Harvard began the season with the same umbrella set it used last year, then changed to a 2-3 alignment before a Dec. 10 loss at Boston College. Last week, the Crimson adjusted away from the 2-3. This weekend should bring another wrinkle.
“We’ll have a new look on Friday where we’ll get our chances,” said Welch, the power-play point man. “I promise you that.”
Following their allegiances
On Monday, Harvard’s normally close-knit team was divided by a sporting event held thousands of miles away.
The United States’ dramatic, 4-3 win over Canada to win gold in the World Junior (Under-20) Championships in Helsinki, Finland, was well-received by the 20 American-born Crimson players.
As for the seven Canadians? Well, consider the plight of sophomore forward—and Calgary, Alberta, native—Charlie Johnson. Johnson watched the game with Grumet-Morris and said it was a “big mistake,” since Grumet-Morris grew up outside of Chicago and (apparently) knows many of the U.S. players.
“He was talking like he knew everyone on the team, calling them by their nicknames and stuff,” Johnson said.
The game-winning goal was scored when Canadian goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, who has already played in the NHL with the Pittsburgh Penguins, hit one of his own players with a clearing attempt and it went into the Team Canada goal.
“That was about the worst day of my life,” Johnson said, only half-jokingly.
Harvard freshman defenseman Dylan Reese was supposed to be on the U.S. team for the tournament, but a pinched nerve kept him home. The injury has forced him to miss the Crimson’s last 11 games.
Off the radar
For the first time all season, Harvard did not receive votes in the USCHO.com national poll, released last Monday.
Harvard began the season ranked No. 6 in both the USCHO.com and USA Today/American Hockey Magazine polls. The Crimson stayed in the Top 15 through the end of November, but it fell out on Dec. 1 and hasn’t climbed back since.
Three ECAC teams appeared in this week’s USCHO.com rankings: No. 9 Cornell (6-2-5), No. 12 Dartmouth (6-2-5) and No. 15 Brown (8-3-3).
Briefly
Senior defenseman David McCulloch tested out his sprained ankle in non-contact drills at yesterday’s practice, though it is not known if he’ll return for the weekend … Junior defenseman Ryan Lannon missed yesterday’s practice. Welch, Lannon’s roommate, said he had the 24-to-48 hour flu and should be back for the weekend … The University of Findlay (Ohio) announced yesterday that it will drop Division I men’s and women’s ice hockey as a varsity sport, effective at the end of this season.
—Staff writer Jon Paul Morosi can be reached at morosi@fas.harvard.edu.