For Harvard, One Yale of a Weekend

In a word, the game was boring. In two words, it was really dull. In three words (with a contraction to boot), Yale couldn't skate. In three and over, the Crimson icemen faced a "must not lose" situation against the visiting Elis on Saturday afternoon and Channel 7. So they didn't, 6-2.

How it happened...

For the third time this winter, Harvard triumphed in front of a boob-tube audience. For the first time ever, Bill Cleary won his 100th game as Crimson mentor (plus a cake to go), and Tim Taylor returned to Cambridge as Yale's new hockey coach and did as well as Yale's old hockey coach.

As for the game itself, it could have been interesting had the Eli skaters been able to stand up. But alas, such talent is reserved for mediocre teams, which Yale certainly ranks less than, and Harvard had an easy win and a return to sixth place on the ECAC roster.

The contest was pretty much divided into two uneven sectors. The first saw Bill Horton and Bill Hozack, playing on different lines after Cleary shook things up following last Wednesday's blowout at Cornell, sandwich goals around one by Yale's Anders Carlsson before eight minutes had elapsed in the opening stanza.

The second saw the Crimson on the power play, scoring four goals and generally dominating the action the way the Skipper dominates Gilligan.

Specifically, it was Gene Purdy, playing on an all-new line with Bill Hozack and Murray (no, he isn't Ralph Malph's twin brother) Dea, who had a field day against the New Haveners.

After assisting on George Hughes and John Cochrane tallies, the former at 11:45 of the initial period and the latter at 2:43 of the middle frame, a blast that made Eli goalie Keith Allain cross himself, Purdy iced the sloppy affair with two man-advantage goals of his own.

The first came on a beautiful centering pass from Hughes, who, when not on the power play, was skating with Cochrane and Captain Bill Horton, while the second, which closed out Purdy's five-point afternoon and followed an unassisted goal by Yale's Randy Ludwar, was a third-period rebound from in close.

In 15 words, it was a game over which few could get excited, but one that Harvard had to, and did, win. In other words, see you tomorrow night at Watson, sport.

It's been one of those years in ECAC hockey circles, and naturally enough, as the season enters its final week the only thing that's for certain concerns the first round of the playoffs. Yes, regardless of what happens in the next six days, the playoffs will begin on Tuesday night, March 8. The unknown factors are far more numerous:

1) Participants: Five teams--UNH, Clarkson, Cornell, B.U. and B.C.--are in, with the first four gaining home-ice advantage.

...What it means

Three of the next five squads (see ECAC standings above) will also make it, and this is where it gets tricky. Barring a total collapse (i.e., losses to Dartmouth and Yale this week) and an unforseen combination of triumphs by the other contenders), the Crimson looks in good shape.

Two victories would clinch sixth place, and a split should be good enough for postseason play. Brown was sailing along until its loss Saturday night to Dartmouth, RPI and Providence already have at least ten defeats and a tough week ahead, and Vermont is hanging on by its Catamount. In other words, keep your eye on the scoreboard, but regardless of what transpires elsewhere, two Harvard triumphs (and probably even one) would definitely spell playoff for the Crimson in Cambridge.

2) Assuming that the Crimson does qualify for a March 8 date somewhere, that's the question. Where? Obviously, it could be at any of four places as of this writing, but one strong and overlooked possibility has Harvard traveling across the river for another shoot-out with B.U.

The Terriers are currently tied with Cornell for third, but they have two games this week to the Big Red's one. Assuming victories all around, B.U. would finish third, Cornell fourth, the Crimson sixth, and we're talking about another war in Beantown.

This, of course, would be just fine, because no one wants to go to Cornell, whose team has beaten the Crimson twice already but, more importantly, seems to have Harvard psyched out at the moment, nor Clarkson, which is simply too far. A journey to New Hampshire wouldn't be too bad, as the Wildcats--regardless of what they say--have to be wondering about their ability to win in the playoffs.

3) As for the "who's best in the regular season" department, that will be decided tomorrow night when UNH and Clarkson face off.

4) Should any two teams finish so close that percentage differences are meaningless, the ECAC gets to step in and do things like compare the season series--if there was one--between the schools. Which means that Providence has two victories and an edge over Harvard, RPI over Providence, and so forth...Just tune in next week, will you? M.K.S.

ECAC DIV 1 HOCKEY STANDINGS  W  L  T 1) New Hampshire  21  4  0 2) Clarkson  17  4  0 3) Cornell  15  6  1 4) Boston University  15  6  1 5) Boston College  12  8  1 6) HARVARD  11  9  0 7) Brown  10  9  0 8) RPI  11  10  0 9) Providence  12  11  0 10) Vermont  10  11  0

This week's schedule:

Tonight--Boston University at Vermont

Tuesday--Dartmouth at HARVARD; UNH at Clarkson; BC at RPI; Yale at Brown; Northeastern at Providence

Wednesday--UNH at Colgate

Thursday--Vermont at RPI

Saturday--HARVARD at Yale; Dartmouth at Brown; BC at Princeton; Providence at BU; Penn at Cornell

This week's schedule:

Tonight--Boston University at Vermont

Tuesday--Dartmouth at HARVARD; UNH at Clarkson; BC at RPI; Yale at Brown; Northeastern at Providence

Wednesday--UNH at Colgate

Thursday--Vermont at RPI

Saturday--HARVARD at Yale; Dartmouth at Brown; BC at Princeton; Providence at BU; Penn at Cornell