By Victoria Rutigliano
Forty-four seconds of disarray in the second period from Quinnipiac lead to three goals, a tossed coach, and a multi-goal deficit the Bobcats wouldn’t be able to scratch its way back from.
In the amount of time it takes most people to hold their breath, the Crimson (10-2-1, 6-1-1 ECAC) fired three power-play goals past Quinnipiac (11-9-2, 6-5-1 ECAC) goaltender Chris Truehl leading to the Bobcats ultimate defeat at Bright-Landry Hockey Center in Cambridge, and fifth loss in their past six games.
Both teams came into this game with emotions flaring, with Quinnipiac handing the Crimson their own ECAC loss this season, and coming away with the past four straight victories against the Crimson.
Just five minutes into the second period the game was knotted at one, before Nathan Krusko would tally his first of three goals throughout the night scooting the puck past Truehl into the net from the crease.
Adding just a goal to the scoreboard wasn’t what turned the game in Harvard’s favor, but what happened after the whistle was.
Rand Pecknold face turned the color of the Crimson seats filling the arena voicing his oppositions on the goal arguing for goaltender interference from Krusko.
This outburst lead to his ejection from the game and two more goals 44 seconds later.
The power plays that ensued after this call was what led to Quinnipiac’s downfall, according to associate head coach Bill Riga.
“For them, giving them a 5-on-3 is lethal,” Riga said. “That wasn’t part of our game plan and we lost our heads a little bit and got away from us there and that would be the difference for us in the game.”
Power plays were a huge part of this game, as Harvard came into this game leading the nation on the man-advantage, boasting a 32.1% (17-for-53), and coming into the game second in the nation with 4.5 goals-per-game.
Four out of the games seven goals came with a man in the box, and is what lead to Quinnipiac’s downfall in the second, with all three of Harvard’s goals during the 44 second span coming with a Bobcat or two sitting in the box.
Harvard head coach Ted Donato echoed the advantages the power plays gave his team.
“We did a good job putting them in some tough spots and end up with not only some powerplays but five-on-threes,” Donato said. “I think the emotions are always flying high when we play these guys.
“Obviously we’ve played each other in the past two ECAC championship games so I think there’s a lot of emotion,” Donato said. “I think it comes with a lot of respect.”
Penalties weren’t the only things holding Quinnipiac back throughout the game, according to Riga.
“We lost a lot of firepower from last years team, goal scorers,” Riga said. “We don’t score four or five or six goals every night anymore so we need to figure out if we’re going to win games we need to play well defensively and give ourselves a chance to win games.”
While Quinnipiac has struggled to put pucks in the net this season, the game didn’t start out with a lack of firepower though.
Just 16 seconds into Quinnipiac’s first power-play of the game, Thomas Aldworth weaved between two defenders at the blue line and sent a back-hander past Merrick Madsen to give Quinnipiac the 1-0 lead midway through the first.
Both Tommy Schutt and Tanner MacMaster had one-on-one opportunities against Madsen but the netminder stifled both attempts in the opening frame, ending the game with 32 saves.
With just under three minutes to play, Sean Malone evened the score, jamming the puck past Chris Truehl in the corner of the net.
During the 44 second span in the second, Krusko was able to score twice, and Alex Kerfoot once to put their team ahead.
It wouldn’t be until three minutes remaining in regulation, and backup goalie Andrew Shortridge getting pulled for the extra attacker, for Quinnipiac to get one back with Luke Shiplo sailing one past Madsen to make it 4-2.
It wouldn’t be enough for the Bobcats, though.
With six seconds remaining in the game, the Krusko finished off the game with a hatr-trick, scoring an empty-net goal on the Bobcats to make it 5-2.
Quinnipiac has now lost five of its past six games and will head to Hanover, New Hampshire to take on Dartmouth at 7 p.m. for another ECAC matchup.
