World Champion Czech National Team To Meet Harvard Icemen in January

Harvard hockey players will get their chance to prove to themselves, their fans and the world that they can win a world championship when they meet the world champion Czechoslovakian national hockey team in the Boston Arena, January 4.

The Athletic Department will sell tickets at 60 Boylston St. beginning December 4. Some 1800 student tickets will sell for $2 and general admission tickets will cost $5.

"The coach and all the rest of us are really excited," Bob McManama, a Crimson hockey Jetterman said yesterday. "Some of the players have played European teams before, so there will be some familiarity with their style."

McManama, among the top five Ivy League scoring leaders last season, said European hockey, teams tend to play a close body defense without much contact. "We expect the Czech team to do a lot of passing back and forth," he said.

No Special Preparation

The team will not have any time for special preparation because a tournament in Detroit directly procedes the meeting with the Czechs. "We'll be in shape and ready to take them on." McManama said. "We'll treat it like any other game on the preseason schedule."

Negotiations for the game ended Monday when Murray Williamson. United States olympic hockey coach and liaison for Harvard and the Czech, called Assistant Athletic Director Eric Cutler.

"The call from Williamson came a little later than expected, but everyone in the department is very happy about the go-ahead," Cutler said Tuesday.

Cutler said he learned the Coach team would play the University of New Hampshire on January to and contacted Williamson through the American Hockey Association to arrange the Harvard-Czech game.

Just Details

"We knew the way was clear for a game, so it was a matter of securing a time and place," Cutler said. Excitement mounted over the idea of a game, both here and in New Hampshire, he added. "The Athletic Department over at UNH started selling tickets last week," Cutler said. "The demand is extremely high."

The Czech team will be on tour in the United States this winter to play in an international tournament in Colorado and several exhibition games with college and professional teams.

The Russian hockey team claims to be world champions, since they defeated the Czeche in the last winter Olympics and won the gold medal. However, the Czechs upset the Russians in a spring tournament and claimed the championship for themselves.

"Some of our players have seen the Czechs on television, and we're confident we'll give them a good game," McManama said. The team his been practicing regularly since the end of September and should play well in their precession games, he said.