Cornell Confronts Icemen; McGuinn Award at Stake

Tomorrow evening at 8 p. m., the Robert McGuinn Memorial Award goes up for grabs at Watson Rink, and if the competition for it is very intense, Harvard's hockey team could be eliminated from the Ivy title race.

The McGuinn award is presented annually to the Cornell player who scores the most points against Harvard each season, commemorating the ineligibility of the former Cornell forward, which Harvard directly brought about.

McGuinn, one understands, allegedly signed a form several years ago that more or less linked him with a professional hockey team. Harvard discovered the infraction and had him disqualified from the squad. Cornell, quite understandably, has never forgotten, even though McGuinn was later reinstated when the Big Red authorities claimed ignorance.

So every year since, the award has served as an emotional spur for revenge, and coincidentally or not, has worked quite well.

Last year Pete Tufford won the award as Cornell decked the Crimson three times-8-4, 6-3, and 4-2 in the ECAC finals.

Almost, but Not Quite

The presentation, one assumes, anticipates a Big Red victory, and in recent seasons, it has been a valid expectation. But in the ECAC finals last March, the Crimson came within a fraction of dumping Cornell for the Eastern title, and the problems the Ithacans have had with Brown and Boston University this season indicate that they can be beaten.

But there is little chance of a Harvard victory, unless the following requirements, which might seem overly evident, are fulfilled:

an impeccable goaltending job by Bruce Durno:

puck clearance that is markedly better than usual:

a solid checking game, both in the neutral zone and around the Crimson-nef:

superb position play by the defensemen:

an aggressive, hustling forward attack, with plenty of shooting.

A Near Perfect Game

In other words, Harvard must play a near perfect game. It came close at New Hampshire, and it has performed every one of the requirements at one time or another during the season.

And at Brown last Wednesday night, the Crimson's hitting and passing, as well as its clearance, showed noticeable improvement.

The caliber of play at Providence, however, would probably not have been sufficient to defeat Cornell. But then again, Harvard merely played as well as it had to win. Perhaps it will tomorrow night.