"The team really proved its character in that game," Zollei said.

The Crimson got off to a sluggish start, and found itself down 3-0 after the first seven minutes.

"These games would have never been close if we played like a team for four quarters," Floerchinger said. "That is the major focus of the last third of our season, and when we solve that issue, we will have the final piece of the puzzle."

Harvard made a six-point turnaround the rest of the way. Zollei led a balanced scoring attack with four goals and three assists. The Crimson broke a 7-7 tie in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter with three goals in just under a minute and a half to seal the victory.

"It was extremely important to play a team game," Zollei said. "There have been other games in which we've played sloppier, with everyone looking to score. Here, we played team defense, team offense, a total team game."

Harvard 19, USMMA 8

The venue shifted back to the uneven confines of Iona for the Crimson's final game of the weekend. Every Crimson player saw action against an unheralded U.S. Merchant Marine Academy team that entered with no wins in three league games.

However, the game was surprisingly competitive for two quarters. At the half, Harvard found itself up only three goals, 8-5.