“We had some guys step up for us,” he said.

One of them was Packard, who had a hat trick against Vermont in last year’s ECAC playoffs and has scored seven of his 23 career goals against the Cats. Harvard has had similar success, with 30 goals in its last six games against Vermont—all victories.

“I don’t know about that,” Packard said, smiling, when asked if there’s something special that makes him play well against the Catamounts. “I just got some chances. I don’t know if it has anything to do with UVM or not, but I guess I’ve had a few good games against them.”

Both of Packard’s goals involved him doing what he does best: play strong in front of the net.

His first goal came on a feed from Pettit less than two minutes after Charlie Johnson tied it 3-3 midway through the second period. Harvard never trailed again.

A minute later Vermont star Jeff Miles literally skated a circle around the Crimson penalty kill to score a show-stopping, game-tying power play goal, Packard responded with a workmanlike goal that proved to be the game-winner.

With Harvard coming off a fresh line change and the Cats’ defensemen logging a minute-and-a-half shift, junior Brendan Bernakevitch kept play alive along the left boards before dishing into the slot for Kolarik. Vermont goaltender Travis Russell made the initial save, but left a rebound for Packard to gobble up.

So Packard swept past the weary-legged UVM rearguard, making a complete loop around the goal—an imitation, albeit shorter in radius, of what Miles had done moments before. Packard then wheeled at the left faceoff circle, beating Russell to the far side with only 57 seconds remaining in the second.

“I just kept coming around, coming around,” Packard said, “and then I finally saw an opening.”

Kolarik iced it with a little more than seven minutes left in the third on a keen feed from Mandes, and sophomore goaltender John Daigneau kept the Cats at bay in the third to finish with 20 saves.

“It’s a great sign that, even with our injuries, we were able to score six goals and get some opportunities,” Packard said. “I think that’s a good sign that we’re going to have a good offense this year.”

That offense will need to be clicking again this weekend, with Princeton and Yale visiting. Mazzoleni has never swept those teams in a home series.

—Staff writer Jon Paul Morosi can be reached at morosi@fas.harvard.edu.