Harvard checks its list

PROVIDENCE — Beanpot? Check.

ECAC regular season title? Check.

ECAC tournament crown? Check.

There hasn’t been a challenge thus far this season which the Harvard hockey team hasn’t met with aplomb.

“Obviously, those are all goals that we set at the beginning of the year,’’ said Harvard junior goaltender Merrick Madsen. “Those are things that we wanted to check off as the season has gone along. We’re grateful that we have worked hard enough to get all of those things. At this point, none of the teams that we play are going to care what we’ve done so far. At this point, it’s basically like we’re starting a whole new season. It’s one-and-done.

“With all that aside, it’s great that we have accomplished as much as we have, but we’re looking forward to the next game. We have to win the next game.”

One bauble for its bowl full of jewels remains for the Crimson: the NCAA tournament. A title will match Harvard’s 1989 NCAA champions, who enjoyed a similar check list save for the ECAC tournament, which it lost to Vermont in the semifinals.

One member of that ’ 89 group is current coach Ted Donato, who sees a favorable comparison.

“I think the one common thread is great leadership,” Donato said. “When I think back to the ’89 team, I think of guys like Lane MacDonald, C.J. Young, (Allen) Bourbeau. Some very talented guys, but guys that led us in big games. I think this group with (Alexander) Kerfoot, Madsen, (Sean) Malone have played well for us in big games. You can argue that this group has an even more difficult task because, back then, the Harvard