Crimson Skaters End First Term on Good Note

Harvard's resurgent hockey team passed its final test of the fall term last night at Watson Rink, but it was by no means a gut. Sure, the Crimson thrice held three-goal advantages, and sure, the final score of Harvard 7, Boston College 4 sounds relatively guttish, but at 13:35 of the third period, when the Eagles had narrowed the margin to 5-4, no one on the Harvard bench was assured of an A.

Thirty-six seconds later, though, Bill Horton converted a centering pass for his second goal, and Harvard enthusiasts breathed easier. And when Gene Purdy found an empty net 18 seconds before the final buzzer, Watson Rink let out a huge sigh, for the Crimson icemen, after failing their mid-terms, had come back in fine fashion.

The victory over the Eagles meant that Harvard had defeated Brown, Providence, and Boston College the second time around, after having lost to the former and tying the latter two in their initial contests. As had been the case in the rematches against the Bruins and Friars, Harvard apparently had the game in control from the opening face-off last night.

The first period brought Crimson tallies from Jon Keeley, who had two hours alone in front of Eagle goaltender Paul Skid-more before beating the BC freshman with a flip shot; Phelps Swift, off a beautiful pass from Bill Hozack (who had three assists); and Horton, with a rebound of a Todd Nieland shot from the point.

Mark Albrecht put BC on the scoreboard midway through the second period when he cut unmolested down right wing and backhanded the puck over Brian Petrovek's (34 saves to Skidmore's 35) left shoulder, but Kevin Burke came right back for the Crimson with a slap shot that Skidmore still hasn't seen.

The Eagles mounted the pressure as the second period came to a close,and after a great "look what I found" save by Petrovek off Kerry Young, Richie Smith slid the puck by the outstretched goalie to narrow the margin to 4-2, 20 minutes to go.

The next goal would be a crucial one, so with the third period half over, and Harvard on the power play, Crimson freshman and leading scorer George Hughes brought the puck into the BC end, left it for Hozack, and the junior center proceeded to fake Skidmore out of his jockstrap.

Twenty-five seconds later, Harvard scored again, but this goal was disallowed by the refs, an occurence which mattered little until 12:21, when Albrecht took a centering pass from Smith and plunged, the puck and all, into Petrovek.

Petrovek claimed the puck never went into the net, others claimed Albrecht was in the crease when he shot it, but after a series of conferences--some rather heated, like the one between Petrovek and the referee--had taken place, and the goal judge had made up his mind--first he flashed the red light (indicating no goal) and then the green light (indicating goal) or maybe it was vice versa--the scoreboard read 5-3.

And then suddenly it read 5-4, as Paul Barrett scored a minute later, and the nails became smaller. But before the thought of the first Harvard-BC game (the Crimson surrendered a 6-4 lead in the final four minutes) resurfaced, Horton regained the momentum for the Crimson, and that, basically, was that.

So a Harvard team which looked anything but impressive a month ago finds itself this morning with a winning record, a sixth-place perch in the ECAC, and an eight-place ranking in the nation. Now all it has to contend with are exams--the blue-book variety--and the thought of BU a week from Monday. Happy Reading Period.