ECAC champ Harvard features scoring balance

The ECAC Hockey League champion Harvard Crimson are similar to the University of Maine Black Bears.

The two teams will meet in the NCAA East Regional on Saturday at 3 p.m. at Pepsi Arena in Albany, N.Y.

“We have good balance up front,” said second-year coach Ted Donato, a Harvard grad and former NHL player. “We don’t really rely on one or two guys to create the offense. Some guys have better numbers than other guys but, on any given night, any one of our lines can win a game for us.”

Harvard has seven players with 19 or more points including one defenseman (Dylan Reese).

“A lot of guys have stepped up this year,” said senior left winger and leading goal scorer Dan Murphy, brother of former Maine center Ben Murphy. “It has been a different guy every night. All four lines are playing well right now.”

Murphy, who has 18 goals and 9 assists, is on the top scoring line with leading point-getter Kevin Du (10 goals, 23 assists) and Ryan Maki (10 & 12). The other high-scoring line has Paul Dufault (8 & 18) between LW Dave Watters (10 & 7) and RW Jon Pelle (10 & 18).

Donato noted that Maine has the same kind of balance with eight Black Bears having registered 20 or more points, including defenseman Bret Tyler.

“Our defense has really improved throughout the season. A couple of our freshmen [Brian McCafferty, Jack Christian] have made great strides throughout the year and [veterans] Peter Hafner, Tom Walsh and Dylan Reese have been very good,” said Donato.

Maine also has a combination of veterans, sophomores and freshmen on defense.

“Our defensemen do a good job in our end and their ability to get back and get the puck out of our zone quickly is a big reason why we’ve done so well lately,” said Murphy.

Reese (4 & 15), Walsh (4 & 12) and McCafferty (2 & 13) are the offensive leaders on defense.

Harvard, 21-11-2, has won six of seven and 10 of its last 13.

Although the Crimson has a senior between the pipes in John Daigneau, he is in his first season as a starter as he backed up Dov Grumet-Morris for three seasons.

Maine has freshman Ben Bishop in goal.

“We knew John had the talent to be very successful at the college level but he didn’t have the opportunity until this year,” said Donato. “We had the inkling that as he continued to play well, his confidence has continued to grow and that is exactly what happened.”

Harvard sophomore left wing Alex Meintel of Yarmouth said Daigneau has “really come into his own. He’s been unbelievable.”

Daigneau will enter the game with a 19-9-2 record, a 2.39 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage.

Harvard’s power play has been terrific of late, scoring on 10 of its 23 chances during its current four-game winning streak.

“When we have success on the power play, we move the puck quickly and then get it to the front of the net for rebounds and deflections,” said Meintel.

Murphy, who has a team-high nine power-play goals, added, “Our power play is peaking at the right time, which is a good thing.”

The Crimson has “good team speed” according to Donato and has “four lines that can come after you, like Maine does.”

Michigan State takes on New Hampshire in the opening game of the East Regional at noon.

Michigan State, 24-11-8 and the CCHA Tournament champion, has been led by left wings Drew Miller (17 & 25) and Bryan Lerg (15 & 22) along with defenseman Tyler Howells (10 & 24) and goalie Jeff Lerg (16-5-6, 1.95, .927).

UNH, 20-12-7, has been paced by LW Jacob Micflikier (16 & 26), RW Brett Hemingway (19 & 22), C Daniel Winnik (15 & 26), D Brian Yandle (6 & 24) and goalie Jeff Pietrasiak (12-4-2, 2.27, .927).