PRINCETON, N.J.--They're back folks. After dropping two heartbreakers last weekend, the Harvard men's hockey team was not about to lose again.

Although the entire team still wasn't completely healthy, Harvard (6-5-1, 5-3-1 ECAC) was able to notch a solid 5-1 win against Princeton (3-8-2, 1-7-1) at Hobey Baker Memorial Rink last night.

In a contest that featured the return of Harvard's offense, the team came out strong, intent upon stopping its two-game losing streak.

"This is certainly the best effort on the road this year," Harvard coach Ronn Tomassoni said. "It was a solid, solid win."

The third period was a perfect example of Harvard's dominance, as Princeton had trouble even making it into the Harvard zone.

With about 10 minutes left in the game, the Princeton public address system blared the song "[low] Self Esteem" during a stoppage in play. How appropriate, considering that the Crimson ripped 15 shots on net and killed any hope of a Princeton comeback.

Only four minutes into the final period, senior Jason Karmanos broke down center ice. Drawing three defenders around him, Karmanos took a shot only to have it rebounded right back on his stick. The second attempt was golden, however, as Karmanos ripped the puck past Princeton goalie James Konte to up Harvard's lead to 4-1.

Less than seven minutes later, senior winger Tommy Holmes broke into the Princeton zone and threaded a beautiful pass through three Princeton defenders to streaking senior Kirk Nielsen. Nielsen then whipped the biscuit into the back of the net.

"I thought we really took it to them," Tomassoni said. "That third period is where you want to roll it up and get on the other team, and I thought we really bottled them up and controlled the [action]."

Harvard was on fire from the get-go, as it got on the board early in the first period the best way it knows how--shorthanded. With less than four minutes elapsed in the contest and with Harvard freshman Ethan Oberman in the penalty box for holding, the shorthanded unit got to work.

Holmes nabbed the puck at center ice and broke down the right side towards the Princeton net. Although the play looked harmless at first. Holmes at the last moment flicked a pass in front of the goal to trailing junior Joseph Craigen. After controlling the bouncing puck with his knee, Craigen knocked in his second tally of the year and Harvard's eighth shorthanded goal of the season.

"Tommy, Brad [and] Karmo have done an outstanding job shorthanded all season long," Tomassoni said. "And if you're going to have good penalty killing, you have to also have good goaltending and Tripp Tracy [28 saves] gave us that tonight."

But the Crimson wasn't done yet. With only 1:46 remaining in the period and on a power play, freshman Craig Adams shuffled a pass to Holmes, who broke in on Konte.

Displaying deft stick work. Holmes decked Konte and slipped the puck into the net to give Harvard a 2-0 lead.

"We wanted to come out and get a good win on the road," Holmes said.