CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--Perhaps it was only fitting that Zach Jones would score the final goal for the Fighting Sioux tonight.
The senior defenseman scored his first career goal in his 144th collegiate game ? a power-play tally, no less ? putting the finishing touches on a 10-1 UND non-conference romp over host Harvard tonight at the Bright Hockey Center.
Jones' goal was one of a season-high four goals in nine chances with the man advantage for the Sioux, who pumped home eight goals over the final two periods. It also ended the longest individual goal-scoring drought in program history.
Meanwhile, senior linemates Ryan Martens (Selkirk, Manitoba) and Matt Watkins (Aylesbury, Saskatchewan) each enjoyed career nights, with Martens racking up two goals and three assists and Watkins adding two goals and an assist. Their linemate, senior center Darcy Zajac (Winnipeg, Manitoba) chipped in with his first career two-assist outing.
Another senior, defenseman Brad Miller (Alpharetta, Ga.) collected a goal and three assists. In all, each of UND's seven seniors notched at least one point, with the group combining for 19 points total.
All four forward lines got in on the scoring for the Sioux tonight, and it was fourth-line center Brad Malone (So., Miramichi, New Brunswick) who opened the scoring with a brilliant individual effort 7:15 into the first period. Malone stole the puck below the circle in the Crimson zone and deftly made a forehand-to-backhand move and slid the puck between the legs of Harvard goalie Matt Hoyle.
Just 62 seconds later, Miller took the puck at the point and weaved his way into the slot, lifting a backhander through traffic that beat Hoyle, sending the Sioux to the locker room leading 2-0.
UND doubled the lead early in the second period, with Watkins and senior forward Andrew Kozek (Sicamous, British Columbia) both finding the net in the opening 3:23 of the frame.
The Crimson finally got on the board at the 5:05 mark and were in position to swing the game's momentum not long after, when a pair of a Sioux were sent to the penalty box at the same time, giving Harvard a full two-minute 5-on-3 power-play.
But the Sioux killed the 5-on-3, and then just two minutes later made it a 5-1 game when freshman David Toews (Winnipeg, Manitoba) followed up a rush and banged home a Kozek rebound for his first collegiate goal.
Watkins would make it 6-1 on his second goal with just 28 seconds left in the second period, this time striking on the power-play. After the Sioux held the Crimson zone for virtually the entire power-play, Kozek fed a perfect cross-ice feed to Watkins in the left circle, and Watkins one-timed the puck home for his first career two-goal game.
UND added four more goals in the third period, first on Martens' first goal of the game midway through the frame when Zajac, stationed behind the Harvard net, found Martens in stride with a centering pass.
The Sioux made it 9-1 with consecutive 5-on-3 goals by Matt Frattin (So., Edmonton, Alberta) and Martens 62 seconds apart, and Jones put the exclamation point on the win with his milestone goal with 3:47 remaining.
The Sioux finished 4-for-7 on the power-play while killing all five Harvard opportunities.
Freshman goalie Brad Eidsness (Chestermere, Alberta) made a career-high 39 saves for his sixth victory of the season.
Harvard goalies Hoyle, Ryan Carroll and John Riley combined to stop 29 shots.
Miller and Kozek each had a goal and two assists for the Sioux.
UND, now 6-8-1 overall, will look for its first series sweep of the season in tomorrow night's finale. The puck drops at 6 p.m. Central.
Notes: UND got at least one point from all six defensemen in the lineup ... Junior defenseman Chay Genoway (Morden, Manitoba) notched an assist to push his point streak to five games, one short of his career high ... Miller is currently riding a four-game point streak. He now has two goals and nine assists in nine games since being moved to the blueline ... Eidsness made his 12th straight appearance in goal, the longest such streak by a Sioux freshman goalie since Aaron Schweitzer appeared in the final 18 games of the national championship 1996-97 season. Peter Waselovich played in a school-record 32 games in 1973-74 ... Freshman defenseman Corey Fienhage (Apple Valley, Minn.) picked up an assist for his first career point ... Senior forward Ryan Duncan (Calgary, Alberta) had an assist for his 145th career point, tying him with Earl Anderson (1969-73) for 26th on UND's all-time scoring list.
