Box Score

CAMBRIDGE, MA -- Senior Dave Watters recorded three goals and two assists to lead six players with three or more points as the No. 17 Harvard men's hockey team posted its biggest win in 15 years, 11-0 against Quinnipiac in the first game of a Bank of America ECAC Hockey Championship quarterfinal series Friday night at Bright Hockey Center.

The Crimson (15-11-4) moved within one win of its seventh league semifinal appearance in eight years by putting up its largest goal total since defeating Yale, 12-1, Dec. 11, 1993. The 11-goal margin of victory was also Harvard's greatest since that game. After scoring twice in the first period, Harvard pulled away with five second-period goals, its top period output since scoring five in the third period of a comeback win at Yale Feb. 6, 2004.

The series resumes Saturday night at 7 p.m., as Harvard looks to improve on its run of 18 wins in its last 19 home playoff games. A third game, if necessary, will be Sunday at 7 p.m.

Harvard set a program postseason goals record, came within one goal of the overall ECAC tournament record and matched the largest margin of victory in tournament history. The Crimson outshot the Bobcats (19-14-4), 48-29, and scored one more goal than it did in all of December.

Junior Steve Rolecek also scored twice for the Crimson. Senior Mike Taylor and freshman Matt McCollem each notched a goal and three assists, while sophomore linemate Doug Rogers had a goal and two helpers. Sophomore Alex Biega and senior Alex Meintel logged three assists apiece.

Harvard's first period was good but far from dominant. The Crimson held a 14-12 edge in shots and got several nice saves from sophomore Kyle Richter, who finished with 27 stops. Taylor got what would hold up as the game-winning goal barely three minutes into the contest, backhanding a shot off the glove of QU goalie Bud Fisher and in.

Watters added his first score of the night less than three minutes later, diving across the crease to bat in a rebound of a Biega shot tipped by Meintel. Fisher kept Quinnipiac close for the moment with a tough save on a Tyler Magura break later in the period.

The Crimson only held a 14-13 advantage in shots in the second, but Rolecek's finish of a David MacDonald feed at 9:37 started a five-goal barrage in barely 10 minutes. McCollem scored 82 seconds later, with a five-hole shot after Taylor passed to him from behind the net.

Watters had the first of three power-play goals for the Crimson at 15:09, stuffing the puck in with his backhand at the left post. Rogers then skated a loop from behind the net and beat Fisher with a wrister from the slot at 17:28.

Pier-Olivier Michaud capped the period with perhaps the prettiest of the night's many goals. Watters took a left-to-right pass across the neutral zone from Meintel and threaded a feed through a defender to Michaud crossing the QU blue line all alone. The freshman did the rest by putting a move on Fisher and scoring at 19:37.

Harvard was even more dominant in the third period, pouring 20 shots on net to the Bobcats' four and scoring four more times. Senior Jon Pelle had the first tally, tipping a Biega shot from midair at 1:15. After relief goalie Pat McGann stopped a Jimmy Fraser point shot on the power play, Watters tapped in the rebound to complete his first collegiate hat trick.

MacDonald scored his second goal of the season with a point shot through traffic, and Rolecek finished off the scoring by knocking home the rebound of a Magura shot with nine minutes remaining.

Sophomore John Riley relieved Richter, playing nine minutes, 21 seconds and making two saves. Fisher registered 19 saves, while backups ]McGann and Dan Cullen had 12 and six, respectively.