Lake placid is one of the most memorable places in U.S. sports history. It continually hosts world-class skiing, skating, even bob-sledding. And of course, America still hasn't forgotten the "Miracle on Ice" when the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team captured the gold medal in its arena.

Now, the winter sports mecca is the Harvard men's hockey team's next destination.

The Crimson swept the Colgate Red Raiders, 5-4 and 4-2, this weekend in front of a raucous crowd at Bright Hockey Center, advancing past the quarterfinals of the ECAC Championship and heading to the "Final Five" in Lake Placid.

"I think this is the biggest winning streak [four games] of my career," said captain Jeremiah McCarthy. "All the guys are just giddy, we want to keep it going."

Harvard was able to win the series by using a time-tested playoff formula--excellent special teams and clutch goal-tending.

The power play converted 6 of 18 opportunities and the penalty killing successfully nullified two Red Raider five on three advantages. Sophomore goaltender J.R. Prestifilippo got progressively hotter as the weekend wore on. HARVARD  5 COLGATE  4 HARVARD  4 COLGATE  2

"Special teams are a big part of the game," said Harvard Coach Ronn Tomassoni. "When you can execute with the man up and the man down and get hot goaltending, it is a winning combination."

Harvard 5, Colgate 4

Harvard's opening to Friday's game brought back nightmares of the last time it washome, when the Crimson lost a heartbreaker to theSt. Lawrence Saints.

Colgate, which entered this weekend having lostfive out of its last six games, jumped out to anearly 3-0 lead Friday night and led-4-2 with 15minutes left in the game. Most of the time, theCrimson played abysmally, struggling even to keepthe puck on their sticks.

At the point Lake Placid might have as wellbeen in the Arctic Circle.

"The worst thing that could have happened wasletting them jumped out to an early lead,"Tomassoni sad. "Then, they started feeling goodand we made it very hard for ourselves."

In the third period, sophomore Scott Turcoenergized the Crimson when he raced down the rightside and powered the puck through Red Raidergoaltender Dan Brenzavich's legs.

After a Colgate goal by freshman ChadMacDonald, referee Alex Dell, who called the gameby the letter of the law, have Harvard threeconsecutive five-on-three power play advantages inthe middle of the third period.

Harvard converted on the first two man-ups. At12:18, freshman forward Steve Moore banged in arebound off junior Ben Storey's shot from thepoint to give the Crimson a 5-4 lead and finishthe comeback.

"This was a game of special teams," Tomassonisaid. "We took advantage of our power plays in thethird period and it was a great comeback for ourkids."

The other two power play goals were almostmirror images of each other. Both times, Storeytook a pass at the right point from sophomoredefenseman Matt Scorsune. He ripped each shotjust inside the near post past Brenzavich.

"Basically it seemed like the parting of theRed Sea, the shot just opened up and I put it inthere," Storey said.

Colgate opened the scoring when Chad MacDonalddeflected a shot from the point at 4:21 of thefirst on the power play.

Less than a minute later, sophomore AndyMacDonald picked the top corner of the net for ashorthanded goal.

Colgate went up 3-0 on a goal by senior RobMara 1:29 into the second.

Steve Moore broke the ice for Harvard on thepower play at 18:41 in the second.

"It was the first playoff game for a lot of theguys on our team," Storey said. "It took us alittle while to wake up, but when we did we werefine."

In the last two minutes of the game, seniorforward Henry Higdon went down with a knee injury.He missed yesterday's game and there was noofficial estimate when he would return. FreshmanChris Bala also left Friday's game with a thumbinjury.

Harvard 4, Colgate 2

Harvard intended to capitalize on the momentumfrom the previous night's amazing comeback. TheCrimson wanted to put a likely demoralized Colgateteam away early and avoid a Sunday game.

The Crimson accomplished exactly what itwanted, opening up a three goal lead, but Colgatewas not about to board the team bus back toHamilton, NY. However, Prestifilippo had nointention of letting his team play Sunday either.

Referee Alex Dell picked up right where he leftoff Friday, calling every single infraction, nomatter how minor. Harvard did likewise, strikingon the power play, but this time on a more normal5-on-4 advantage.

Freshman Chris Bala, showing no signs of thethumb injury suffered Friday, opened the scoringon the power play just 3:47 into the first. Heintercepted a Colgate pass at the blueline andtrickled a shot through Brenzavich's legs on thebreak-away.

Brenzavich limited the Crimson to just one goalfor the first period, but Scorsune struck on thepower play at of the second on a shot throughtraffic from the right faceoff circle.

"The game was called pretty tight, but ourspecial teams were excellent," Tomassoni said. "Iwas even more pleased tonight because we did it onthe five-on-four."

Harvard's third goal was not only thegame-winner, but the prettiest of the weekend.

Just after time expired on another power play,junior Rob Millar threaded a pass to McCarthy fromthe left faceoff circle to the right. The captainroofed it for a 3-0 lead.

"Millar just gave me a perfect pass and Imanaged to put it home," McCarthy said.

Colgate poured on the offense in the last twoperiods, barraging Prestifilippo with a total of34 shots, most of them down low.

He made an improbable save in the second as helay prostrate out of the net and stretched hisbody across to glove a shot by Andy MacDonald.

"I thought for the last two periods we reallycarried the play," said Colgate Coach Don Vaughan."We just could not get one by [Prestifilippo]."

Despite the high shot totals, the Crimsondefense tightened on the penalty kill. Colgatewent just I-for-10 with the man advantage, onlytallying on junior Dan Wildfong's rebound shot at18:01 of the second.

Harvard killed a 1:35 two-man advantage in thefirst period, allowing just one shot on goal--ashot from the point which Prestifilippo easilykicked away.

"Special teams were a big part of thisweekend," said Vaughan. "We had a chance to getback in this one, and they did a great job killingit off."

Steve Moore added an empty net goal with 52seconds left to play.

At 19:34, freshman defenseman Cory Murphyscored a meaningless goal for Colgate to make thefinal score 4-2.

This was a wonderful weekend for Harvard. Ateam loaded with freshmen and sophomores withlittle to no playoff experience displayed heart incoming back from a third-period deficit, withstoodtwo late game assaults, all while capitalizing ona truly dangerous power play.

This type of play not only excited the bestcrowds of the year at Bright, but should keep themcoming back.

Thanks to some fortuitous bunches of the puckelsewhere in the league, the Crimson is seedednumber three and avoids an extra game thisThursday night.

"It's just a great feeling right now," Turcosaid. "Now we have to go down there and finish thejob."

Harvard is going to Lake Placid. Maybe theCrimson will make its own miracle on ice.CrimsonAshley S. MarynickSTRAIGHT UP: Harvard staredelimination in the eyes and emerged victoriousbefore strong crowds at Bright.