This time, Harvard made Michigan pay.

After collecting a rebound in the Harvard zone, Moore took matters into his own hands, zipping by everyone along the left wing and into the Michigan end. Moore brought the puck behind the Michigan goal before wrapping it around and slamming it between Blackburn’s pads to tie the game just 54 seconds into the period.

“[After scoring first] we needed to get the next one but didn’t,” said Michigan Coach Red Berenson. “They came back and held up.”

The Harvard power play struck again later in the period, and it was again Moore who sparked the attack, skating the puck up from behind the goal line before looping into the high slot. Once there, he fired a picture-perfect pass to the doorstep and sophomore winger Tyler Kolarik, who one-timed it past Blackburn to silence the Yost crowd and give Harvard its first lead of the game with 11:35 to play in the period.

Michigan winger Eric Nystrom—who took the place of Harvard defenseman Noah Welch on the U.S. team at the IIHF World Junior Championships due to Welch’s leg injury—got the Yost faithful back into the game just over three minutes later. The Syosset, N.Y. native worked a perfect two-on-one with junior center John Shouneyia and beat Harvard freshman goaltender Dov Grumet-Morris top-shelf to make it 2-2 at the 12:30 mark.

Harvard seemed to seize control of the game as the third period opened, playing intelligent defense and nearly scoring twice in the frame’s fourth minute – on a breakaway try by sophomore winger Dennis Packard and a David McCulloch shot from the point that hit the post.

However, it was Michigan’s hard-working fourth line that broke the deadlock, as freshman center Charlie Henderson beat Grumet-Morris from the top of the left faceoff circle to give the Wolverines a 3-2 lead with 13:10 to play in the third.

The Wolverines’ downfall—an inability to stay out of the penalty box with the red-hot Crimson power play—allowed the Crimson to knot the score once again. With Nystrom down for slashing, McCulloch sent a pass to the front of the crease, where Packard put the puck past Blackburn’s glove side to tie the score at 9:49 of the period.

“Our poor job of penalty killing cost us a chance to win the game. We had to throw some people who might not normally be out there on the penalty kill,” said Berenson, who was without two key defensemen in addition to leading scorer Mike Cammalleri. “We made some mistakes in our rotation and denying the shot. [Harvard’s] power play didn’t overwhelm but it was effective. That was the difference in the game.”

Harvard finished 3-for-6 on the power play, while Michigan was 0-for-3.

“We have some skill on our power play,” Mazzoleni said. “They play a pressure game, so we had to rotate it away from that and get it on the net.”

Grumet-Morris was often spectacular between the pipes, stopping 35 shots, eclipsing his previous career high of 31 against St. Lawrence earlier this season.

“I was just looking to make the easy save,” said Grumet-Morris, whose parents each hold degrees from Michigan. “Our coaches did a good job preparing me. I had a good feel for their power play.”

Blackburn made 20 saves for Michigan.

UML 2, Harvard 0