Sejna put Colorado up 4-2, notching the game-winning goal only minutes into the third period. At 2:15, Sejna and center Noah Clarke made a quick transition on a Crimson defensive breakdown, and rushed down the ice on a two-on-one break. With textbook execution, Clarke slid a pass across the slot to Sejna who netted the tally.

Frustration became evident and tensions mounted in the final frame, with the Crimson bearing the brunt of the penalty minutes. Officials handed Kolarik a ten-minute misconduct at 12:13, and Steve Moore a five-minute major for high-sticking. The younger Moore joined his brother in the sin bin only seconds later. Harvard railed against the Tigers and, with the incredible reflexes of Jonas, staved off a 4-3 penalty kill.

"I think it was a component of frustration and the way the game was called, but that's not an excuse," Mazzoleni said. "Cooler heads have to prevail."

The Crimson put itself back in the game at 14:44 when Dominic Moore emerged from the penalty box and set up Capouch with the Crimson's third and final goal of the night. A shorthanded tally, Moore wheeled down the ice and took a hard slapshot on goaltender Colin Zulianello. The high rebound bounced off Capouch's chest and into the net, making it 4-3.

Harvard's strategy to play the extra man with less than a minute to play did not go as planned. With Jonas on the bench, Tigers' winger Alex Kim slid a long shot down the ice to make it 5-3 with the empty net goal.

Heading into this weekend's contests, the Crimson has a lot to look forward to. For the first time all season, Harvard should suit a full lineup. It is expected that Stonehouse, Morrell and Capouch should return to the roster, and Smith has already secured a spot on the now-deep defensive rotation.

Although the Crimson could not shake its non-league woes--Harvard is 1-4 in out of conference play-- the trip out west solidified Harvard's status as a contender.

"I was proud of the way we competed," Harvard Coach Mark Mazzoleni said. "People got a little excited when we cracked the rankings. We're not there, but we competed with a top-five team. Is Colorado better than us? Yes. But is the difference that great? No."