But contrary to the previous two losses, Mazzoleni could confidently say that his team came out strongly on Friday. For the first time in a while, Harvard got an early jump on the competition, holding RPI at bay for over half of the game.

The Crimson's performance was anything but perfect, but it was at least a step in the right direction.

And Harvard advanced even further with its 5-1 trouncing of Union at Achilles Rink.

For those of you familiar with the Skating Dutchmen, you might remember that they largely unsuccessful last year, finishing in last place with a pathetic 1-19-2 record.

But the Dutchmen have come a long way, and its victories over first-place Colgate and former powerhouse Clarkson are a testament to that.

The Crimson deserve a great deal of credit for defeating Union on Saturday night, considering that it was perhaps one of its best individual and overall games all season.

Harvard tested Union goaltender Brandon Snee with 22 shots, and managed to capitalize on the numerous opportunities that its offense generated

And junior winger Chris Bala netted a pair of goals, his first multiple-goal game in two years.