Carroll’s breakout performance at the end of last season put Harvard back on track after its winter slump and earned him the starting position for the final nine games of the year.

Carroll first made a splash against rival Boston College in the consolation game of the Beanpot, in which he made 42 saves—matching Richter’s career high—before yielding the game-winning goal in the final minute.

By the end of the season, Carroll held a .946 save percentage and a 1.90 goals-against average, and had contributed to the upset of two ranked teams in the Crimson’s late-season resurgence.

While he returns to the backup spot upon Richter’s arrival, there’s no saying he can’t work his way back up to the top.

“Ryan Carroll, he’s a great goalie as well as a good friend of mine, so we push each other a lot in practice,” Richter says. “I kind of look at it with the same mentality every time. In practice, you’ve got to do your best regardless, whether you’re starting or not.”

“Now there’s a lot more competition, but I guess competition just breeds playing well,” Carroll agrees. “You work hard and play well, and whoever’s playing well will get in the net, so every time you step on the ice, it’s the same feeling—you just try to play your best.”

—Staff writer Courtney D. Skinner can be reached at cskinner@fas.harvard.edu.