The University of Vermont scaled to new heights of home ice advantage and stripped Harvard of its first period zealousness, as the Catamounts skated to a decisive 7-4 victory over the Crimson at Gutterson Field House. It was Harvard's fifth loss in eight games so far this season.
Down 2-1 at the end of the first, Vermont deftly skated around the scrambled Crimson defense for three scores in the last two stanzas.
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Penn hockey retread and All-Ivy forward Tom Cullity got the eventual game-winner at 1:42 of the final period, as he tipped a Chris Zimmerman slapshot which Crimson goalie Wade Lau tried unsuccessfully to trap between his pads.
Vermont, which had taken the lead 3-2 in the second when Zimmerman converted a pretty 2-on-1 break, increased its lead to three for the first time on a goal by defenseman Marc Brown with 11 and a half minutes remaining.
The icemen took early vacations in the second period, but swarmed all over Catamount netminder Tony Frost in the third. Unfortunately, the best they could manage was a goal in each stanza, by Jack Hughes on the power play in the second and freshman Scott Powers in the middle of the third (his first on the Harvard varsity).
Frost, after a fallout shelter type of first period, won the Graig Nettles Field Alike Award for his inspired play over the last 40 minutes, in which he stopped at least 25 Crimson shots.
It seemed from the opening face-off that the Crimson would continue its recent trend of treating formidable Division One opponents with dispatch, as the icemen sported a 2-1 advantage after the first period.
The power play, a primary eyesore for Harvard so far, put it together for the first tally. The Crimson came into the contest shooting a paltry 17 per cent in man-up situations before freshman Mike Watson made good on the first Vermont penalty of the contest, redirecting a John Cochrane laser by Frost at 3:00.
Watson and Cochrane switched roles in their duet on the second Harvard talley at 10:28. Watson broke into the Vermont zone and forced two Cat defensemen to commit themselves before sliding the puck to J.C. streaking down the right wing. Cochrane shifted Frost out of position before springing a backhand to the low left corner.
Vermont could parlay the lackadaisical Harvard play in the last half of the frame for only one goal, that on the power play by Penn transfer Gary Prior at 14:35.
THE NOTEBOOK: Phil Evans returned to the line-up last night, replacing senior forward Murray Dea, who could not make the trip because of an exam he missed due to illness last week.
Jackie Hughes added to his team-leading scoring totals with his second goal last night. The junior defenseman now has 2 goals and 14 assists on the season for 16 points. David Burke remains the leading scorer of the freshmen on the squad, with four goals and four assists.
Harvard is idle for nine days until it hosts western powerhouse and part-time religious institution Notre Dame on December 23 at Walter Brown Arena. SCORING SUMMARY First Period: H--Mike Watson (John Cochrane, George Hughes), 3:00; H--Cochrane (Watson), 10:28; UVM--Gary Prior (Craig Homola, Louis Cote), 14:35. Second Period: UVM--Prior (Cote, Chris Zimmerman), 4:23; UVM--Zimmerman (Homola, Mark Brown), 14:03; UVM--Jim Duffy (unassisted), 17:05; H--Jack Hughes (Mitch Olson, G. Hughes), 18:11. Third Period: UVM--Tom Cullity (Zimmerman, Cote), 1:42; UVM--Brown (Jim Murphy, Mike Vincent), 8:26; H--Scott Powers (Jim Trainor, John Dunderdale), 9:24; UVM--Zimmerman (empty net goal), 19:57. GOAL TENDING Saves: Wade Lau (H)--23 Tony Frost (UVM)--31
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