Crimson Sextet Is Favored In Crucial Contest Tonight

Exactly one year ago tonight, the varsity hockey team encountered a weak Princeton six for Watson Rink's dedication game. A victory was essential for the Crimson, as it would assure it of a tie with Yale for the lead of the Ivy League. The confident Crimson supporters were rudely shocked as the Tigers put up a spirited fight, losing only 2 to 1 on a long shot in the third period by John Copeland. The stakes will be even higher tonight when the same two teams face off here at 8 p.m.

As was the case last year, Princeton has everything to win and nothing to lose by this game. They are clear-cut underdogs, they are in last place in the Ivy League, and their season up to this point has not been a successful one. On the other hand, a win for the Tigers tonight will end the Crimson's dreams of Colorado, hand Harvard its first Ivy League loss of the 1956-'57 season, and, in general, make Princeton's hockey season.

However, this should not be the case as the varsity will be all out tonight to clinch its third Ivy crown in a row. In the last meeting of the two teams, the Crimson trampled the Tigers 9 to 1 at Princeton as Bobby Cleary had his most productive night of the year, scoring eight points. Princeton does not have a particularly effective defense, and its goalie, captain Dave Robinson, is not of the same caliber as the one who plagued the Crimson last Saturday night.

The Tigers do have one player who may cause the varsity some trouble: Harry Rulon-Miller, a junior lineman who led his team in scoring last year and who is among the top five scorers in the Ivy League this year. Princeton coach Dick Vaughan may well use him as a sleeper tonight as opposing teams have found this to be just about the only defensive weakness of the Crimson.

As Rulon-Miller is a particularly fast skater, one of the varsity's defensemen will probably be forced to hang back somewhat to cover him. In its last few games, a good deal of the goals scored on Crimson captain and goalie Jim Bailey have been on solo rushes which have caught his defense unawares.

Another game vitally important to the varsity's chances of being selected for an NCAA berth will be played tonight as St. Lawrence will face Clarkson (a sure bet for one of the two berths to Colorado). If the Larries can win this game the Crimson's chances will be greatly decreased. An easy Clarkson victory, however, would definitely put the varsity in a front-running position for the other position; and if they win tonight and Saturday night against Yale, they will probably be selected.

Princeton will probably start a line of Fred Reynolds, Rulon-Miller, and Bob Townsend. At defense will be Doug Levick and Frank Logan, two returning lettermen from last year's team. Robinson will start in goal. Crimson coach Cooney Weiland has of late been starting his second line of Dave Vietze, Dick Fischer, and Bob McVey. Dick McLaughlin and Dan Ullyot will be the defensive pair, while Bailey will be in the nets.