“It’s good timing for us,” Stone said. “No matter how much you prepare that first game is a struggle to get back into the mental intensity.”

The Crimson suffered from defensive kinks in the first period. Both of BC’s goals were knocked into the net by Harvard defenders.

Stone was impressed with the way the team responded to those errors. After the first BC goal tied the game at one, Ruggiero scored from afar just nine second later. Botterill tallied the third goal in 32 seconds to make the score 3-1 and end any hope for a competitive game.

The Crimson will next be in action with a road trip starting at Niagara on Friday night and ending at No. 9 Mercyhurst on Sunday.

Mercyhurst’s current 11-game unbeaten streak and team goals-against-average are second in the nation, behind only the Crimson.

BC will get to play Harvard again if it wins its next game—a Beanpot semifinal against Northeastern at the Bright Center on Tuesday.

“After this game, Northeastern’s going to seem pretty slow,” Babson said.

—Staff writer David DeRemer can be reached at remer@fas.harvard.edu.