Josh Bliesath, a senior in Leverett House, tied a noose around a red bear, and waved it ominously over the ice. As the Big Red took the ice after the second intermission, Bliesath tossed its head on the ice near Cornell goaltender Matt Underhill in symbolic fashion.

Jonas and the younger Moore, both of whom came up big for Harvard this weekend, did their parts in keeping the Big Red off the board for the rest of the game, and pulling the team within one in the last period.

Frustrated by Cornell's defense, Dom Moore took matters into his own hands once again at 6:53 in the third. Moore stripped Big Red defender Mark McRae in front of the net, and confused Underhill to net another backhanded deke to make the final score 2-1.

The loss drops the Crimson to second place in the ECAC, tied with St. Lawrence, and propels Cornell (11-6-4, 9-3-2 ECAC) into the top slot. But Harvard (10-9-1, 9-5-1 ECAC) still boasts a winning record before tonight's Beanpot opener, a feat the Crimson hasn't accomplished since the 1995-96 season.

No one expected Harvard to go undefeated in the final stretch run, but if the Crimson stay on this winning path, Bright Hockey Center is sure to regain its former reputation.

"The crowd support has been great, but they've been better from what I hear," Kolarik said. "The seniors are very excited about where we stand right now. All those guys have had ups and downs, and we're finally getting there."