“Cornell is a great defensive hockey club and it’s not just [LeNeveu] that causes their numbers to be so low, it’s a team effort,” Moore said.

Central to the Big Red’s defensive effort is towering senior defenseman Doug Murray, who is third on the Big Red in scoring with 20 points.

The two players ahead of Murray statistically—huge senior forward Stephen Bâby and speedy junior forward Ryan Vesce—lead the Big Red’s offense, the second most potent in the ECAC, which averages 4.38 goals per game.

That Big Red offense hurt Harvard early and often in the team’s earlier meeting, scoring a goal only 1:24 into the contest and continually responding with a goal whenever the Crimson cut the deficit.

“First and foremost we want a strong start against Cornell,” Morris said. “Not giving up a goal in the first five minutes is my definition of a strong start, and that wasn’t the case the last time we faced them.”

And though the Crimson may not be focusing on Cornell, Harvard hockey fans surely will be. The game is sold out—including standing room tickets. Bright Hockey Center hasn’t seen a match this anticipated in nearly a decade.

“This weekend is like a playoff series,” Morris said.

Moore agreed with Cornell’s coach.“On Saturday night, it’s going to be a big game and a big crowd,” Harvard’s captain said. “We’ll see what we’re made of.”

—Staff writer Timothy M. McDonald can be reached at tmcdonal@fas.harvard.edu.