Harvard’s Jon Pelle scored off the rush four minutes into the third period to snap a 1-1 tie and lift Harvard to a 2-1 win over Princeton Saturday night in front of a standing-room only crowd at Baker Rink.
After a scoreless first period in which Harvard controlled play and outshot Princeton 10-4, the Crimson opened the scoring on the power play at 11:11 of the second period.
Nick Crosken scored the goal after the rebound of a Dave Watters’ shot trickled from one end of the crease to the other. Crosken was able to chip the puck over the outstretched hand of Princeton goaltender Eric Leroux for his second of the season. Brian McCafferty also assisted on the goal.
Princeton evened the score with power-play goal of its own with 43 seconds left on the clock in the second period. Junior Brett Westgarth fired a shot from the point that Harvard goaltender John Daigneau blocked. Junior Darroll Powe swiped at the rebound, firing a shot that Daigneau got, but Harvey punced on the third rebound and lifted it over Daigneau for his first collegiate goal.
The game went to intermission knotted at 1-1, but Harvard went ahead 2-1 when Pelle lifted a shot from the left circle by Leroux. Charlie Johnson and Peter Hafner assisted on the goal.
Princeton scored the apparent equalizer less than two minutes later, when sophomore Landis Stankievech scored, but the officials waved off the goal as the puck was directed into the net by a skate.
Princeton was unable to break Daigneau again in the remaining 14 minutes and Harvard held on for the 2-1 victory. Daigneau made 23 saves for the win, while Leroux kicked aside 30 of 32 shots he faced.
Princeton fell to 2-2 on the season and 1-1 in the ECACHL, while Harvard is now 2-1 overall and in the league.
