DULUTH, Minn.--What does it really matter anyways?

It was the holiday season, after all. It was a time for egg nog, caroling and Christmas parties. What do a couple of non-league losses mean in the long run?

That was the question which the Harvard men's hockey team (5-7-2, 4-4-2 ECAC) had to deal with following its two losses in the Christmas series against the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs (11-8-1) on December 20-21. Looking to extend its two game winning streak, the Crimson was playing well and looked poised to breeze into the new year on a winning note.

Unfortunately, no holiday cheer was to be found in Duluth.

Harvard 1, Minnesota-Duluth 3

After two periods, the score was deadlocked at one. Both teams skated onto the ice after the second intermission knowing that it was anybody's game. And for the first 12 minutes, the third stanza was a battle.

Back-and-forth action with few stoppages in play had the Duluth crowd on the edge of its seats.

With only seven minutes remaining in the period, the fans were finally brought to their feet when Minnesota defenseman Matt Taus scooped home a rebound past the sprawling Harvard goaltender J.R. Prestifilippo, giving Minnesota the 2-1 lead.

Although there was still time on the clock, Harvard was stunned.

"That second goal killed us," Harvard coach Ronn Tomassoni said. "I thought that we played a pretty good hockey game and we obviously couldn't get that second one ourselves. We got a little careless in our own end and that was the turning point."

Six minutes later, Minnesota left winger Adam Roy put the finishing touches on the game. Driving down the right side and pitted one-on-one with Harvard defenseman Ben Storey, Roy barreled toward Prestifilippo.

At the final second, Roy leaned his entire body into Storey and shoveled the puck into the back of the net for the 3-1 lead.

This end to the contest mimicked the start, where Minnesota came sprinting out of the blocks.

Outshooting the Crimson 17-7 in the first period, the Bulldogs ripped through the Harvard defense, pelting Prestifilippo with short-range missiles.

Just seconds after a Minnesota power play concluded and with less than six minutes remaining in the period, Minnesota right winger Joe Rybar put home a rebound giving the Bulldogs the early 1-0 advantage.

"We came out a little slow," captain Ashlin Halfnight said. "Blame that on the plane legs or something, but I thought that we played very well and I think that we deserved to win."

Whatever was said in the Harvard locker room after the first period should be bronzed, because just a minute into the second stanza, the Crimson netted the equalizer.

Collecting the puck at the left point, Halfnight faked a shot and drew the Minnesota defender to the ice.

Gliding around the body, Halfnight ripped a clean blast into the left corner past a stunned Minnesota goaltender Brant Nicklin.

"We got our legs towards the end of the first period, and I thought that we played real well in the second," Tomassoni said. "We went in alone on [Nicklin] a few times and he really came up big with some good saves."

Despite the continuing pressure in the period, Nicklin stymied the offense and Harvard would tickle the twine no more.

"We came off a couple of good wins and a stretch where we've been playing real well," Halfnight said. "I think that these two games are important to continue that and to go home for Christmas feeling satisfied that we've done our job in 1996."

Harvard 2, Minnesota-Duluth 4

The one good thing about a two-game series is that there is another chance for a win the next night. Unfortunately for the Crimson, the second game was merely a carbon copy of the night before--except this time it was even uglier.

"That third period was just some awful hockey," Tomassoni said. "Just the way everything was happening, it was really frustrating."

Skating onto the ice for the third period, the teams once again found themselves tied at one.

Minnesota had dominated the first period action, and netted its first tally with five ticks remaining in the period.

"I thought that we were standing around in the first period," Tomassoni said. "We weren't moving our feet and they outplayed and outworked us."

Harvard, like the night before, rebounded strongly in the second period, scoring two-and-a-half minutes into the second stanza. Sophomore Craig Adams led the charge, notching his second goal of the season after finding himself all alone in front of the net.

Just four feet from Nicklin, Adams whipped his body around to the left and whisked the puck into the lower left corner, bringing a sense of hope to the Crimson bench.

The third period, however, was nothing short of a nightmare.

After only 45 seconds, with Minnesota on a power play, Minnesota left winger Ken Dzikowski finished off a Rick Mrozik shot to put the Bulldogs ahead, 2-1. That one goal proved to be the spark which ignited the explosion. With two exhausted hockey teams on the ice for the final period of a two-game Christmas tournament, tempers were ready to flare, and that's exactly what happened after Dzikowski's tally.

The Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center soon turned into a boxing ring with punches flying from every direction.

Five minutes into the period, Harvard junior Ethan Philpott collided with Nicklin in front of the Minnesota net. Three Duluth players immediately pounced on Philpott, taking him to the ground while the crowd booed and hissed. By the end of the period, eight roughing penalties had been called in the period.

Not exactly the Christmas spirit.

"It got really chippy out there," Prestifilippo said. "But our guys didn't back down."

Amidst all the commotion, some offense did manage to surface as Minnesota connected for two more goals in the period, successfully deflating Crimson hopes for a series split.

The one bright spot for Harvard came with only 2:08 remaining in the game. Off a pass across the blue line from Harvard senior Joe Craigen, senior defenseman Marco Ferrari ripped a bullet shot from the left point and netted his first career goal, cutting the Crimson deficit to 4-2.

"I was hoping for something better than that," Ferrari said. "When I scored the goal it didn't matter. It was great to get it after four years, but I wish it could have come at a better time."

Harvard flew out of Duluth the next morning with two more losses attached to its record. But in the end, the question must be asked, what does it really matter?

"I thought the team battled very hard and we have little to show for it," Prestifilippo said. "Once we come back to the league games, we'll still be battling and playing well and we'll go from there."

After two straight losses, the Christmas break couldn't come at a better time for the Crimson. Harvard  1 Minn.-Duluth  3

Harvard  2 Minn.-Duluth  4