This seemingly futile move by Colgate simply translated into Harvard's third goal of the period when freshman Harry Schwefel broke into the scoring column.
"We went up 3-0 and we had a few bounces go our way, and I don't think the kids realized," Tomassoni said. "We tried to tell them after the first period that it really wasn't a 3-0 game and of course [Colgate] came storming back."
Showing exactly how it had defeated No. 2 Michigan and No. 6 New Hampshire, Colgate rebounded in the second period with 22 shots and four goals including two tallies by senior Tim Loftsgard. Allman, who recorded the first hat trick of his career, added an obligatory Harvard goal amidst the Colgate rush, but that tally allowed Harvard to be tied 4-4 heading into that crucial final period.
"Our second period was definitely our worst," Storey said. "At that point Coach told us what we had to do and we came out and we did it. That third period was a battle."
It was a battle which the Crimson consistently lost last season and it was a fight which Colgate surely thought it would win on Saturday.
But when Allman roofed his shot past Harder and as the Crimson waltzed back to Cambridge with an emotional win and two league points, the word was heard throughout.
Harvard had made its first statement to the ECAC.