“I had the rebound right there,” he explained, “so all I had to do was tap it in.”

It was not the junior’s only chance—midway through the second period, he blitzed Vermont’s net for a point-blank chance, and it was Murphy’s physical play in the third period that headlined, in large part, a renewed effort from the same Crimson squad that has displayed a somewhat disturbing tendency to squander leads late in the game.

The two pivotal points Murphy accumulated last night give him seven on the season, and he now trails just five skaters on the team points list.

Those five skaters? The members of Harvard’s commanding top power-play unit.

And it is Murphy’s own description of his line explains, in large part, the success he tasted last night.

“I think it’s just all of us know our roles,” he said, echoing his coach’s sentiments. “We’re all big guys, trying to just get the puck in deep, and not do anything pretty, and play the body as much as we can and not give up anything defensively.”

And this defensive yet aggressive play has, Donato noted, “been a big spark for us throughout the year.”

In particular, it was Murphy who spearheaded the Harvard campaign against red-hot Vermont, a team that had not lost its last 11 games.

But the junior remained matter-of-fact as he explained the mantra that has now led the Crimson to its eight win in nine tries.

“We know we’ve got to manufacture goals,” he said. “We know we’re not going to be beating people 1-on-1. Nothing’s going to be pretty for us, so we’re just trying to get the puck to the net, and then outwork people at the net.

“And I think that’s how it happened tonight.”

—Staff writer Rebecca A. Seesel can be reached at seesel@fas.harvard.edu.