Grumet-Morris readily confesses the flaws in his game, and he won’t hesitate to talk about his struggles with rebound control and recovery.

In fact, he’ll tell you that even this season—even with his nation-leading .947 save-percentage and third-best 1.60 GAA—he’d still like to improve on his out-of-net play and his transitions.

Irving calls Grumet-Morris a rare player, one committed to patching up “the glaring holes in his game.”

“He’s a kid who truly recognized his shortcomings,” Irving says, “and worked and worked to correct them.”

“I’d love to sit here and say, ‘Yeah, [this year’s success] is because I’ve been coaching him,’” Irving laughs, “but I don’t think that’s the case.”

SEEING THE RESULTS

Grumet-Morris has enjoyed a stellar career, shortcomings and all—and thus, laments Irving, “I know a lot of people are going to recognize his improvement, [but] I don’t think everyone will understand how dramatic I think it’s been.”

Take the night of Dec. 11, for example.

Those on hand in the Bright Hockey Center stands saw Grumet-Morris post 39 saves as the Crimson downed Maine 4-1. They saw Harvard push its winning streak to five and snap the Black Bears’ unbeaten streak of six.

What they might not have seen, however, was what Crimson coach Ted Donato ’91 deemed “a game within a game.”

Grumet-Morris had posted 106 saves in three career games against Maine—and he had earned three losses for his efforts. Twice, those losses bounced Harvard from the NCAA tournament, including last year’s heartbreaking third-period collapse, in which the Black Bears pushed four unanwered goals past Grumet-Morris to win 5-4.

Before this year’s Maine game, Grumet-Morris admitted that “the motivation, I think, speaks for itself.”

As did his play. The netminder turned away two quick breakaway attempts in the third period to preserve a 3-0 lead, and he shut down seven consecutive power plays, yielding only to the eighth but earning the 4-1 win nonetheless.

It was a game three years in the making, one that heralded Grumet-Morris’ arrival this season and set the stage for what was to come.

The Evanston, Ill., native is now on pace to graduate with 10 Harvard records, including the career shutouts mark of 11. And that, of course, is the direct result of his six whitewashes this season, another Crimson record.