SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Sophomore netminder Merrick Madsen stopped all 31 shots he faced and the eighth-ranked Harvard University men’s hockey team defeated Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), 4-0, in the championship game of the Shillelagh Tournament, hosted by the University of Notre Dame. With the win, the Crimson improve to 6-1-1, while the Engineers – who see their nine-game unbeaten streak snapped – drop to 8-5-2.
Madsen (Acton, CA/Minot Minotaurs) made 14 of his 31 saves in the third period to help preserve the shutout. RPI freshmen netminder Cam Hackett (Sault Ste. Marie, ON/Lincoln Stars) matched a season-high with 41 stops, including 17 in the third.
Harvard opened the scoring at 14:44 of the first period, when senior Jimmy Vesey (North Reading, MA/South Shore) buried a chance from close range for his team-leading seventh goal of the year. Assists went to classmate Kris Criscuolo (Southampton, NJ/Sioux City) and junior Alexander Kerfoot (West Vancouver, BC/Coquitlam).
Junior Luke Esposito (Greenwich, CT/Chilliwack) doubled the Crimson lead at 1:32 of the second, burying a one-timer five-hole on Hackett. The pass came from freshman Ryan Donato (Scituate, MA/Dexter School), who won a puck battle in the right corner.
Criscuolo made it 3-0 at 7:54 of the second, with Donato capping the scoring later in the frame. Esposito picked up an assist on Harvard’s fourth goal.
Both teams were unsuccessful on five power play opportunities.
STREAK ENDS:
The Engineers saw their nine-game unbeaten streak come to an end against Harvard. It ranks eighth in school history.
FIRST LOSS:
Freshman goaltender Cam Hackett fell for the first time in his collegiate career. He opened with a 5-0-2 mark in his first seven games (6 starts).
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM:
Sophomore Mike Prapavessis was named to the All-Tournament Team, along with five members of the Harvard Crimson.
UP NEXT:
The Engineers are back in action next Friday, when they resume ECAC Hockey play against Dartmouth at the Houston Field House (7pm).
Harvard travels to Schenectady to face Union on Friday (7pm).
