Harvard sophomore forward ANDREW LEDERMAN (10) looks on at a face off in Saturday night’s game against Vermont.

Coming off a 4-0 loss to Brown last weekend, Harvard men’s hockey coach Mark Mazzoleni promised changes in his lineup and a renewed effort by his hockey team. This weekend’s games saw both, as the Crimson outworked, outmuscled and outscored Dartmouth and Vermont for its first two wins of the season.

The convincing wins relieve much of the anxiety over the shutout loss to Brown. Having proven to themselves they can indeed be an explosive offensive team, Harvard now looks to challenge the rest of the field for ECAC supremacy, beginning with a road trip to the North Country against St. Lawrence and Clarkson next weekend.

Harvard 4, Vermont 2

Harvard made a shooting gallery of the Bright Hockey Center Saturday, pelting Vermont goalie Travis Russell with 52 shots before the game mercifully came to a close for the Catamounts (2-4-2, 0-2-0 ECAC).

After exploding for its first five goals of the season a night earlier, Harvard (2-1-0, 2-1-0) lost little in its offensive production Saturday, scoring four goals in the first two periods before coasting to a 4-2 victory.

The first Harvard goal began with junior froward Tyler Kolarik charging towards the net. He skillfully eluded Catamount defenders before firing a shot at Russell.

The Vermont goalie made the initial save, but let the rebound trickle out towards the slot where Nowak promptly sent the puck back into the crease area. With the puck bouncing in the crease, freshman Dan Murphy rushed to the scene, tapping in the loose puck for his first goal of his college career.

The Harvard offense continued its onslaught in the second period, when, with Vermont forward Bryson Busnick in the penalty box for boarding, the Harvard power-play unit went to work.

Sophomore defenseman Noah Welch slipped a pass from the point to junior forward Tim Pettit. Spying captain Dominic Moore open at the left circle, Pettit zipped a pass to the Crimson captain, who faked a shot, drawing a Vermont defenseman to the ice. Moore then patiently skatedaround the Catamount defender and blasted a perfectly aimed shot over the shoulder of Russell.

The goal was Moore’s 100th point of his college career, making him the first Crimson player to accomplish that feat since brother Steve Moore did it in 2001.

After the game, Moore admitted he kept the landmark point in the back of his mind, but he did not want personal accomplishments to be his focal point.

“Right now I’m focusing on the task at hand, practices and games, and trying to get Harvard to the NCAA Tournament,” Moore said.

With the minutes counting down in the second period, senior forward Aaron Kim and junior forward Dennis Packard helped build the Harvard lead to four.

Kim started and ended the third Harvard tally. Killing off a David McCulloch cross-checking penalty, Kim blocked a Vermont shot before clearing the puck out of the Harvard zone. Seconds later, Kim was at the opposite end of the ice, hands lifted high in celebration after sweeping the puck past Russell in an impressive diving effort at the 14:22 mark.

Just a little over two minutes later, Packard completed the Harvard scoring with a second-chance goal coming off a shot by sophomore Brendan Bernakevitch.