In addition to his goal-saving, Popp had a number of superb passes and was able to set up key offensive plays on counterattacks. His two assists were the second-most for the Crimson on Saturday.
“Popp had some great dishes this morning,” Katzer said. “He can definitely pass the ball.”
On the offensive side, Katzer led Harvard, earning his second hat trick in as many games. In the past two matches, Katzer has increased his season goal total to eight.
“Mike played really well,” co-captain Bret Voith said. “He really found his shot offensively and had a couple really timely goals for us.”
“Katzer is Katzer,” Minnis added. “He played on both ends of the pool, and that’s something we’ve talked about...I was proud of the way he played.”
While the match had no conference implications, the victory was certainly important for the team’s psyche, especially considering that the Crimson will face a number of strong teams in the upcoming Claremont Convergence Tournament in Southern California.
“After starting out our conference 0-2, it’s good to get a big win over our cross-town rival and give us momentum going into California next week,” Voith said.