Juniors Max Everson and Patrick McNally jumped off to strong starts last season for the Harvard men’s hockey team. Through seven games, the sophomore defenders registered a positive plus-minus rating and combined for four points.

But their success would be cut short. The duo left the team after the seventh game of the season, and the Crimson’s defense immediately felt the impact of its absence.

After allowing fewer than two goals per game with McNally and Everson in the line-up, Harvard finished the season with a conference-worst 3.01 goals against average.

This year, Everson and McNally will return to the team looking to strengthen the squad’s performance in the defensive zone.

“I’m hungry coming back. I feel like I prepared more than I normally would [for a season],” McNally said. “[Everson and I] are looking to make a difference.”

The Crimson’s challenge to improve its defensive efforts this year will start with finding a replacement for former captain Danny Biega ’13. The 2012 All-American graduated in the spring and is now with the Charlotte Checkers, the top minor league team for the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes. Biega’s best season came in his junior year, when he tallied 35 points and 10 goals to earn the nod for ECAC Defenseman of the Year.

“Danny Biega was a huge part of our team last year both offensively and defensively,” Harvard coach Ted Donato ’91 said. “Coming into the season last year, he was an incredibly important part of what we were trying to do.”

Despite their limited opportunity to play with Biega, McNally and Everson were able to observe what the Montreal native did well during practices and games. The two roommates hope that they can take what they have learned from Biega’s game and apply it to their own.

“As a player, it’s always great to be able to play with a kid who has as much skill [as Biega],” Everson said. “When you played with him, it made you look really good.”

Biega excelled on the power play, leading the point on Division I hockey’s most effective man-up offense during his junior year. He also led all players with 14 power play points that year, registering two goals and 12 assists. McNally and his fellow defensemen hope to emulate Biega’s success in that department.

“[Biega] was really helpful with me on the power play,” McNally said. “He taught me how to do it at the college level, which is a lot different than high school. There’s a lot less time out there [to make decisions].”

For Harvard, Biega was not only an impressive talent on the ice, but also an influential leader.

“He was our hardest working guy these past two years,” Everson said. “His determination on the ice rubbed off on…all of our defensemen and players in general.”

In addition to the leadership of senior captain and fellow defender Dan Ford, Donato will turn to the complementary playing styles of McNally and Everson to help fill Biega’s skates.

“Max is an excellent defenseman, not necessarily in ways that are quantifiable,” Donato said. “He’s a defensive defenseman. He’s an excellent penalty killer and plays against the other teams’ top players.”