Icemen Explode Over Sapped-Out Vermont, 6-3

The Harvard hockey team got a big lift last night at Watson Rink, proving to itself that you can outplay a team and win a game all in the same evening. The University of Vermont was the icemen's first victim of the season, as the Catamounts succumbed to a 6-3 Harvard whipping.

The game had the makings of a runaway from the start, but the Crimson made it official early, as they led, 3-0, after the first period.

George Hughes got his first of two goals (and first of four for the family) of the night after only 39 seconds had elapsed. Continuous Harvard pressure in the Vermont zone resulted in a pretty scoring play, as freshman Tom Murray took a pass from Gene Purdy and laid it smack on the stick of Hughes parked in the slot. George's wrist shot flew over the left shoulder of Vermont netminder Tony Frost into the cage for a 1-0 Harvard lead.

The elder Hughes notched Harvard's second tally with 5:12 gone in the opening stanza when he fired the rebound of a Purdy slapshot by Frost.

Brother Jack got into the act with his first goal of the contest at 16:16 of the period. Murray, with the puck in the left corner, saw Purdy open and passed to him behind the net. Purdy laid it back to the right point, where Jack's whisperjet of a slapshot blinded its way into the net.

Vermont's offense for period one had been totally stalled, as the Crimson completely outskated the Catamounts and further demoralized the usually slick-passing squad with tenacious fore-checking.

Things opened up in the second period, including the penalty box door, which greeted Kevin O'Donoghue and George Hughes with penalties after less than a minute and a half had expired.

The Vermont power play took advantage of the situation, as Louie Cote's slapshot was kicked aside by Harvard goalie John Hynes. Trouble was, it was kicked right onto the stick of Jim Murphy, who rammed it into the left corner to make it 3-1, Harvard.

The Crimson came back for their fourth goal less than three minutes later. Winger Jon Garrity dropped a pass from the left corner back to defenseman John Dunderdale. Dunder sent it across the ice to defense partner Jack Hughes, who completed the Hughes' scoring for the night with a slapshot that stampeded between the legs of Frost.

With UVM hockey stud Randy Koch out for charging, the Harvard power play made good on its only man-up situation of the night. With only 18 seconds gone on the penalty, a primarily-freshman power play resulted in newcomer Rick Benson's second goal of the season at 8:50 of the period. Randy Millen and freshman Bob McDonald garnered the assists, and Harvard led, 5-1, after two.

The icemen tallied once more in the final period, when Murray fed Purdy from his own blue line perfectly with a pass that traveled through two lines and a pair of Vermont defenders. Purdy was left all alone to deke the hapless Frost and make it 6-2.

Although the Catamounts would tally twice in the third period (on goals by Craig Homola and Koch) for the 6-3 final score, the last half of the contest was a showcase for the inspiring play of Hynes in net.

Hynes, amidst Drydenesque sprawls all night, turned aside 24 shots in the contest, three of which bear particular mention.

He stopped the ever-effective Koch on breakaways twice, the second coming in the middle of the third period, when the Vermont forward's deke-to-the-backhand maneuver could not find its way past the prone-positioned Hynes.

A drive by David Wilkie late in the second period was deflected off the butt-end of Hynes's goalie stick, off the post, and almost goalward, but the sophomore smothered the sure score.