Any of these three players has the chance to steal the ECAC title for his team, and it is more than likely that the school with the top goaltender will also be the team with the most to cheer about when all is said and done.

The Brett Pack

After playing alongside captain Dominic Moore for most of the season, junior winger Dennis Packard found himself on a line paired with senior center Brett Nowak and junior winger Tyler Kolarik after Harvard’s 2-1 Beanpot loss to BU.

The switch is starting to pay dividends. Packard had five points in his last three games, including a hat trick in the Crimson’s 4-2 victory over Vermont last Friday.

“He missed a lot of games, but he’s finally getting his rhythm,” Mazzoleni said. “Getting back with Brett is great for him. They’ve always played really well together.”

After Kolarik was injured and forced to leave the game last Friday, Packard was promoted to the top power-play unit. He responded immediately, converting a Nowak pass to give the Crimson a 2-0 lead.

“This team has one of the better power plays in the country,” Packard said. “Those other four guys have practiced and played together all year. I just wanted to fit in and try to get free. I was wide open in front of the net and Nowak found me.”

With Kolarik out, sophomore winger Rob Flynn played with Nowak and Packard on the top line Saturday, but that combination may not last for long. Mazzoleni indicated that Kolarik may be back in the lineup in time for Harvard’s semifinal match with Dartmouth on Friday.

“If there’s a chance, Kolarik will be back on that line,” Mazzoleni said.

Match Making

Dartmouth relies heavily on its top line of sophomore Lee Stempniak and freshmen Hugh Jessiman and Mike Ouellette.

The trio has accounted for almost half of the Big Green’s offensive production, but Mazzoleni isn’t planning to focus on the line.

“I’ve never been one to play differently against a team’s top line,” Mazzoleni said. “I don’t shadow people or focus on just one player. It’s more a general awareness because we respect their offensive ability.”

Packard added that Harvard’s balance gives Mazzoleni more options defensively.

“It varies from game to game,” Packard said. “Coach Mazzoleni sometimes gets a feeling early on in a game, and then he might decide to make a certain matchup with a team’s top line, but it’s always different. Our depth means any of our lines is capable of filling that role.”