At even strength, Moore has found a niche with freshmen duo Tyler Kolarik and Rob Fried on the top line. Fried netted his first pair of collegiate goals last weekend, but despite the clear benefits of keeping the trio together, the combination is still uncertain.

"With Jeff [Stonehouse] out due to injury, Coach put me and Tyler [Kolarik] back together," Fried said. "There's definitely chemistry among the three of us, but we're taking it day to day."

Another combination that has excelled for the Crimson early on is the fourth line of senior center Harry Schwefel and junior wingers Kyle Clark and Jared Cantanucci. Their simple but effective game plan has provided considerable offense, and they may be kept together this weekend.

"We have more balance than last year," Mazzoleni said. "We're trying to play a four-line rotation. And those guys are playing the system that we want to play."

The presence of junior defenseman Graham Morrell takes some of the pressure off the youthful blueline. He will be a huge factor in shutting down the aggressive offensive production of both the Big Red and Red Raiders.

Harvard's first stop on its journey is Cornell's Lynah Rink, arguably one of the most inhospitable rinks in the country. The Big Red's rabid fans pack the arena, armed with fish to punctuate a tradition of intense Harvard-Cornell rivalry.

Tonight's return to Ithaca marks the first match-up between the rivals since the Big Red swept the Crimson in the ECAC quarterfinals to end its season last March.