Varsity Hockey Team Loses, 6-3, To B.U. in First Game of Season

"Well, boys, this may turn out to be a pretty amusing season." This was varsity hockey coach Cooney Weiland's comment to his team after last Saturday's 6-3 loss to a spirited B.U. six.

What Weiland was thinking about is the fact that the Crimson's next few games will be against teams such as Clarkson, St. Lawrence, Michigan, and Minnesota squads that could probably beat B.U. with relative ease. If the varsity plays the kind of hockey against these teams as it did against the Terriers on Saturday, the results will be gruesome rather than amusing.

For about twenty minutes of the game, it looked as though the varsity would start its season with flying colors. The Crimson held a 2-0 lead at the end of the first period and had dominated play throughout. But the fact was that it had been B.U.'s mistakes rather than the varsity's skill that allowed the varsity to take the upper hand.

From the beginning of the second period on, the Terriers took over. Playing fast, aggressive hockey, they poured five goals through the Crimson defenses. B.U. let down a bit in the third period but still managed to control play and add a final goal to the score. Sophomore Don Marquis lived up to advance reputation by scoring twice and centering a fine B.U. first line. Dave MacLeod also scored twice while Don Cicoria and Bob Kinlin each had a goal. Varsity goals were scored by Captain Bob Cleary, Lyle Guttu, and Bud Higgenbottom.

Although it was the first game of the season, it is doubtful whether the varsity ever spent a more disappointing evening on the ice. With the exception of some brief flashes of good hockey in the first period, the Crimson did just about everything wrong. The offense had great trouble in controlling the puck long enough to get an organized attack started while the defense was very slow in covering the swift B.U. forwards. Backchecking by the lines was very poor and in the second period especially, the Terriers were able to organize three-on-two attacks from their own blue line.

Harry Tansey, B.U.'s sophomore replacement for the injured Harry Levin played an inspired game. He stopped Crimson forward Lyle Guttu three times when it appeared Guttu had a certain score. On one particular play, Tansey was completely out of the goal and Guttu shot at the open cage. Lying on his stomach, the Terrier goalie desparately threw his stick at it and knocked the puck aside.

Varsity goalie Tab Cleary did not shine in comparison to Tansey as he let in at least two goals he might have had. In the disastrous second period he had only four saves while he allowed five scores.

If the rest of the season is to be anything but "amusing," a great deal of improvement is necessary. It would be very depressing to see such fine material in a hockey team play so poorly again