Terriers Put Bite on Crimson Six, 4-3

Unable to score in the third period, the Harvard hockey team dropped a 4-3 heartbreaker to the unrelenting Terriers from Boston University at Walter Brown Arena last night.

Deadlocked 3-3 in a third period marred by three delays to repair the B.U. goal, the Terriers' John Bethel picked up a rebound off a drive by co-captain Jack O'Callahan and lifted a backhander past Harvard goalie John Hynes for a power-play goal that won the game.

Bethel, who pestered Harvard all night with his forechecking and his menacing shots, scored his second goal of the night with the Crimson's Murray Dea in the slammer for interference. It took B.U. just nine seconds to connect fatally on its seventh power-play opportunity.

Harvard mustered no offensive threat in the 3:37 that remained in the contest. Harvard coach Bill Cleary pulled Hynes from the goal with 35 seconds left, but to no avail.

After a 15-minute delay to repair the B.U. net, and with the score still tied, Hynes made a number of key saves (14 in the period, 30 in the game). With 9:30 remaining, B.U.'s O'Callahan wheeled toward the Harvard goal and shoveled a shot on net. B.U. freshman Dary MacLeod grabbed the loose puck and fanned on a shot while staring at an open net. Less than a minute later, Hynes blocked a Bob Boileau slapper, and a rebound shot by Bethel slithered wide of the post.

With 1:34 left in the game, B.U.'s Matt Marden stole the puck from Harvard defenseman Jimmy Trainor and drilled a shot off the post, picked up his own rebound and took a second shot that Hynes smothered.

Harvard cranked eight shots in the third period at Terrier goalie Brian Durocher, who had 31 saves in the contest. George Hughes had Harvard's best opportunity, breaking in on Durocher and barely missing the upper corner of the goal with a wrist shot.

Control

In the first period, after giving up an early goal to Bethel at 1:14, Harvard took control of the game, pounding Durocher with 14 shots.

Just after B.U. had successfully killed two Harvard power-play opportunities, Crimson defensemen Bob Leckie banged a slapper on net, and the rebound skipped to freshman Phil Evans. Evans threaded a pass through the crease to freshman Bob McDonald, who smacked a backhand into the goal. Harvard 1, B.U. 1.

At 12:16 of the same period, Crimson defensemen Jack Hughes was penalized for tripping. B.U. still had 21 seconds of a power play to utilize when Harvard's John Cochrane committed another trip. The Crimson staved off the Terrier advantage until Harvard was only one man down.

Then George Hughes picked up a loose puck at his own blue line and streaked into the B.U. zone, slipped the puck through Bill Leblond's legs, side-stepped Olympian Dick Lamby, and popped shot over Durocher's right leg. Short-handed goal. Harvard 2, B.U. 1

B.U. cracked open the second period with a power-play-goal (Randy Millen, tripping) at 2:22 by freshman Mark Fidler, tipping an O'Callahan shot.

Harvard appeared a bit frazzled at this point, and the Terriers struck paydirt again at 3:35, with Lamby catching Hynes without his stick, and very befuddled. Hynes stopped a David Silk wrister with his face mask. The rebound went to Fidler, who fed Lamby at the point. B.U. 3, Harvard 2.

The Crimson answered 55 seconds later. Freshman Rick Benson, hidden by the side of the goal, which left him virtually no shooting angle, picked up a rebound off a Deadart and slid a pin point shot along the ice into the B.U. net. Three-all.

But that was the final tally of the night for the frustrated Crimson, whose record dropped to 3-2. Harvard, sparked by the out-standing play of its ever-improving corps of freshmen, played well enough to win but were victimized by unlucky breaks and some very questionable refereeing.