The Icemen Goeth

To the Editors of The Crimson:

Bob Grady seems determined to undermine the Harvard hockey team before the season begins. In his article of October 11, Grady derides the icemen and sets out to discourage attendance at this year's home matches at Boston University. While the location changes, the personnel remain the same. All but three of the players who made last year exciting, if not completely successful, are returning. The team will still have the strength and style of the Hughes brothers, the power of captain John Cochrane, and Tom Murray's speed.

The "real fans" of Harvard hockey were at the UNH game mentioned in the article. They also saw Dave Bell take a goalie's glove off with a blazing slap shot in 1976, and sat by as Harvard beat Yale in the final game of the 1976-77 season, but failed to reach the ECAC playoffs, lacking the help of any one of three other teams. The "real fans" remember Gene Purdy's overtime wraparound goal to win last year's first-round Beanpot match against Northeastern as well as they recall Jackie Hughes limping off the ice at Boston College with a broken heel, starting a downswing from which Harvard never recovered. What's crucial is that the "real fans" still supported the team after defeats or victories.

Those same fans will decide this year whether the team's temporary home is a friendly or hostile rink. The Crimson's move to Walter Brown Arena means only the loss of Watson Rink, not that the icemen will be without a home advantage. It's a short trip across the river, a fair exchange for the three years of excitement Harvard hockey has given me. A year-long closing of Watson was inevitable; why not try a concerted effort to arrange bus service to games? I'll be there, and so will anyone else who really appreciates college hockey. David W. Kleeman '79