They are very different goaltenders. And very different people.

One patterns himself after the pliable Mike Richter, relying on footwork and slinky-like flexibility. The other fills up the net with his 6’4”, 190-pound frame and idolized Patrick Roy, trying to mimic his calculated positioning and rebound control. One talks every bit as freely—though more substantively—as that guy who dominates section discussions. The other is not often interviewed and speaks in somewhat quieter tones when he does talk to reporters.

But as different as their playing styles and personalities may be, junior Dov Grumet-Morris and sophomore John Daigneau are friends, even as they compete for time between the pipes on what is arguably Harvard’s most talented hockey team in a decade.

They push one another during practice, study the nuances of their position together and room together on road trips. They spend extra time together twice a week during assistant coach Bruce Irving’s goalies-only sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

And they talk often—sort of.

“He’s very easy to talk to,” Daigneau said of Grumet-Morris, “if you can get some words in.”

Daigneau, as you might’ve guessed, is the quieter (and more Roy-like) of the two. But after seeing only limited action as a freshman, this weekend represents a big opportunity for him to make a loud impression—to his teammates, coaches and the ECAC.

Harvard coach Mark Mazzoleni announced to his team before Monday’s practice that Daigneau will start Friday at Vermont, and Grumet-Morris, the team’s starting goaltender for the better part of two seasons, will play Saturday at Dartmouth. (Even before Saturday’s 2-0 loss to Brown, during which Grumet-Morris stopped 22 of 24 shots, Mazzoleni planned to start Daigneau once this weekend.)

Given that Grumet-Morris started much of the last two seasons and had the nation’s fifth-best save percentage last year, Mazzoleni’s decision speaks volumes about the development of Daigneau, who was 4-1 with a .943 save percentage and a sizzling 1.45 goals-against average last season.

The move also demonstrates Mazzoleni’s confidence that the two are capable of handling the situation mentally. The competition hasn’t affected their friendship, and both agree that it helps their on-ice performance.

“We respect each other as people, more importantly than as goaltenders,” Daigneau said. “It’s a relationship that started off the ice, and now it’s a relationship on the ice.”

Daigneau said one thing he has worked on is his communication with teammates. And who better to help him with that than Grumet-Morris, an expert when it comes to communicating with, well, anyone.

“We get along really well,” Daigneau said. “We give each other pointers here and there, and we have a lot of fun, because you still have to have a lot of fun out there.”

An astute student of hockey history, Grumet-Morris is aware that Chuckie Hughes ’92 and Allain Roy ’92 shared time on Harvard’s 1989 national championship team. He said having two potential No. 1 goaltenders is “definitely better for the team.”

Grumet-Morris was also part of a tandem as a freshman, when he shared time with current senior Will Crothers before winning the job outright.