Can anyone at the Harvard/UNH game tell me about the first period?  Under
the mistaken impression that the game started at 7:30, I arrived to find
only 20 seconds left in the period and the score knotted at 2.
 
Fortunately, I arrived at what was apparently the perfect time, as the
first six minutes of the second period were very exciting.  I had only seen
Harvard previously this year in early season losses to Cornell and Colgate,
and an unimpressive win at home against Brown.  The team I saw in those
games was completely disorganized and lacked any offensive punch.  The one
I saw tonight showed flashes of offesive brillance in the early stages of
the second.  After a quick UNH goal gave them a 3-2 lead, Harvard responded
with sharp passing and the aggressive forecheck I dreaded in 4 years of
watching Harvard/Brown games.  This lead to 2 goals in quick succession,
each the result of hard, well-placed slapshots (although the first, I
believe, was put in off a rebound).
 
Unfortunately for Harvard, they proved unable to consistently maintain this
style of play, and could not effectively exploit a rattled UNH goalie.
Just as Harvard looked poised to dominate, the level of their play
declined.  Particularly surprising were the *defensive* breakdowns which
preceeded UNH's final two goals of the second period.  Crimson defensemen
seemed unwilling to try to clear UNH attackers out of the middle, and this
left Harvard's goalie, Prestifilipo, helpless (a notable exception was
McCarthy (#3), who, during the penalty kill efforts, ruled the ice in front
of Prestifilipo like his own private little feifdom).
 
At any rate, the game went back and forth from this point on, with Harvard
only occasionally returning to form.  An aggressive (perhaps too
aggressive, but the refs didn't think so) UNH forecheck lead to the GWG
with about six minutes to play, as a UNH attacker (sorry, didn't catch the
name) pulled the puck off the boards and skated unmolested toward the
Harvard net.  He put a nice move on Prestifilipo for an easy score.  At
this point Harvard almost completely broke down, and was unable even to get
the puck to neutral ice and pull the goalie until about 25 seconds
remained.
 
All in all, it was a good effort by Harvard against a powerful offensive
team.  If the team can find a way to consistently play at the high level of
which they are clearly capable, they can do a lot of damage late in the
season.  With 9 league games remaining, there's still plenty of time for a
late run.  The team's performance against BU on Monday should be telling. .
.
 
Carl
 
 
 
Carl Sussman                                              Harvard Law School
 
[log in to unmask]                             Class of '99
 
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