It wasn’t the dominant performance Yale has grown used to enjoying over Harvard, but it was doubtlessly more rewarding by extending the Bulldogs’ season by at least one more day.
Junior Mitch Witek’s seeing-eye rope in the second period proved to be the game-winner in Yale’s 2-0 win; senior Trent Ruffalo’s empty-netter ended the nail-biting for the Bulldogs. Sophomore Alex Lyon made 24 saves for his seventh shutout of the season and fourth victory over Harvard.
“Aren’t they all [nail-biters]?” Yale coach Keith Allain asked after the game. “I thought we played better as the night went on, so we certainly earned the victory.”
The Crimson needed two hands to tally the number of near-goals it earned, but in the end Harvard was shut out and senior Steve Michalek’s 20 stops became a mere statistical footnote.
“We’re frustrated,” coach Ted Donato allowed. “I thought we played a good game. Our guys kept coming; there must have been half a dozen pucks lying around the crease tonight.”
Harvard picked up where it left off, effectively pestering Yale with a tenacious forecheck and generating a number of excellent scoring opportunities. Junior Kyle Criscuolo was responsible for three of them, but Lyon was there every time with a big kick or a strong stick. The physical and mutually frustrating period ended with an impromptu wrestling demonstration and matching minors, along with Harvard up 10-5 in shots.
“After the first, I felt we were carrying the play and carrying the chances,” Donato said.
Yale pushed back with an assertive start to the second period, culminating in Witek’s third goal of the season. The defenseman held the puck atop the left-wing circle with Criscuolo marking; when the Harvard sniper dropped to a knee, Witek wristed a deceptive dart past Michalek’s right toe.
“[Left wing] Frankie DiChiara sucked a guy in and gave me some space,” Witek recalled. “I took a shot, and Cody [Learned] was in front with a nice screen and it went in … I think it tipped [Criscuolo] on the way.”
The Crimson responded with four of the period’s five shots as the contest began to resemble full-contact sprint relays. The top line of Jimmy Vesey, Alexander Kerfoot, and Criscuolo consistently menaced Lyon’s shutout, but were unable to make stick-to-puck contact in the right way at the right time.
Harvard stormed the castle with a game-high 30 shot attempts in the third period, but only eight actually made their way to Lyon. Blocks, deflections, and posts stymied the desperate Crimson shift after shift, culminating in a nearly miraculous Sean Malone shot in the final minute of play.
With Harvard short-handed till the final horn due to a Desmond Bergin breakaway-busting hook, Donato still managed to pull Michalek for the extra attacker. Yale stole the puck in its own end and appeared ready to ice the contest, but turned it over at the red line, springing Malone one-on-one with Yale defender Nate Repensky. Malone hit the left-wing circle with speed and released a rising wrister that nicked Repensky, the redirection fooling Lyon. The puck screamed off Lyon’s right post and wide, where Yale engaged the counterattack that ultimately led to Ruffalo’s goal.
“That’s just the way the game went for us,” Donato said.
The old foes square off for a final time tomorrow night at The Whale; it is extremely unlikely that either team will be able to qualify for the NCAA tournament without one more win.
