Huskies Nip Harvard, 6-5, in Overtime

The bubble burst.

Bill Steele, a junior winger from Michigan Tech, popped it at 31 seconds of sudden death overtime last night in the Boston Garden, giving the Huskies a miraculous 6-5 NCAA semifinal victory over Harvard.

It was a rude awakening for the Crimson icemen, who were playing one their best, if not the best game of the season. The bubble had carried Harvard from a dismal 6-7-1 record in mid-January to the NCAA tournament semis, and for a while it looked as though it might take the Crimson all the way to a national championship.

Cleary's kids came out flying. Within nine minutes of the first period, Harvard had a three-goal lead and looked as though it would blow the top-rated 'Huskies right out of the Garden. Danny Bolduc poked in a Randy Roth rebound at 4:03 to get things started.

Jim McMahon, who played a great game, had the hat trick in the losing cause. His first came at 6:26 of the opening stanza after he stole the puck from Steele and beat Tech goalie Jim Warden. McMahon picked up his second at 8:21 on the power play.

The burly Tech squad began to throw around some weight and slowed up Harvard's speedy skaters long enough to put a pair past Jimmy Murray. Mike D'Alvise and Steele put the Huskies right back into the game in the first period.

Bruce Abbey tied it up at 4:43 of the second, but McMahon's "trick" again gave Harvard a one-goal lead that held up through the second. McMahon banged the loose puck into the right side of the net at 13:10 on Harvard's third power play opportunity.

A stirring rendition of the "Copper Country National Anthem" by the Tech band brought the 500 inspired Husky fans to their feet just before the third period face-off and the Tech icemen responded by tying the game on a couple of slap shots in the third period.

Harvard made it extremely tough for the Huskies, with a strong stanza in which Warden had to stop 23 shots and Murray had only to save six. Warden was the difference, as he held fast in the nets after Jimmy Thomas had put the Crimson out in front by two.

Thomas scored at 1:27 as Harvard again came out flying. The Crimson fans, who had been squirming in their seats during the second period, seemd to breathe a welcome but much too premature sigh of relief.

Lorne Stamler blasted one from just inside the blue line past a somewhat bewildered Murray at 4:14 to make it 5-4 and Steve Jensen tied it up at 14:23.

Cleary's kids had their chances near the end of the period with a two-man advantage for a full minute and a man-advantage for a minute after that. But the power play was cautious and the puck just would not pass Warden. The stage was set for Steele.

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