Crimson set to battle Bulldogs
CHICAGO — It’s no secret that the United Center can be an intimidating place, with an attendance that can grow to over 22,000. Add in the fact that today’s national semifinal against Minnesota-Duluth will represent the first Frozen Four visit by Harvard since 1994, and there’s no doubt that butterflies in the stomach might take hold.
Senior left winger Luke Esposito said the facility is certainly awe-inspiring.
“It’s really nice to get out there the day before the game and get a feel for the rink. We played in a couple of NHL buildings, the MSG (Madison Square Garden) and then, obviously, the TD Garden back home. So, we kind of got a sense for that in those games,” Esposito said. “But, there’s something about this rink. . . . You can tell looking at it, it seems a little bigger.
“It was fun to just kind of soak it all in because once tomorrow starts, it’s a little more businesslike. So you don’t quite get a sense of it all.”
Crimson coach Ted Donato, who was a member of Harvard’s 1989 NCAA champions, said it’s difficult for any student-athlete to avoid all of the Frozen Four distractions.
“Honestly, no, it’s not possible. They’re not practicing in the United Center every day or in a great city like Chicago, They understand the opportunity in front of them,” said Donato. “This is certainly a different game. I think in your mind you can always think of it as a different game, but we haven’t been to a Frozen Four in a long time. So, it’s not just another game.”
The Bulldogs are a storied program that contains names like Brett Hull on its all-time scroll, but the two teams have not faced each other since 1996.
“I think they’re a very impressive team,” Donato said. “I think they’re extremely well coached. I think they have great balance. This is a team we have a lot of respect for.”
Minnesota-Duluth coach Scott Sandelin said his club faces a huge challenge against Harvard, which is unbeaten in the last 18 games (17-0-1). That’s the longest streak by a team entering the Frozen Four since Northern Michigan’s 24-game run in 1991.
“I think they’re very balanced. Obviously, they’ve got some very talented forwards up front, their top two lines especially. There is a ton of skill, a lot of deception. They’re a puck-possession team. I’ve been impressed with their poise and composure,” Sandelin said. “Obviously, when you are a puck-possession team, you like to make plays and not give pucks away, and I think they do a really good job of that.
“There’s not a lot of holes. Their goaltender has been good. Defensively, they’ve been strong. They haven’t given up a lot of goals The defense gets involved, especially guys like (Adam) Fox, who’s a tremendous player back there, very elusive and smart. They can be one of the top teams, if not the top team, scoring-wise,” continued Sandelin.
“Again, it’s a very solid team that you’ve got minimize the mistakes, especially with pucks. Hopefully, we can do the same thing to them. I think if we do that, it’s going to be a heck of a game. It’s going to be back and forth.”