Even on the two November evenings Harvard won, it received bad news.

The Crimson rebounded from its opening day defeat to beat UMass-Amherst 3-1, an extremely close game that was not iced until sophomore forward Steve Moore's empty net goal.

But after the win, doctors alerted Tomassoni that senior defenseman Ben Storey had contracted mononucleosis. Storey's absence from the lineup dealt a crushing blow to the team's transition game. As the team's lone true rushing defenseman, he was counted on to set up the attack--especially on the power play.

"Injuries, especially Storey's, were a factor in our start," Allman said.

During the second period of its 5-3 upset win at Boston University, a Terrier viciously chopped sophomore forward Chris Bala, breaking his left wrist.

Bala, a left-handed sniper who led the team in goals last year, had formed a lethal combination with sophomore Steve Moore, who led the team in overall points.

Moore became Harvard's only consistent offensive player, leading the team with ten points at the end of its horrific 2-8-1 start, doubling the output of the next teammate.

Still, injuries cannot fully explain just how poorly Harvard was playing. Signs of frustration finally arose during a 7-4 loss on Dec. 1 against RPI.

With five minutes remaining in the game, the fleet Engineers skated circles around the Crimson. RPI's Brad Tapper bowled over Prestifilippo, sparking Captain Craig Adams to come charging off the bench for a rare ECAC fight.

"No one could specify just what was going on," Allman said. "We had a lack of mental focus and we were getting frustrated."

The team then hit its nadir the following weekend, getting swept at home by Clarkson and St. Lawrence. The Saints used a four-goal second period to send a listless Crimson into the Christmas break with anything but cheer.

Then, like a gift from Santa's sleigh, Harvard found some--out in the cornfields of Omaha, Neb.

"I think we went out to Nebraska ready to have fun," Allman said. "It gave us some confidence."

Harvard flew out to the Midwest to play a deuce with the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Storey and Bala returned to the lineup and Harvard discovered it would be a different team 7:58 into the first period Dec. 18.

Moore, skating down the right wing, threaded a pass through two Maverick defenders to Bala, who chipped it home. With the tandem reunited, Harvard now had offensive life.