One year removed from an ECAC Hockey playoff championship and an NCAA tournament appearance, Harvard is ready for more.
Showcasing one of the most prolific offensive groups in the nation, the Crimson will be powered by Jimmy Vesey and Kyle Criscuolo to get their team back to the same level of success as last season.
It’s not as easy as it may seem, Harvard coach Ted Donato said.
“The reality is that there are a lot of things that can impact the level of success,” Donato said. “We know that the league is once again very strong. You look around and see a lot of teams that return a lot of good hockey players. We don’t want to fall into the trap of thinking that we are better than we really are. Internally, there’s expectations and goals and that’s no different than years past.”
Harvard lost promising players Patrick McNally and Max Everson last season, but a large contingent of returning players can fill those shoes. One of those players is Donato’s son, Ryan, who joins the team this season.
“It’s interesting,” Donato said. “For a long time I didn’t really consider much the idea of coaching him as much as I was excited for him to get started on his education at Harvard. He certainly has some offensive tools that will fit in nicely with our group.”
But where Harvard appears to be weakest is in goal. Starting goaltender Steve Michalek (21-13-3, 2.28 GAA, .924 save percentage) graduated at the end of last season, and the question remains as to whether the Crimson’s defensive play can keep up with their offensive production.
“I think it’s definitely an area of concern,” Donato said of his goaltending situation. “I’m also an optimist. … There’s great competition. It will be a situation where we have a lot of competition and I’m hoping that that brings out the best of these guys and to the benefit of the team.”
Last season
21-13-3, 11-8-3 (sixth) in ECAC Hockey. Won the ECAC championship over Colgate, defeating Yale and Quinnipiac in the ECAC playoffs. Lost to Omaha in the NCAA Midwest Regional.
Names to know
One of the best players in the country last season, Vesey returns to lead the Crimson offense. Criscuolo (17 goals, 31 assists) and Alexander Kerfoot (8 goals, 22 assists) also return to round out a dynamic, powerful offensive juggernaut.
Three questions
1. Who plays in goal? Starting goaltender Michalek graduated at the end of last season, leaving senior Peter Traber, sophomore Merrick Madsen and freshman Michael Lackey on the roster. Can the new goaltender keep up with Harvard’s powerful offense?
2. Can Harvard make it over the hump? The Crimson scored 121 goals last season, allowing 87, but their time with Vesey is limited and their time to make some noise in the NCAA tournament with him as their leader may be running short.
3. Can they start off as strong? Harvard was 10-1-2 through its first 13 games last season. Another fast start will benefit the Crimson.
Crystal ball
Harvard will lead the nation in scoring. Defense and goaltending will be the Crimson’s main issues, but they’ll come out fast and strong and make it to the ECAC championship game and beyond.
