Quinnipiac outshot Harvard, 17-7, in the third on its way to a 37-23 advantage for the game. But despite its late-game dominance, it was too little, too late.

The Bobcats pulled Clarke with just over two minutes to play in a last-ditch attempt to net the equalizer, but although Quinnipiac peppered Richter with shots, the junior held strong.

“Richter just kept making saves and we just couldn’t find our way,” Bobcat coach Rand Pecknold said. “If you want to win in this league, you can’t get behind 2-0 on the road, so it’s our own fault.”

With 44 ticks left on the clock, the rookie Valek gave the Crimson some insurance. The brothers Biega—freshman Danny and captain Alex—moved the puck ahead to Valek skating up the left boards in the neutral zone.

Valek got the puck past a wall of Bobcat defenders, and it slid into the empty net to put the game out of reach at 3-1.

It was the first career goal for Valek, and the assist marked the first career point for Danny Biega.

“Two of our freshmen scored their first career goals, and we’re very excited for them,” Alex Biega said. “But they come to play every day, and that’s an attitude we need to have in our locker room on a consistent basis.”

With its second win—and first since October’s season opener against Dartmouth—under its belt, Harvard hopes that 2010 will signal the beginning of a different kind of streak.

“I think we all feel, from the coaching staff on down, that we can be better,” Donato said. “Tonight’s a nice first step.