CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – No. 6/6 Harvard (23-6-2, 18-4-0 ECAC Hockey), the No. 2 seed, continues its defense of the Whitelaw Cup this weekend in Lake Placid, NY when it takes on No. 10/11 Cornell (20-9-2, 15-6-1 ECAC Hockey), the No. 3 seed, in a ECAC Hockey Semifinal contest at Herb Brooks Arena. Harvard returns to Lake Placid and ECAC Hockey Championship weekend for the seventh time in a row (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023). Harvard is seeking its 12th Whitelaw Cup in program history, and its fourth in the last eight years (2015, 2017, 2022).
WHAT TO KNOW
- Harvard heads into ECAC Hockey Championship weekend with a lot of momentum. Harvard is unbeaten in its last nine games (8-0-1), and has a 15-3-1 record since Jan. 1. The Crimson clinched a first-round bye and home ice in the ECAC Hockey playoffs for the sixth time in the last seven seasons. Harvard's second place finish in ECAC Hockey was its best regular season showing since winning the Cleary Cup in 2016-17 and it has clinched the sixth 20-win season in the Ted Donato era. Last weekend, Harvard dispatched Princeton with two 6-1 wins on Friday and Saturday, led by junior forward Alex Laferriere (four goals) and senior goaltender Mitchell Gibson (2-0-0, 65 saves, 1.00 GAA, .970 Save%).
- Harvard won both of its regular season games against Cornell, the first time it has swept the regular season series against the Big Red since 2016-17. On Jan. 28 at Bright-Landry Hockey Center, Matthew Coronato scored twice and Sean Farrell notched a career best four assists in a 6-2 win for Harvard. On Dec. 2 at Lynah Rink, Farrell scored the game-winner in overtime in a 2-1 win. Mitchell Gibson (53 saves combined) started both games in net. Cornell has won four games in a row entering the weekend.
- One of the nation's oldest college hockey rivalries, Harvard and Cornell have met 24 times in ECAC Hockey postseason play, with the Big Red owning a 14-9-1 mark in those contests. The two teams met most recently in Lake Placid in the 2017 ECAC Hockey Championship game on March 18, 2017, with Harvard earning a 4-1 win over the Big Red behind a pair of goals from Ryan Donato.
- Harvard won its 11th Whitelaw Cup in program history last year after a dramatic run In the 2022 ECAC Hockey playoffs. Harvard defeated RPI in the quarterfinal round in three games, including a Game 1 victory in which the Crimson scored three 6-on-5 goals in the final 3:42 of regulation. Harvard defeated Clarkson in the semifinal (5-3), then Quinnipiac, 3-2, in overtime of the ECAC Hockey Championship game in Lake Placid, with Mitchell Gibson making a career high 47 saves, and Matthew Coronato scoring the game-winning goal.
- Sean Farrell was named one of 10 finalists for the 2023 Hobey Baker Award this week. Farrell is Harvard's 16th Hobey Baker Award Top 10 finalist in program history. Farrell leads the Crimson in scoring with 51 points (20 goals, 31 assists) in 31 games played. The ECAC Hockey and Ivy League Player of the Year, and a two-time ECAC Hockey Player of the Month selection, Farrell is just the third Harvard skater in the last 20 years to top 50 points, joining Jimmy Vesey (32-26-58 in 2014-15) and Dominic Moore (24-27-51 in 2002-03). He is second in the nation in per game scoring with an average of 1.65 points per contest, and second in the nation averaging an assist per contest. Harvard has had four winners of the Hobey Baker Award (Mark Fusco, 1983; Scott Fusco, 1986, Lane MacDonald, 1989; and Jimmy Vesey, 2016).
UP NEXT
The winner of the Harvard-Cornell game will advance to the ECAC Hockey Championship game, which will air on ESPN+ on March 18 at 7:30 pm
