But just like the Crimson’s season, the ultimate goal seemed unreachable for awhile on Saturday night.

Harvard played a tentative first period—it was outshot 10-6—and fell behind when Clarkson winger Chris Blight beat Dov Grumet-Morris five-hole with 3:21 remaining in the period.

No big deal, right? The Crimson entered the final 4-2 in the last four ECAC tournament when the opponent scored first, including last weekend’s series-clincher at Brown.

But before Harvard could settle itself down, the Golden Knights went up 2-0. Michael Grenzy sent in a point shot that Grumet-Morris saved routinely but made the mistake of turning aside to his right. There, Tristan Lush warded off Crimson defender Dylan Reese, pounced on the loose puck and whipped it in.

Bad, bad news for Harvard. Only once in 19 postseason games—Game 2 at Brown last weekend—had the team’s seniors rallied from a two-goal deficit to win. And only four times had the Crimson come back from a deficit of any kind to win.

Still, there was a palpable sense that Harvard was going to overcome the demons of last year’s ECAC title game and an agonizing regular season all at once.

“If you guys were in the locker room, you would’ve seen it,” nodded junior Noah Welch. “There was this silent confidence. Our guys just knew.”

Maybe so. Still, it would’ve been hard for anyone to predict Tom Cavanagh’s scintillating second period.

Ten seconds after the opening draw, Cavanagh—who had vomited through a sleepless Friday night with the stomach flu—took a feed from Bernakevitch, cut across the grain and backhanded in his fifth power-play goal of the season.

Clarkson 2, Cavanagh 1.

“The kid’s a superstar,” Smith said. “One of the most unbelievable players I’ve ever played with.”

Less than five minutes later, David McCulloch blocked a shot in the Harvard zone, freeing Cavanagh and Charlie Johnson on a 2-on-1. Cavanagh held it until he reached the circles, then ripped his team-leading 16th goal past Dustin Traylen’s glove hand.

Clarkson 2, Cavanagh 2.

His awestruck teammates chalked it up as another in a lineage of clutch playoff performances that began with his overtime game-winner against the Golden Knights in the 2002 ECAC semis and continued with his series-clincher against Brown.

“Don’t call him Cavy anymore. He’s Mr. Playoffs,” smiled Welch. “I read somewhere Michael Jordan played his best games when he was sick …”