Everyone loves to talk about how wireless communication has changed the world. How quickly they forget that the quickest mode of information transfer has been around for years—college hockey rinks.

Want to start a rumor? Tap the guy next to you on the shoulder during warm-ups and whisper something about No. 21. It’ll go around the rink and come back to you in an hour.

Rumors, of course, tend to beget more rumors when things don’t go well. So when the Harvard men’s hockey team struggled during the second half of the 2001-2002 regular season, the ping rate on negative puck-talk was at its peak, and criticism was mostly directed at the Crimson’s marquee players.

“You know Dominic Moore?” some would say. “His production is down this year. People were talking about him as a Hobey Baker Award candidate before the season, but there’s no way that’s going to happen now.”

“See Tim Pettit?” others said. “Got a good shot, strong on the power play, but he’s been having trouble scoring when five-on-five.”

Moore’s point production fell from 43 points two years ago to 29 last season. Pettit’s took a dip, as well, going from 31 to 26. Harvard’s regular-season win total went in the same direction.

In other words, the Crimson goes as Dominic Moore and Tim Pettit go. Last year, inconsistency was the theme. Now Harvard is two games away from its first-ever set of back-to-back ECAC titles and has hit the 20-win mark for the first time in nine seasons.

Not surprisingly, the Crimson’s big scorers have had a lot to do with that comeback. Pettit (37 points) and Moore (36) were 1-2 in ECAC regular-season scoring. Moore, with 143 career points, could become one of Harvard’s top 10 all-time scorers by the end of the season, while Pettit has become the first junior to crack 100 points since Steve Martins ’95. Both are strong candidates for the ECAC Player of the Year Award, to be announced tonight at the ECAC awards banquet in Albany, N.Y.

“This was one of the toughest votes I’ve ever had to cast,” said St. Lawrence coach Joe Marsh. “Dominic Moore has had an incredible career; he’s a very dangerous player in all three zones. Pettit can really shoot the puck—and bury it.”

Neither player, though, seems to be thinking about individual accolades too much.

“We’re at a point where we’re probably going to have to win the ECACs to reach our goal of making the NCAA tournament,” Pettit said. “We have to come in with the attitude that we’re going to play for one another. If everyone does his job and we play for another [one], we’re going to be successful.”

Captain Cool

Harvard hockey captains are usually named at the team banquet each spring. That way, the player chosen has a chance to work into his leadership role during the off-season and prepare for the added responsibilities that come with the job once official practice begins in October.

This year was an exception. Moore was not named captain until the fall. Nevertheless, his adjustment period could not have gone more smoothly.

“He’s done an excellent job as captain this year,” said sophomore goalie Dov Grumet-Morris. “Dom’s a difference-maker. Every team needs a difference-maker, every coach wants to recruit one, and every player wants to play with one. You know every time he’s out there he’s giving your team a chance to win. He’s the type of individual that can tip the scales in your favor in a close game.”