After a season of uncertainty in the crease, the Crimson is looking to sophomore Kyle Richter for the answers.

As Harvard’s starting goaltender this season, Richter hopes to lead the Crimson to the top, but there are still many questions about whether or not he has what it takes to man the pipes.

Last season, Richter found himself in an ongoing battle for the starting spot with Justin Tobe ’07. Richter claimed the position mid-season and had several strong performances in net, including a weekend against Union and Rensselaer during which he blocked 50 of 53 shots.

But the rookie faltered in a decisive set against Brown and Yale late in the spring, surrendering 10 goals as Harvard dropped both games. Richter’s breakdown in net cost him the starting job, and Tobe took over as netminder for the rest of the season.

“As a freshman last year, his consistency maybe wasn’t where we had all hoped it to be,” says Crimson coach Ted Donato ’91. “[But] throughout the season as a whole, there were times when he was outstanding for us, and as coaches, we really believe he’s poised to make the next step for us and be a real key guy.”

Richter has already shown that he can handle himself between the pipes. Last season, the rookie notched a .903 save percentage and made 437 saves overall.

And in his second career start, Richter shut out Boston College, which was then ranked No. 3 and ended the season with a loss in the NCAA title game.

But he remains largely untested, with only one year of experience at the collegiate level behind him. Now that Tobe has graduated, Harvard is looking to Richter to take charge in the goal, although some ECAC naysayers are doubting that he has what it takes.

“Some people around the league are looking at it as a weakness because we don’t have a proven guy that’s got a couple of years under his belt,” Donato says. “[But] I think the coaching staff and his teammates feel like it could be a strength, because we’ve seen him at his best, and hopefully he’ll have a great season for us.”

During his peak last season, Richter completed an impressive 10-game stretch with a 7-2-1 record, a save percentage above .900, and a low goals-against average.

And Richter has already been thrown into a lot of tough situations, as he has competed against some of the Crimson’s most challenging opponents.

“Whether it was in the Beanpot Tournament, or a road game at Cornell, he’s already faced some of the real iron in our league and in our schedule, so that’s a big bonus for him,” Donato says.

Strengthened by the level of competition he has faced, Richter feels that the experience he gained during his first year will help him in the upcoming season.

“It’s definitely nice coming in as a sophomore, knowing the systems, the way things are run, the pace of play,” Richter says. “I know what to expect. I know how much I have to drive and push myself to take it to the next level and help this team win games.”

Despite lingering doubts around the league about Richter’s strength in the goal, his teammates and coaches believe that he has the tools to bring Harvard to the top.

“He’s coming along,” co-captain Dave MacDonald says. “Last year...he steps into a role where he pretty much started as our first go-to guy and we saw some pretty ridiculous performances by him—BC at home last year, a few other games—and I think that’s kind of what you’re going see from him this year.

“He looks more confident, he’s challenging, a little more aggressive this year,” MacDonald adds. “He’s going to be a huge part of our success this year.”

—Staff writer Courtney D. Skinner can be reached at cskinner@fas.harvard.edu.