Harvard forces Game 3 today
With its back to the wall, the Harvard men’s hockey team responded.
Ryan Donato had a goal and three assists and defenseman Adam Fox potted two goals and set up two others as the No.4 seeded Crimson blew out No. 5 Dartmouth, 7-1, last night at Bright Landry Arena to force a decisive Game 3 in their ECAC quarterfinal series.
Harvard (14-13-4) will again host the Big Green (16-16-2) today at 5 p.m., with the winner advancing to Lake Placid, N.Y. for the ECAC semifinals.
After being stifled in a 4-1 loss in Game 1 on Friday night, the Crimson offense could not be denied last night. Goals 24 seconds apart by Lewis Zerter-Gossage and Benjamin Solin gave the hosts a 2-0 lead at 9:53 of the first.
Nathan Krusko and Fox scored 65 seconds apart to make it 4-0 midway through the second period. Fox added his second and Donato got his tally with just 3.6 seconds left in the frame to make it 6-1 after two. Merrick Madsen made 21 saves for the win.
MEN’S HOCKEY
Boston College 4, Merrimack 3 — The 10th seeded Warriors came close again to knocking off the top seeds, but the host Eagles had the final say when Christopher Grando scored at 4:20 of overtime to close out this Hockey East quarterfinal series at Kelley Rink.
The Eagles (20-13-3) advance to this weekend’s Hockey East semifinals at the Garden, where they will face Boston University.
Second period goals by Mike Booth and JD Dudek gave BC a 2-0 lead, but Merrimack (12-21-4) stormed back to tie through Johnathan Kovacevic and Ludvig Larsson. Julius Mattila gave BC the lead back at 4:14 of the third, but Tyler Irvine tied for the Warriors with 4:55 left in regulation.
Joseph Woll was again tremendous for BC, making 30 saves.
Providence 3, Maine 2 — First period goals by Scott Conway, Brandon Duhaime and Josh Wilkins proved enough, as the No.3 Friars (22-10-4) held on to eliminate the No.6 Black Bears (18-16-4) in a Hockey East quarterfinal in Providence.
Hayden Hawkey only had to make 14 save for the Friars, who will face Northeastern in the Hockey East semifinals at the Garden.
Robert Morris 5, Holy Cross 1 — T.J. Moore scored but the No.3 Crusaders (1316-7) were swept out of the Atlantic Hockey quarterfinals by the No. 7 Colonels (17-19-3) in Worcester, mainly due to Francis Marotte’s 37 saves and two goals and two assists by Luke Lynch.