In its defeats, Union has, on average, allowed its opponents seven power plays, a trend which, should it continue, will play directly into Harvard’s hands.

The Crimson enters weekend action third in the nation with a man advantage, converting on 25.9 percent of its 5-on-4s—and 35.1 percent in its last six games.

So how will the Dutchmen attempt to short circuit the Harvard power play?

“By not taking penalties,” Leaman laughed. “We need to play a smart road game and stay out of the box.”

He should know. After all, Leaman coached all but one member of the Crimson’s first power-play unit, and has seen their talent firsthand, which should raise the stakes for both sides.

“We actually [left] Coach Leaman a voicemail this afternoon, Noah [Welch] and I, and gave him a hard time,” assistant captain Ryan Lannon said. “It’s going to be fun to see him on the other side.”

Kidding aside, Harvard—one week removed from a lackluster loss at St. Lawrence—won’t be downplaying Union’s talent, or its chances to beat the Crimson.

“[Lehman] just preaches work ethic and competition,” Lannon said. “So we expect them to come in and give us their best, and we’re ready to reciprocate that.”

As for Union, its confidence may be at an all-time high and its league record may dwarf Harvard’s, but Lehman’s squad won’t be taking tonight’s contest lightly either. A historically weak program which only made the jump from Division III to Division I in 1991, the Dutchmen will be discounted, according to Lehman, until they string together a series of noteworthy performances on a consistent basis.

“I think Union’s always going to be the underdog,” Lehman said. I’ll bet if you ask nine out of 10 people coming into [the game tonight], they’ll say Harvard’s going to blast us. We have to earn that respect.”

—Staff writer Timothy J. McGinn can be reached at mcginn@fas.harvard.edu.