BURLINGTON, Vt.--In front of a hostile crowd and facing an inspired team, the Harvard men's hockey team only weakness led to its eventual demise.

The No.13 Crimson (6-4-1, 5-3-1 ECAC), sought to establish themselves atop the ECAC rankings, but instead suffered a devastating loss, 5-3, to Vermont (7-4-0, 5-0-0 ECAC) on Saturday at Gutterson Field House.

At one point in the second period, Harvard led 3-0 and was looking to cement its place atop the ECAC standings.

This was when the defense caused everything to come crashing down.

If the definition of a hockey disaster existed in the dictionary, the example given would be of the Harvard-Vermont third period.

The Catamounts had already scored once, narrowing the lead to 3-2. Upon tallying again to tie the game halfway through the third, they received an extra boost from its fans.

The Catamount faithful, surprisingly silent due to the early Harvard lead, exploded, turning Gutterson Field House into the Crimson's worst nightmare.

Multiple cowbells started the Catamount chant, as the sellout crowd responded with its trademark "Go Cats, go!"