Hockey Team Eyes Upset Over Boston U. Tonight

Harvard's hockey team has a chance to turn a respectable season into a great season this weekend at Boston Garden, but the odds are against it.

The Crimson faces the unenviable task of taking on B.U. tonight at 9 p.m. in the semi-finals of the ECACs. If Harvard can repeat last year's ECAC upset over the Terriers, it will probably have to face the number one team in the East, Cornell, on Saturday night for the championship.

B.U. probably has the most talented team in the tournament, but the Terriers have been having their troubles this season. An eleven game winning streak, including a 4-1 Beanpot victory over Harvard, followed early season losses to Cornell and Clarkson, but the Terriers blew their chances for the number-one seed with an upset loss to B.C. and a second defeat by Cornell.

Devil on Skates

B.C. had God on its side against B.U., scoring on almost half of its shots to win a tear-jerking 500th victory for Snooks Kelley, and Cornell was riding on a hot streak when it stiffed the Terriers on their own home ice, 3-2.

Cornell has now won eight in a row, stepping on its last two opponents, Brown and Providence, 8-0 and 11-2, and beating both Harvard and B.U. over the last three weeks.

Harvard can certainly skate with B.U., as it proved in last December's 4-4 tie on B.U.'s home ice, but the Terriers' well-oiled power play (and Harvard's lack of one) are enough to make the Crimson the underdog. Harvard goalie Joe Bertagna will not be able to afford his habit of leaving fat rebounds for the opposition, and the defense will have to tighten up its recent sloppy play if Harvard is to stay with B.U. tonight.

Offensively, Harvard may be hurt by the injured foot of forward Bob Goodenow, who has broken out of a prolonged drought to give Tommy Paul's line some scoring punch. The third line has looked better since Jay Riley moved up to replace Lief Rosenberger, but, aside from an occasional splurge by Bobby Havern, the Riley-Reynolds-Havern trio is not scoring. The Local Line does not appear as tired as it did in late February, and it now looks like both Dave Hynes and Bob McManama have a shot at 60-point seasons.

The fourth team in the tournament, UNH, is a real underdog. The Wildcats have a high scoring line in Gordie Clark, John Gray and Guy Smith (they scored three of UNH's four goals in the Wildcats' upset over Harvard), but their three freshmen defensemen are weak. UNH upset Penn, 5-3, in the quarters to finish in the top four for the first time ever, but Cornell should have little trouble keeping them out of the finals.