Kings of the Ice

Here comes the king, here comes the king.

Here comes the big number one.

Budweiser Beer. Budweiser Beer.

The king is second to none.

Like those guys in another beer company's commercials, the Harvard, J.V. hockey team has seemed almost good enough to beat the Russians over the last two years. Compiling a 28-1-2 record over that period, the J.V. icemen--perhaps the best J.V. squad in the country--have been clearly second to one.

yet all is not well in hockeydom. The kings of J.V. pack still have one obstacle lying between them and a season-ending 12-game winning streak, and a formidable obstacle it is. The Budweiser kings, a team composed primarily of ex-Divisional I and II varsity players, will waltz into Bright Center Saturday afternoon and give the Crimson their toughest battle of the season.

The Kings, sponsored by the Cambridge Anheuser-Busch distributor, have gained a reputation as a wild and crazy bunch, a reputation that Coach Tim Flynn (also Coach of Division III defending champion Bettley College) terms inaccurate. "Most of the guys have to get up and go to work in the morning. We're not looking for physical game," he said.

Still, appearances can be deceiving. Like the case of Bud that occasionally appears (and quickly disappears) on the bench during games. Or the games reminiscent of Slapshot, fights and all, that the two teams played two years ago ("out of the ordinary," Flynn said). One never knows what to expect from the Kings.

And they do have talent. Lots of it. In fact, they actually did beat the Russians once. Well, at least one of them did. Mike Kruzione, of Lake Placid and Boston University fame plays with the team on occasion, including last year's 9-5 loss to the Crimson. No one knows for sure whether the Olympian will be back tomorrow to average last year's defeat but at least Flynn said, "There's a very good chance."

Whether Eruzione shows up and loads his team to victory or not, the Harvard J.V. have had a successful season (11-1-1). But is didn't start out that way.

Forced to rely on freshmen and sophomores and lacking any seniors, (last year's 17-0-1 squad had eight), the squad stumbled at the start of the season, losing a scrimmage against Borth eastern and suffering a season opening 9-5 pounding at the hands of the Big Green.

Perhaps overconfident from the previous year's success, the team played poorly, especially in its own end. "We were very sloppy in our defensive zone and made many mistakes. But the feeling of last year's squad carried over. We worked hard on our play and it turned around." Coach Kevin Hampe said.

The turning point in the young season was the next game, a rematch against the Huskies. Despite outplaying their cross-town rivals, the Crimson found themselves down 4-2 late in the game, only to salvage a tie on tallies by Bob Starbuck and Captain Jim Griffin in the last minute-and-a-half of regulation play. Since then, they've ruled the J.V. kingdom, building an eleven-game winning streak.

Balance

How can the team's success-this year and last-be explained? Individually and as a tears, the Crimson is extremely talented. Adopt at passing and play-making, the squad has played a fast-skating game that few teams have been able to stay with.

"We haven't played any teams as good as we are," agreed three-year veteran David Silver man. "We shouldn't have lost to Dartmouth. We'd love to have that game over again."

But, without fall, everyone on the team attributes its success to more than just raw talent. The players universally agreed that Hampe is responsible for molding them into an unusually close-knit squad that takes pride in its performance and hates to lose. "A large part of our record is due to him," Silverman stated.

So, there you have it. The beat J.V. hockey team in the country. An eleven-game winning streak. The best two-year record in Harvard hockey history. A bunch of on-college, stars, out to have a good time. Perhaps even an Olympic gold medal winner. Hockey history in the making tomorrow at 2 p.m. Don't miss it.