Taking a pass from sophomore defenseman Peter Capouch, Bala motored down the left wing to move in on Snee for a mini-breakaway. He cut across the goal mouth, faking on his forehand and sliding the puck in on the backhand.

"When Bala and [junior center] Steve Moore are only scoring one or two goals, you're gonna struggle," Mazzoleni said. "Bala picked it up and got the goals for us."

Harvard had firm control of the game at that point and junior goaltender Oliver Jonas, making just his second start of the season, had to make only five saves in the opening period.

But six minutes into the second period, referee Dan Murphy handed Union as golden a chance as any team has ever received to start a comeback and it failed to produce.

With senior winger Brett Chodorow already in the penalty box for interference, Steve Moore received a highly questionable five-minute major for kneeing Charles Simard, giving the Skating Dutchmen a five-on-three power play for a 1:07.

Five seconds after the Crimson killed the first two-man advantage, senior defenseman Mark Moore joined his brother in the sin bin for hooking, giving Union another full two minutes of a five-on three advantage.

The Skating Dutchmen, however, were indecisive with the puck, and couldn't work it down low. Harvard gave them the perimeter, and Union, looking for the perfect setup, refused to take it.