A short winter break will serve as a quick respite before the Crimson takes on the bulk of its regular season schedule. Harvard will look to clinch its eighth ECAC championship and third-straight Ivy League title.

But despite the horde of talent and experience across the bench, the Crimson still has a long way to go in its quest for the program’s first-ever NCAA title.

“I would like us to put ourselves in a position to win a national championship,” Stone said. “That’s what we’re going to try and do every day. But along the way, we’re going to hit some potholes, and we’re going to see how resilient we are when we do.”

For now, Harvard will have to see how the pieces fit together in its first regular season outing against Rensselaer on Oct. 31.

“It’s a long offseason,” D’Oench said. “We work really hard on and off the ice throughout the year, so this is the time when we finally get to show it.”

—Staff writer Brenna R. Nelsen can be reached at brenna.nelsen@thecrimson.com.