Some things are just a given at a Harvard men's hockey game.

In addition to creating much of the team's offense as the Crimson's prototypical power forward, captain Steve Moore is known for his tremendous checking ability--few days will pass without him leveling someone to make the play.

And hardly a game will go by without younger brother Dominic simply abusing the opponent's defense, with his flashy puck-handling ability.

With the loss of nine seniors to graduation, there are considerably fewer constants to rely on. But even this early in the season, it is pretty clear that Harvard has very little to worry about.

The addition of nine new faces, the return of a veteran from a serious injury, and a general revamping of Harvard coach Mark Mazzoleni's highly touted system have not only maintained the Crimson's current level of success, but have picked it up a notch.

With practice, the rookies are bound to improve over the course of the season. Unfortunately, the long-run success that has been predicted for right now is hampered by their inexperience at the collegiate level.

Defensive breakdowns and an inability to stick to the game plan in the third period handed Harvard a 5-3 loss against Vermont in the home opener.

That said, these so-called inexperienced new faces combined for six points and half of the Crimson's goals this weekend.