For many returning players on the Harvard men’s hockey team, the sound of Maine forward Jon Ronan’s slapshot still echoes indelibly in the recesses of their minds.

It was that shot in overtime that ended an illustrious Harvard run through the ECAC playoffs and into the NCAA tournament last year. And it is that shot that motivates the defending ECAC champion Crimson to achieve even greater success in the coming season.

The personnel is here. Harvard’s only significant loss to graduation was last year’s captain, defenseman Peter Capouch. A fresh crop of young players complements a solid core of veterans that is set on reaching the Frozen Four.

“Our expectations are very high,” said Harvard captain Dominic Moore. “Heading into this year, we’ve got a whole new attitude because we’ve got a ring on our finger now, and we’ve got that extra confidence that helps a lot. We’re expecting great things and we know we have the type of people here who can help accomplish it.”

Forwards

The core of Harvard’s forwards returns this year intact. Led by Moore and senior Brett Nowak, the offense looks to establish a consistent attack.

Whereas at times last year the team altered attacking schemes to adjust to its opponents’ playing style, this year the Crimson offense will be more up-tempo, forcing the opponent to play Harvard’s style of hockey.

The ECAC’s crackdown on obstruction should also favor the faster, quicker teams in the league like Harvard, to the possible detriment of more physical teams like Cornell.

“We have a lot of speed,” junior forward Tyler Kolarik said. “A team like Cornell that doesn’t have a lot of speed or skill shut us down through obstruction and clutching and grabbing. So being on the power play all night is going to be a huge benefit.”

One of the Crimson’s most potent power play performers is junior Tim Pettit, who stands a good chance of improving on his team-high 10 power play goals last season if the Crimson has more time on the man-advantage.

Like Pettit, Kolarik, one of Harvard’s best skaters, is another player likely to benefit from the rules crackdown. Kolarik tallied nine goals and 20 assists last season, and will have substantially more room to move with the puck this season.

Defensemen

The loss of Capouch, the Crimson’s leader by example, leaves large responsibilities for his successors at the blueline. This year, the team will look for leadership on defense from a group of capable players, including standout sophomore defenseman Noah Welch.

“I have to step it up this year,” Welch said. “I’m not a freshman anymore, and I can’t make freshman mistakes. But that’s fine—it motivates me to play better.”

Harvard has been plagued by a lack of defensive depth in recent years. Injuries and simple lack of manpower forced the Crimson to play forwards on the blueline or rotate only two lines of defensemen.