CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – No. 5/6 Harvard (21-6-2, 18-4-0 ECAC Hockey) begins its defense of the Whitelaw Cup this weekend (March 10-12) when it hosts No. 9 seed Princeton (13-17-0, 8-14-0 ECAC Hockey) in a best-of-3 ECAC Hockey Quarterfinal series at Bright-Landry Hockey Center. Harvard, the No. 2 seed, 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, is its best regular season showing since winning the Cleary Cup in 2016-17. Harvard has already clinched the sixth 20-win season in the Ted Donato era.
WHAT TO KNOW
- 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.
- This week, the Ivy League announced its full set of year end of awards and ECAC Hockey announced finalists for major awards. Sean Farrell earned Ivy League Player of the Year, Joe Miller earned Ivy League Rookie of the Year, and Ted Donato was named Ivy League Coach of the Year. Farrell led the Crimson with 21 points (6-15-21) and was plus-13 in 10 Ivy contests, recording points in all but one game in Ivy League play. Donato earned his second straight and third overall Ivy League Coach of the Year selection (2016-17, 2021-22, 2022-23) after leading Harvard to a 9-1 record in Ivy League play. In addition, Farrell (First Team), Matthew Coronato (First Team) Mitchell Gibson (First Team), Henry Thrun (First Team), Alex Laferriere (Second Team), Joe Miller (Honorable Mention), and Ian Moore (Honorable Mention) earned all-league recognition. For ECAC Hockey awards, Baker Shore was named a finalist for Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Donato is a finalist for Coach of the Year, and Thrun is a finalist for Best Defensive Defenseman.
- Sean Farrell has been on fire of late, with seven multiple point efforts in his last 13 games (10-14-24 in that span). Farrell (18-29-47) is the third Harvard forward in the last five seasons to top 40 points (Nick Abruzzese, 14-30-44 in 2019-20; Ryan Donato 26-17-43 in 2017-18). Farrell has a chance to become the third Harvard skater in the last 20 years to top 50 points (Jimmy Vesey, 32-26-58 in 2014-15; Dominic Moore, 24-27-51 in 2002-03). Farrell is second in the nation (to Adam Fantilli of Michigan) with 1.62 points per game, which would be the best scoring average by a Harvard player since Steve Martins '95 (1.88 points/game) in 1993-94.
- Harvard and Princeton will meet for the first time in the ECAC Hockey playoffs since the 2008 ECAC Hockey Championship game (Princeton won, 4-1). Harvard owns a 4-1 record all time against the Tigers in the ECACH playoffs. Junior forward Ian Murphy (15-15-30) leads the team in scoring and has five goals in his last three games Senior forward Liam Gorman (12-10-22) and sophomore forward Jack Cronin (12-6-18) are also scoring threats. Senior goaltender Aidan Porter (2-8-0, 3.98 GAA, .845 Save%) has started the last several games with Ethan Pearson out due to injury. Princeton earned its way into the ECACH Quarterfinals with a 6-4 win at Union last Saturday. Spencer Kersten and Ian Murphy each scored twice for Princeton.
- Senior defenseman Henry Thrun is one of the nation's top all-around defensemen. Thrun is 6th among all NCAA defensemen in per game scoring (0.93 points per game, with 26 points (5-21-26) in 28 contests. He 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 +12 rating in 2021-22. Thrun entered the year with the 9th most assists (43) among all returning d-men in college hockey and the 12th-most points (53).
- Starting goaltender Mitchell Gibson (15-5-2, 2.19 .920), one of the nation's best in net, was named one of nine semifinalists for the Mike Richter Award last week. Gibson has the nation's 10th-best GAA (2.19) and 11th best Save% (.920). He entered the year as one of the most experienced goaltenders in the nation and he currently has a career 44-23-6 mark in 74 games played, including a 2.30 GAA and .918 Save %.
- Sophomore forward Matthew Coronato and junior forwards Sean Farrell and Alex Laferriere are Harvard's nominees for the Hobey Baker Award. Farrell leads Harvard in scoring with 47 points (18-29-46) and is second in the nation in points per game (1.62). Coronato leads the team with 19 goals, and has 32 points (19-14-33) on the year as Farrell's linemate, including 13 goals in his last 18 games. Laferriere is second on the team in scoring with 36 points (16-20-36). Harvard has had four winners of college hockey's most prestigious award (T-2nd amongst all schools) - Jimmy Vesey (2016), Lane MacDonald (1989), Scott Fusco (1986), and Mark Fusco (1983).
UP NEXT
The winner of the Harvard-Princeton series will advance to ECAC Hockey Championship Weekend in Lake Placid, NY on March 17-18.
