Jan. 29, 2005

Tom Cavanagh broke a third-period tie with a power-play goal that sent visiting Harvard to a 5-3 win over Yale in men's hockey before a sellout crowd at Ingalls Rink.

The No. 11 Crimson (12-5-2, 9-4-1 ECACHL) converted four of 10 power-play opportunities while outshooting the Blue 34-21. On the other hand, Yale (3-17-1, 2-12) lit the lamp for a season-high three times with the advantage but could not stay out of the box enough.

Yale junior forward Jeff Hristovski led the Elis with a goal and two assists, while classmate Joe Zappala added a goal and an assist. Freshman defenseman Robert Page had a career-best three assists.

Harvard had the first two power-play chances of the game but it was Yale that cashed in first on a man-advantage with its first attempt. Hristovski (5th goal) found a rebound in the lower left circle and slipped it past Dov Grumet-Morris at 10:33. The Crimson goalie had made the initial save and was out of position for the rebound.

It did not take long for Harvard to tie the score at 1-1. On the ensuing faceoff, which Yale won, Dave Watters (3rd) stole the puck from a Yale blueliner and blasted a shot from the top of the left circle six seconds later at 10:39.

Yale, outshot in the first 13-8, made it 2-1 on another power-play chance. Page made a great play to keep a clearing attempt in the zone and then Hristovski sent a perfect feed to Zappala (5th), who one-timed a 10-footer past Grumet-Morris at 13:58. The two special teams goals by the Elis in the first period were a good sign for struggling power-play unit.

Once again the archrival quickly matched the Eli lead. This time it was a circle-to-circle crossing pass from Andrew Lederman to Jon Pelle (6th), who one-timed it past Matt Modelski 43 seconds later on the power play. That closed out the scoring in a well-played and exciting opening frame.

The Bulldogs, who have not had much success on the penalty kill this season, continued to go to the box in the second against the team with the ninth-best power play in the country. Harvard got its first lead after a bench penalty and a Noah Welch (5th) wrister from the point that sailed through traffic and over Modelski's left shoulder at 7:03.

The Crimson too had trouble staying out of referee Tim Kotyra's sight and ended up giving Yale a 5-on-3 long enough for the Bulldogs to even the game at 3-3 with 5:24 left in the second frame. Christian Jensen one-timed a short pass to the slot from Hristovski that Grumet-Morris had no chance to stop.

Modelski finished with 29 saves including 11 in the first period, while Grumet-Morris needed only 18 to earn the win.

The Elis outshot Harvard 11-9 in the middle frame and did a great job of moving the puck around with crisp passing.

Yale's penalty problems finally finished it off in the third period. That, combined with just two shots on goal by the Bulldogs, resulted in a pair of power-play goals that gave the visitors a two-goal win.

Brad Mills went off for roughing just before Cavanagh sent a nasty wrister from the left circle to make it 4-3 at 7:25. Yale's second penalty for too many men on the ice put the game away. Brendan Bernakevitch's backhanded pass from behind the net was banged home by blueliner Dylan Reese from the slot at 12:10.

Report filed by Steve Conn, Yale Sports Publicity Director