last five contests. Junior goaltender Carter Gylander (6-8-1, 2.40 GAA, .922 Save%) has started 15 of 16 games for Colgate.
• Harvard's special teams have been a strong point early on this season. Harvard has the No. 5 power play unit in the nation (10-for-37, 27.0%) and the No. 1 penalty killing unit in the nation (27-for-28, 96.4%). Harvard has potted five shorthanded goals (No. 2, NCAA) in its first nine games, with Sean Farrell scoring two of them.
• Harvard's defensive play has been a highlight of its first nine games, as the team has more than two goals in a game just twice, and has the nation's No. 5 scoring defense (2.0 goals allowed per game). Goaltenders Michell Gibson (4-1-1, 1.97, .927), Derek Mullahy (2-0-0, 1.50, .929) and Aku Koskenvuo (1-0-0, 2.00, .913) have all been excellent in net.
• Sophomore forward Matthew Coronato and junior forward Sean Farrell have combined with first-year forward Joe Miller to form a dynamic top line for the Crimson. Farrell leads Harvard in scoring with 13 points (4-9-13) and has a team-best +9 rating, while Coronato has 12 points (6-6-12) in that span. Miller leads all Harvard first-years with six points (3-3-6) in nine games.
• Harvard's centers have helped the Crimson become on of the top faceoff teams in the nation early on, currently sitting at No. 4 (55.9%) in the nation. Senior captain Baker Shore (51-37, 58.0%), sophomore Zakary Karpa (79-59, 57.2%), and sophomore Matthew Coronato (120-85, 58.5%) have all been excellent on draws.
• Senior defenseman Henry Thrun became the 11th blue-liner in program history to earn All-America honors - a Second Team AHCA All-American - after posting a 7-25-32 line with a plus-12 rating in 2021-22. A two-way defenseman, Thrun entered the year with the ninth most assists (43) among all returning d-men in college hockey and the 12th-most points (53). He is coming off a strong weekend at Michigan (2-1-3 in two games) and leads all NCAA defensemen in per game scoring (1.33 points per game, with 12 points (3-9-12) in nine contests.

UP NEXT

Harvard will have three straight weekends off before returning to play on Dec. 30 with a 7 pm road contest at Boston University.