Crimson Hockey Team splits Holiday Games

The touring crimson hockey team, as expected, knocked off Colorado college twice and lost two tough games to the University of Minnesota in a week long vacation trip to the said west.

The team started its challenging four-game series on a shakey note. Playing a cautious defensive game for most of the way, it lost to undefeated Minnesota, 7 to 2, Dec. 29 before 5,599 fans at Williams Arena in Minneapolis. Thereafter, the Cirmson played more encouraging hockey. The next evening in Minneapolis the vi-efforts led most of the way until a third-period rally won for the Gophers, 4 to 3. Coach Cooney Weiland sent his players deep into the Minnesota and for plenty of fore checking and constant harassment of the Gopher skaters.

Two days later, the Crimson moved to Broadmoor Rink in Colorado Springs and edged past Colorado, 6-5. Tim Taylor, after scoring earlier in the evening, broke a 5-5 tie with a last-minute short past Colorado goalie Norm Lawrence.

Taylor Scores On Robound

At 19:14 of the third period, Lawrence cleared a shot from a Harvard wing. Taylor beat the Colorado defenseman to the puck and flipped it into the nets.

Tuesday night, the varsity won its second in a row over Colorado, and again Taylor was the hero. The junior right wing scored two more goals as the home team suffered its seventeenth straight loss, 6 to 4.

Taylor's success may be due to Weiland's shake-up of the Gene Kinasewich--Gerry Jorgenson--Taylor line. Kinasewich, the speedster of the team, was switched to center Tuesday night to make better use of his speed and playmaking ability. Kinasewich did not score any points in Minneapolis but Tuesday night against Colorado scored two goals at Center.

In the second win over the Colorado sextet the Crimson went ahead 3 to 2 in the first period on successive goals by Kinasewich (5:36), Ike Ikaunikes (12:23), and Dean Alpine (12:38). Colorado pulled even at 4 to 4 by the end of the second period, but Taylor was just starting. (His first tally made it 4 to 3 after six minutes of the second period.)

Taylor Gets Lead Goal

At 6:16 of the final period Taylor, assisted by Kinasewich, scored what proved to be the winning point.

The two wins ended Harvard's Christmas trip with moderate success, after a slow start in Minnesota. In the first game the Ivy League invaders found themselves behind 5 to 0 before they scored their first goal. In came in the last period on a long short from the blue line by Captain Dave Grannis, a native of South St. Paul.

With fancy passing and typically furious skating. Minnesota went ahead at 8:03 of the first period and thereafter had not trouble with the defense-minded Crimson. A three-goal uprising in the second period put the game out of the Easterners' reach. In the third period, play was fairly even, with Grannis and senior Chris Norris netting goals for the varsity.

The Crimson gave a more impressive display of Eastern hockey the next night. With an upset in sight, Harvard save up three goals late in the game is the Gophers scored their fifth straight win. Goals by Dave Morse, Ikauniks and defenseman Dave John- ston put the Crimson on top, 3 to 1, after two periods.

Then came trouble. Kinasewich received his second of five penalties for the evening. A minute later, as Kinasewich remained off the ice, Johnston was cooped for tripping. Three seconds later, at 9:35, Jim Westby scored against the short-handed Crimson, and the lead was cut to one. Kinasewich was released from the penalty box after the score but was put right back in two minutes later. Shorthanded again, the Crimson allowed the Gophers' tieing goal.

On a pass from Westby, Ron Constantine of Minnesota won the game at 14:41, with both teams at full strength. The loss spoiled a top-notch performance by Harvard goalie Godfrey Wood, who had 34 saves in one of his best games for Harvard. Wood, a junior, was also in the nets for the 6-4 win at Colorado College.

Number one goalie Bob Bland also excelled on the trip, reaching his peak against Colorado Tuesday. The Bland-Wood combination is regarded by many as the best among American college teams.

The team returned yesterday by plane from the Midwest, in time for classes and a tune-up for tonight's North-eastern contest.DAVE GRANNIS