CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Riding a 6-1-2 stretch in its last nine games, Harvard men's ice hockey (15-8-3, 12-5-2 ECAC Hockey) closes out the 2021-22 regular season this weekend when it plays road contests at Union (10-17-4, 7-11-2 ECAC Hockey), Rensselaer (14-19-3, 9-11-0 ECAC Hockey), and Princeton (8-16-2, 7-11-1 ECAC Hockey) (game rescheduled from 1/15) this weekend (Feb. 25-27). Harvard is 5-0-1 in its last six games against ECAC Hockey competition, clinched the 2022 Ivy title (24th in school history), and can finish no worse than third in the ECAC Hockey standings, having clinched a first-round bye in the league tournament.
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Union Game Stream
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Social Media:
@HarvardMHockey | #GoCrimson | #OneCrimson
Game Notes
What to Know
• Harvard's early success can be attributed to a potent offensive attack (3.23 goals per game, 16th, NCAA) and a solid defensive corps (2.27 goals allowed per game, 10th NCAA). Harvard has allowed more than 3 goals in a game just three times all season, while scoring 4 or more goals in a game on 11 occasions this season (11-0-0).
• Harvard has scored first in 15 of 26 contests this year (11-3-1 in those games) and is outscoring teams 29-18 in the first period of games this season. Harvard has outscored teams 13-1 in the third period of the last nine contests. Harvard has also outshot teams in 21 of 26 games played this season, with an 12-6-3 mark when it outshoots an opponent.
• Junior defenseman
Henry Thrun (4-20-24) is having his best season on the blue line, and is currently 10th in the NCAA in assists per game (.77).
• Last Saturday (Feb. 19), the Crimson earned a 1-0 victory over No. 4/4 Quinnipiac on Senior Night, led by a 39-save shutout performance from junior goaltender
Mitchell Gibson. Senior captain
Casey Dornbach scored Harvard's lone goal at 18:37 of the second period, and the Crimson held on for the win behind Gibson's fantastic play in net. Harvard earned its first win over a top-5 opponent since a 5-2 win at No. 5 Clarkson on Feb. 21, 2020. Harvard is 7-0 in its last seven Senior Nights dating back to 2014-15.
• Sophomore
Alex Laferriere recorded his team leading 13th goal of the season against Princeton on Friday, and was named ECAC Hockey Player of the Month for January. On Nov. 6 against Colgate, he recorded Harvard's first four-goal game since Ryan Donato '19 scored four on Feb. 10, 2017.
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 host a ECAC Hockey Quarterfinal best of three series in two weeks (March 11-13) at Bright-Landry Hockey Center, against an opponent to be determined.
