WALTHAM, Mass. -- There’s not much college hockey on the schedule until after Christmas following this week’s action. Thus, entering the break with a win and momentum for the second half of the season is important.
Games at this time of the year aren’t always masterpieces as the players have to put the “student” in “student-athlete” before getting a needed rest around the holidays.
It’s been a bit of an up-and-down first half to the season for 15th-year head coach Ted Donato and his Harvard squad, but Tuesday night’s 2-1 win over Atlantic Hockey foe Bentley lifted the Crimson above .500 for the second time this year at 5-4-2.
Like any team in college hockey, the Crimson won’t apologize for wins no matter how they come. And it’s an especially important one after a one-goal loss to ECAC rival Cornell over the weekend.
“Night in and night out, even though we haven't executed, I think our effort and our energy level have been really strong,” Donato said. “This is a tough time of year for college hockey in general. You've got two teams playing their last game before the break, and two teams that I'm sure have a lot of challenges right now academically going into exams and final papers being due.
“It is a challenge, especially if you're playing three games in five nights like both the teams did. But I thought the compete level was excellent considering all of those factors.”
Sophomore Jack Donato (Scituate, Mass.) ripped his second goal of the season past Bentley’s Aidan Pelino on a transition rush 6:10 into the third period. The Crimson had to gut Tuesday night’s game out, though, as the Falcons ― who were less than two weeks removed from a win at Boston College ― pressed for a late tying goal after Hopkinton, Mass., native Brendan Hamblet scored less than seven minutes earlier.
Like many games lately, goaltender Michael Lackey turned out to be a major reason why the Crimson made it three wins in a five-game span and Bentley was unable to beat a Beanpot school for the second time this season.
The senior from Washington, D.C., is in his first season carrying the full-time load after the graduation of three-year starter Merrick Madsen. He only had to make 24 saves against the Falcons, but you could call several of them game-savers. Nine stops came in the opening period, including two on one sequence as junior Jonathan Desbiens fought for a rebound off top-line center Luke Santerno’s shot, but Lackey moved across the crease to deny.
“I think Michael has continued to get better and better and look more comfortable,” the Crimson coach said. “It takes some time to get in a groove. He's had some big efforts as of late and looks like he's getting more and more comfortable. As a team, it's really hard to win without having great nights from your goalie. We certainly got one tonight.”
Lackey has posted all five wins and a .943 save percentage over the last seven games after the Crimson started the season with a 0-2-2 mark. The U.S. National Team Development Program product has allowed just five even-strength goals in that span.
Hockey coaches often ride the hot hand in net, and Lackey has been just that for a Crimson team that has quickly turned things around. In fact, their record entering this holiday break is two losses better than last year’s 4-6-1 mark through 11 games.
“I’m just coming into every game taking it shot by shot instead of looking at the big picture,” Lackey said. “I think that's the biggest emphasis I've had throughout these past couple games, and also having self-confidence. I’m coming in knowing I'm a good goalie and that it's going to be hard for them to score.”
The Crimson are getting everyone involved in support of their 6-foot-4, 215-pound goaltender. It’s a total team effort.
Junior Adam Fox leads the nation’s top power play as well as a defensive unit that produces more than only one other team, while Casey Dornbach and the freshmen class have contributed 3.73 points per game. Marshall Rifai made his first collegiate appearance on the blue line against Bentley.
Like Lackey himself, the team will be carrying some confidence into the new semester.
“Everyone's optimistic about the group of guys that we have. We know the potential we have,” Lackey said. “Although we might not have had games go our way early in the season, I think everyone's excited for the second half of the season.”
And the Crimson knows who has their back in net.
“I think he’s definitely been hitting his stride ever since MSG,” Jack Donato said of Lackey. “I think that (Nov. 24 win over Cornell in New York City) was a real turning point for our team. He's been great giving us chances to win and confidence to take some chances offensively. He's been a rock for us, obviously, and we're going to need him to continue to be if we're going to have success going forward.”
