"The coaches did a good job keeping us on an even keel, when it could've gotten out of hand," Kolarik said. "We maintained composure and that was the key to the victory."
The game had the makings of a shootout from the opening faceoff, as both teams scored on their first shots on goal.
A pretty Kolarik goal late in the first period, and a Nowak goal at 10:24 of the second gave the Crimson a 3-1 lead.
Harvard 5, Yale 4
Playoff hockey historically features tight, low-scoring contests where two or three goals are sufficient for victory. Goals become hard to come by, and referees swallow their whistles and let physical play go unpunished.
Somebody forgot to tell this to Harvard and Yale.
In an exciting game filled with numerous scoring opportunities for both teams, Harvard barely held on to one-goal lead for the entire final period, outlasting Yale, 5-4, in the opening game of the best-of-three playoff series Friday night.
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