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Harvard Advances To Championship Game
Created: 3/20/2004 7:11:07 AM
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Release courtesy of Harvard Athletic Communications
 The
Harvard men's hockey team will advance to the ECAC finals for the third consecutive
year, thanks to a 2-1 victory over Ivy rival Dartmouth in the semifinals of the
43rd annual ECAC Tournament, held at the Pepsi Arena in Albany, NY.
Dov Grumet-Morris made 30 saves as Harvard defeated the Big Green in the semis
for the second consecutive season, sending the Crimson into Saturday night's championship
tilt against Clarkson. Harvard wins its sixth consecutive game (its longest winning
streak since the 1993-94 season), and extends the Crimson's streak against the
Green to 7-0-1 in its last eight contests.
Both squads had chances in the opening frame, but skated through more than 30
minutes of scoreless action before the Crimson finally broke through. Just minutes
after Dartmouth had their best chance to that point (Mike Ouillette just missing
glove-side on a nice pass from Lee Stempniak), Dave McCulloch made a fantastic
effort to keep the puck in the Crimson offensive zone. Barely able to corral the
puck with the tip of his stick, he gained possession and wrested the puck on net.
With Dennis Packard screening Dartmouth netminder Dan Yacey (31 saves), the puck
fluttered over the netminder's left shoulder and into the upper corner of the
net. The Green got the goal back, gaining the equalizer at 19:18. Stempniak got
a pass from senior blueliner Brian Van Abel and broke into the offensive zone.
Stempniak made a great move to get by the Crimson defender at the right circle,
and held the puck as he moved across the goalmouth, putting it past Grumet-Morris
at the far post to send the teams into the second intermission deadlocked at one.
Harvard wasted little time in regaining the lead, putting its second of the night
on the board 33 seconds into the final frame. Ryan Lannon kept the puck in the
zone and moved it over to Peter Hafner at the right point. Hafner skated in past
the defender and put the puck on net, and the rebound off Yacey's pads went right
to the tape of Brendan Bernakevitch , who sent it back at the net for his tenth
of the season.
Harvard had a great chance to add to its lead three minutes later, as Hafner sent
the puck off the boards for a perfect pass to Steve Mandes at the red line. Mandes
and classmate Kevin Du broke in on a two-on-one, and Mandes' offering was snared
by Yacey to keep it a one-goal game. Dartmouth gained a power play midway through
the frame with Mandes in the box on an obstruction interference call, and was
frustrated by Crimson pressure on the puck and five blocked shots within the two
minutes the Big Green skated with a man advantage. Yacey was pulled for the final
1:04 in favor of an extra skater, but the Crimson held on to post the one-goal
victory.
The Crimson will make its school-record third-straight title game appearance,
and will play ninth-seeded Clarkson in an effort to capture its second title in
three years and seventh overall. Clarkson and Harvard each have 70 victories all-time
in ECAC Tournament play (second among all schools, behind Cornell's 72), and will
meet for just the second time in Tourney history with the title on the line. Harvard
defeated the Golden Knights 7-4 in the championship game in 1971.
The puck will drop on Saturday's game at 8 pm, and the contest will be aired
live on CN8 and CSTV.
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Related Schools: Harvard
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Related Sports: Ice Hockey
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*This Article has been archived.*
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