Improving Crimson Sextet Meets High-Flying Cornell

The Harvard hockey team has been at its best this year against the Eastern powerhouses, and Cornell fans may be in for a surprise when the Crimson invades Ithaca for an Ivy League contest tomorrow night.

Cornell is easily the number one squad in the league, and they beat Colgate and St. Lawrence to take the ECAC Holiday Festival in Madison Square Garden last month. If Harvard's 7-4 slashing of B.C. Wednesday was an upset, a victory against the Big Red would be nothing less than an UPSET.

An all-junior first line has scored more than half of Cornell's goals this year. Center Doug Ferguson is the leading scorer in the East with 20 goals and 17 assists. He is flanked by his twin brother Dave (10 goals and 15 assits), and Mike Doran (11 goals and 21 assists).

Cornell employs two goalies on an alternating basis -- a real rarity in college hockey. Errol McCibbon, who has allowed only ten goals in seven games, will go against Harvard. Dave Quarrie was in the nets Wednesday against RPI. Harry Orr and Ed Sauer are the defensemen.

Aggressive skating and hard forechecking have paid off for the Big Red this year.

They are 3-0 in Ivy competition, and 12-3 overall. Clarkson stopped Cornell 2-1 early in the season, and two losses were absorbed at the hands of Denver during a western swing.

The Harvard six flies to Ithaca with new confidence based on a strong post-Christmas showing. If the ever-changing Crimson lines can click, it might be an amazing night.

Fitzsimmons Shines

Everything seemed to jell for the Crimson sextet Wednesday night against B.C. Sharp passing and fast skating prevailed on all three lines, and the defense was aggressive. Goalie Bill Fitzsimmons, who has had some rough nights this season, recorded his best effort with 38 saves and consistent play. Pete Miller and Dennis McCullough each scored twice.

For the past two games, Coach Cooney Weiland has been using defensemen Bobby Clark and Kevin Burke as forwards on a brand-new third line. The defense now is handled by Bob Carr with Tag Demment, and Ben Smith with Gordon Price. Carr and Demment have played especially smooth and tough defense.

There will be hockey at Watson Rink Saturday also, as the Harvard freshmen challenge the junior varsity at 2 p.m. The powerful freshmen upset B.C.'s freshmen 3-2 Wednesday, and the junior varsity mauled their B.C. counterparts 11-1. No ticket is required to see this match.

Bobby Bauer, George Murphy, and Dwight Hare scored for the freshmen as they came from behind against B.C. The freshmen have lost only twice this year, to B.C. in the first meeting between the two teams and to the University of New Hampshire.