With the tie, Vermont locked up a fourth-place ECAC finish, which includes a bye week and home ice until the league tournament moves to Albany for the semifinals and finals.

The stalemate, the result of two man-advantage tallies apiece, gave both teams all they absolutely needed: a single point to secure league position.

Coming down the stretch, though, the Catamounts had a pair of golden opportunities to take the contest altogether, as both Mifsud and linemate Jeff Corey saw good looks. Corey managed to break in on Grumet-Morris on the left side, taking a shot from just outside the crease and the right post with one second left.

The Gutterson cheering proved premature, though, as Grumet-Morris pushed Corey’s attempt past the post with his right pad, and the puck trickled harmlessly away as the buzzer sounded, signaling the extra frame.

It was the second overtime in two days on the heels of a trying month, but Welch brushed off questions of fatigue.

“When you’re playing, it’s only an extra five minutes, to be honest with you,” he said. “It’s only a couple shifts. You’re so loose. You’re doing all right.”

Harvard saw its last good chance with 90 seconds remaining, when Bernakevitch brought it up the ice and assistant captain Tom Cavanagh had a chance in the slot, but a diving Jaime Sifers managed to smother the puck with his body.

And for the most part, both teams were content to dump and chase, each taking home that critical point at the final buzzer.

“I thought we carried the play for most of the game, and unfortunately, we took some penalties and gave them some momentum, and ultimately, they got two power play goals,” Donato said. “But I was happy with the way we played. With the two pressure-cookers that we were in the last two nights, I think will be to our advantage coming down the stretch and the playoffs and tournament games.”

DARTMOUTH 2, HARVARD 1 (OT)

HANOVER, N.H.—Donato wasn’t kidding when he referred to both road venues as “pressure-cookers.” The Big Green’s Thompson Arena was full to the last seat Friday, as Dartmouth tried to overtake the Catamounts for that coveted fourth place in the ECAC standings.

And in the end, it all came down to the final five minutes of regulation—until then, it was just unrelenting Dartmouth defense and brilliant saves by Grumet-Morris.

The netminder faced several odd-man rushes in the second frame, each the result of an uncharacteristic mistake by his defensive corps.

Grumet-Morris stared them all down, though, even Nick Johnson’s breakaway with under a minute remaining.

Dartmouth’s rookie forward stripped the puck from Ryan Lannon in the neutral zone and carried it, uncontested, towards Grumet-Morris before shooting the puck wide.