The History Of Harvard Sports

Two brothers, who grew up so close to Harvard that they had to move every time the school expanded, later went on to establish the most remarkable athletic dynasty in Harvard's hockey history.

During the years 1954-58 that either William J. Cleary Jr. '56 or Robert B. Cleary '58 was a member of the varsity hockey squad, Harvard won five consecutive Ivy League titles. In addition, the Cleary brothers captured every individual hockey honor imaginable, from NCAA scoring records to spots on the 1960 Olympic-winning hockey team.

Bill and Bob Cleary began their hockey careers early. Their father, a linesman in the National Hockey League for 20 years, encouraged them to take up the sport before they were five years old. Because there was no pee-wee league competition then, Mr. Cleary taught his sons the fundamentals of the game on iced-over ponds during their elementary educatioi at Shady Hill School, Neither brother played on a hockey team until tenth grade at Belmont Hill High School, where they both made all-New England prep school honors before moving on to Harvard.

Although he played only the last half of the 1953-54 season, Bill was instrumental in the hockey team's success as the Crimson swept to a 5-1-2 Ivy record and the League crown. But his sophomore year was only a forshadowing of a performance the following season that stands unequaled in college hockey.

In 1954-55, Bill led his team from an overall 10-11-2 mark the previous season to a phenomenal 17-3-1 record, becoming the most prolific scorer in NCAA history on the way. Cleary had a hand in two out of every three Harvard scores that year, with 42 goals and 47 assists.

He won the title of Most Valuable Player in New England as well as All-American honors.

Bill scored the winning goal in a sudden death overtime as Harvard toppled perennial powerhouse Boston College, 5-4, before 14,000 fans.

Against Yale, Bill started the game off by skating through the entire Bulldog team to score the first goal of a 9-1 rout.

Although Harvard did not win the NCAA championships that year, they did finish third, beating St. Lawrence in the consolation round on three goals by Cleary.

Expectations were naturally high for the following season because Bill's younger brother Bob was moving up to the varsity, after leading the freshmen to a 20-1 record.

However, Bill went into the army to break up the duo.

Bob replaced his brother as team leader. Although he was not as graceful a skater as Bill, Bob developed into a masterful play-maker. During his junior year, he contributed 37 assists and 36 goals as the Crimson swept to a perfect 8-0 record in the Ivy League and a fourth place in the NCAA tournament.

In 1958, Bill was to rejoin the team after his army hitch but was declared ineligible, thus thwarting another opportunity for the brothers to play together. Brother Bob spearheaded the team to seventeen straight victories and another Ivy crown after the Crimson had dropped eight of their first eleven games.

For his dominant role in the team's success, Bob received honors to match his brother's including All-East and All-America. He retained his Eastern scoring title for the second year in a row and was named New England's MVP.

The brothers Cleary finally got the chance to combine their talents when they sparked the U.S. hockey team to victory in the 1960 winter Olympics at Squaw Valley. There they swept past the mighty Canadian and Russian teams and faced Czechoslavakia in the finals. Trailing the Czechs, 4-3, going into the final period, the Americans exploded for six goals to win the gold medal, 9-4. In their competitive hockey finale the Cleary's went out in style, accounting for three goals and five assists between them.