Four freshmen will add depth to Harvard’s group of forwards. The most-anticipated of the group is Tom Cavanaugh, a sixth-round pick by the San Jose Sharks this summer. Cavanaugh should contribute immediately as a solid two-way forward.

“He plays both sides of the rink hard,” Mazzoleni said. “It’s very difficult to find a kid who’s as prideful playing defense as well as offense.”

The Cavanaugh family is no stranger to Harvard hockey. Tom’s father Joe ’71 and uncle Dave ’72 both skated for the Crimson. Joe Cavanaugh—a two-time All-American—was one of the best ever to play Harvard hockey.

Joining Cavanaugh in the freshman class is Andrew Letterman, a center with considerable speed and playmaking potential who should eventually put up good scoring numbers. Size and toughness will hopefully be provided by winger Brendan Bernakevitch. Rounding out the foursome is Rob Flynn, a product of the U.S. under-18 national team whom Mazzoleni will utilize as a power forward.

Defense

Harvard’s young, inexperienced defense was easily the weakest link of the team last year. With three freshmen playing prominent roles, the unit consistently gave up 30-40 shots per contest, forcing goaltender Oli Jonas ’01 to single-handedly keep the Crimson in the game.

“We were thrown into the fire last year,” Smith said. “We were playing in crucial situations because we didn’t have a choice.”

While four skaters return from last year’s defensive unit, only one of the blueliners is an upperclassman. And with Jonas’s graduation, this time there may not be outstanding goaltending to save them.

Harvard plays a high-risk, high-reward defensive scheme. Called man-on-man low, it involves each player manning up against an opposing skater in the Harvard zone. When done right, it can shut down a team. But, if just a single matchup is missed, it may leave players open near the net.

Success requires all five Crimson skaters to actively participate in one-on-one defense, something the team struggled with last year.

“We have to win all our one-on-one battles,” Smith said. “Last year we weren’t doing that.”

Additionally, Mazzoleni said the defensemen struggled clearing the puck out of Harvard’s own zone and getting the puck to the team’s forwards. This slowed down Harvard’s own offensive attack and resulted in lengthy periods of pressure in the Crimson’s own end.

Still, the talent, depth and experience of the defense have vastly improved over the previous two years. This season will be the first time more than a single defenseman has had a year of experience under Mazzoleni’s system.

“We’re still going to make a lot of mistakes, but our talent level on defense is night and day from one and two years ago,” Mazzoleni said. “Next year our defensive corps will be the strength of our team.”

Team captain Pete Capouch (7-14—21) is probably the most important player on the team. As the only senior on the blueline, Capouch provides an essential veteran presence on a unit which otherwise would be composed of just freshman and sophomores.