“None of us are going to fill that spot solo,” Hart says. “But as a unit, hopefully we can contribute to some of that scoring.”
Vesey has initially stepped into Killorn’s former spot along the board on the power play’s first unit, according to Hart.
Rounding out the freshman class for Harvard are defenseman Desmond Bergin and goaltender Peter Traber.
“Desmond showed great maturity for a guy his age,” fellow defenseman and captain Danny Biega says. “He seems to be really mature in his position, so I think a young guy like that is going to help us out a lot.”
Despite the depth of the rookie class, Donato is wary of the lure of professional aspirations. The Harvard grad noted that the current senior class would have been better if first-round draft pick Leblanc had not left the Crimson to further his professional career.
But for players like Hart, suiting up for Harvard seems to be a long-term commitment.
“It’s been my goal to go to Harvard for a long time,” Hart says. “I want to graduate from Harvard. I want to stay and develop and go to school here and get to know the guys.”
Part of the attractiveness of sticking with the Crimson is the bond on the team that has quickly developed for the freshman class, both with each other and with the veterans on the squad.
“I couldn’t be happier about the culture on the team,” Hart says. “Tommy O’Regan really stepped up in the sophomore class, getting the freshmen together in the first couple weeks, and everybody’s been really nice and supportive. I’m having a blast playing on the team.”
Though the rookies of the 2012-13 season are highly touted throughout the league, Donato believes that developing the total team is more important than simply recruiting top talents.
“I’m not worried about having great recruiting classes,” Donato says. “I think we’re worried about having great teams, and we’re hopeful that this group will come together with the addition of this freshman class and really mold together to have a great team.”
—Staff writer David A. Mazza can be reached at damazza@college.harvard.edu.