Harvard’s ‘D’ holds Bears to one goal Goalie Grumet-Morris makes 39 saves for win

loading...

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Statistically, it would appear the University of Maine men’s hockey team simply ran into a hot goalie in Harvard University senior Dov Grumet-Morris during Saturday night’s 4-1 loss at the Bright Hockey Center.

After all, Grumet-Morris, a two-time loser to Maine in the NCAA Tournament, finished with 39 saves including 18 of the Grade-A (high-percentage) variety.

But he will have to share the spotlight with his teammates, who effectively protected the low slot just beyond the top of his crease. They also manufactured goals at the other end by fighting their way to the front of Jimmy Howard’s net to screen him or whack in rebounds off multi-shot flurries.

Grumet-Morris rarely had to face second and third shots while second-team All-American Howard encountered several multi-shot flurries, including two that resulted in Harvard’s first and fourth goals.

Harvard improved to 10-3-1 overall and extended its winning streak to five games. Maine fell to 10-7-2 and had its six-game unbeaten streak (4-0-2) snapped.

“[Grumet-Morris] played well down at the other end. You’ve got to give him credit,” said Howard, who finished with 24 saves. “But how many of the 40 shots did Dov see? Probably 37 of them. They did a tremendous job clearing out in front. On the other hand, we didn’t clear out as well in front and it cost us a couple of times.”

Maine coach Tim Whitehead agreed. “It was our inability to protect our goalie and their ability to protect theirs,” he said. “Both teams had opportunities but they got second and third opportunities and we only got the first opportunity.”

Harvard senior defenseman and captain Noah Welch said there was plenty of motivation against a Black Bear team that ended their seasons in 2002 and last season.

“The guys wanted it tonight,” said Welch. “Maine played hard but it was our building. We knew they had a lot of team speed and we wanted to keep them on the perimeter of the ice and play from the net front out. We did that tonight.”

Harvard also won the special teams battle, becoming the first team to score more than two power-play goals against the Bears by going 3-for-7 while limiting Maine to one power-play goal on eight chances.

Maine’s penalty kill entered the game as the nation’s second best (90.7 percent efficiency) while Harvard’s power play was fifth best (23.1 percent).

Freshman Jon Pelle’s fifth goal of the season off a multi-shot scramble gave Harvard a lead it would never relinquish in the first period and was the game’s only even-strength goal.

Second-period power-play goals by Kevin Du and Andrew Lederman expanded the lead to 3-0.

Maine’s Greg Moore and Steve Mullin walked in alone on Grumet-Morris early in the third period but he stopped them both. Harvard’s Charlie Johnson added an insurance goal off a rebound with 7:21 remaining.

Maine freshman left wing Keenan Hopson scored a consolation goal for Maine with 1:08 left to ruin Grumet-Morris’s shutout bid and snap Maine’s 0-for-24 drought on the power play.

Pelle opened the scoring 4:06 into the game after Howard stopped Johnson’s initial shot and a follow-up. Pelle swatted at the rebound and the puck popped in the air and dropped behind Howard.

Hopson had Maine’s best chance with 2:50 left in the period but missed a half-empty net from the left circle off a Michel Leveille rebound.

Du made it 2-0 5:56 into the second period when he positioned himself in the low slot and deflected Tom Walsh’s snap shot from the left point over Howard’s glove-side shoulder.

Lederman scored with 3:58 left in the period as he maneuvered from left to right across the high slot and slotted a perfectly placed wrister between Howard’s right skate and the post.

“They had done a good job up top taking away me and Lederman on the power play but we gave them a different look, we went to an umbrella [with three guys at the point] and it kind of messed them up,” said Welch about Lederman’s goal.

“I didn’t see either of those [second-period] goals,” said Howard.

CRIMSON 4, BLACK BEARS 1

Maine (10-7-2) 0 0 1 – 1

Harvard (9-3-1) 1 2 1 – 4

First period – 1. Har, Pelle 5 (Johnson, Reese), 4:06. Penalties: UM, Damon, hooking, 11:17; Har, Mendes, roughing after whistle, 14:14; UM, Jankus, roughing after whistle, 14:14; UM, Ryan, high-sticking, 18:31.

Second period – 2. Har, Du 2 (Walsh, Reese), 5:56 (pp); 3. Har, Lederman 4 (Pelle, Cavanagh), 16:02 (pp). Penalties: Har, Reese, hitting from behind, 1:09; UM, Johnson, hooking, 4:26; Har, Bernakevitch, interference, 8:37; Har, Magura, hooking, 12:48; UM, Mullin, obstruction-hooking, 15:47; UM, Jankus, obstruction-holding, 18:14; Har, Lannon, roughing after whistle, 18:14; Har, Flynn, roughing after whistle, 18:14; UM, Mushaluk, roughing after whistle, 18:14; Har, Cavanagh, roughing, 18:33; UM, Damon, roughing, 18:33.

Third period – 4. Har, Johnson 3 (Murphy, Du), 12:39 (pp); 5. UM, Hopson 3 (Shepheard, Hamilton), 18:52 (pp). Penalties: Har, Mendes, hooking, :37; Har, Welch, holding, 4:45; UM, Jankus, slashing, 6:12; Har, D. Murphy, tripping, 8:12; UM, Zabkowicz, slashing, 10:47; UM, Damon, 10-min. misconduct, 10:47; Har, Flynn, roughing, 13:17; Har, Magura, holding the stick, 17:51.

Shots on goal: Maine 12-14-14-40; Harv 13-9-6-28

Goaltenders: UM, Howard (28 shots-24 saves); Har, Grumet-Morris (40-39)

Power-play opportunities: Maine 1-8; Harvard 3-7

High-percentage scoring chances: Maine 8-8-11-27; Harvard 8-10-3-21

Attendance: 2,776