Junior Varsity Drops 7-5 Decision to Northeastern

Harvard's undermanned junior varsity hockey team couldn't shake the exam blues as they flunked the test administered by Northeastern yesterday, 7-5. Suprisingly enough, the defeat came at the hands of a team that the Crimson had demolished earlier in the year, 12-4.

"The team is definitely hampered by the loss of their first two lines to the injury-plagued varsity," forward Dave Mackinnon said before the game.

Paul Piatelli scored Northeastern's first goal midway thorugh a tight-checking first period. Pat Summers gave Northeastern a two-goal lead thirty seconds later when he stole a pass at center ice, broke in all alone, and blistered the puck by Harvard goalie Hartley Rogers.

Doug Thompson got one back for Harvard thirty seconds into the second period and Harvard dominated play for the next five minutes, pressing to tie up the game. Northeastern, however, took control of the game with another breakaway, this time by Doug Scott.

Summers and Piatelli both scored again for Northeastern, before Andrew Spaulding countered for Harvard to make the score 5-2 at the end of two periods.

The second period was marked by a five minute stint in which Harvard had a two man advantage for three minutes, and a one man advantage for another two. But the Crimson forwards could not penetrate the scrambling Northeastern defense.

"The puck just didn't want to go in for us. It was extremely frustrating," Thompson said.

Barry Wald manned the Harvard nets in the third period in an attempt to shake up the Crimson's lethargic play. Harvard managed to partially shake their reading period malaise by out scoring Northeastern three goals to two in the final period.

But it was too little, too late for the Crimson icemen as they dropped their fifth game in a row.